Rocket Lab USA
Lead, Manufacturing Engineer - Space Systems
East Long Beach, Los Angeles County · full-time
Stay score
odds of building a lasting career here
Sponsors, but it's cap-subject — you still face the weighted lottery (~45% per draw at Level III). Good if you win; have a cap-exempt backup on your list.
Lottery odds assume a STEM candidate.
Personalize to your clock →H-1B wage level
the lottery is wage-weighted — each level is one more entry
$14,963 more — $139,963 — moves this role to Level IV and 4 lottery entries. That figure is inside the range the employer already advertised.
Based on the DOL prevailing wage for this occupation and worksite, a base salary of $139,963 would place this position at wage Level IV. That figure is within the posted range, and I'd like to target it. This role classifies under "Industrial Engineers" for prevailing-wage purposes.
DOL prevailing wage, 2026-27 wage year · Industrial Engineers (17-2112) · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA. Wage level is derived by USCIS from the offered wage, occupation and worksite; the occupation shown is inferred from the job title.
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About the role
- Manufacturing Engineering powers Rocket Lab's factories from concept to full-scale production.
- Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
- Base salary is just one component of our total rewards package at Rocket Lab.
Responsibilities
- We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or similar
- 5+ years of technical experience in a Manufacturing, Production, or Process Engineering environment
- Hands-on experience proactively identifying and solving systemic multifaceted problems in complex manufacturing systems
- Ability to effectively coach and mentor others to raise the bar across multiple teams
Nice to have
- Working experience with environmental acceptance/production acceptance testing, such as vibration, shock, thermal, and vacuum
- Understanding of instrumentation, interfaces, and sensors including power supplies, oscilloscopes, serial devices, switch topologies, accelerometers, thermocouples, RTDs, and 4-20mA sensors
- Experience with designing, implementing, and supporting a production line and/or build area
- Demonstrated experience with DFMEA, PFMEA methodologies, Fault Tree Analysis, Pareto analysis, root cause and corrective action
- This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
- We're on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that's not an easy task.
- It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible.
- Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace.
Compensation
- $125,000 - $170,000 USD
- This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Equal opportunity
- Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com.
Visa & Work Authorization
- citizen, lawful U
This listing is sourced directly from Rocket Lab USA's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.