Rocket Lab USA
Spacecraft GNC Engineer II
East Long Beach, Los Angeles County · Mid
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
$22,301 more — $137,301 — moves this role to Level II and 2 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 $137,301 would place this position at wage Level II. That figure is within the posted range, and I'd like to target it. This role classifies under "Aerospace Engineers" for prevailing-wage purposes.
DOL prevailing wage, 2026-27 wage year · Aerospace Engineers (17-2011) · 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
- Spacecraft GNC Engineer II Based out of Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the Spacecraft GNC Engineer II is responsible for leading GNC and ADCS development for Rocket Lab's growing fleet of diverse spacecraft.
- You will demonstrate a firm grasp of spacecraft GNC concepts and applications.
- 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.
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
- BS and 2+ years of experience in GNC/ADCS
- U.S citizenship is required, due to program requirements
Nice to have
- Experience in Jira planning and workflow
- Prior experiencing mentoring a team of younger engineers
- Hands-on experience with IMU, reaction wheels, star trackers, gyroscopes, and other GNC hardware
- Demonstrated experience with spacecraft on-orbit operations and anomaly resolution
- Prior experience leading a team across a project lifecycle (not necessarily a spacecraft, not necessarily a whole GNC system)
- Prior experience working multiple projects simultaneously and determining priorities for a team
- Experience with GNC-related Business Development or conceptual design work
- 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.
Skills
- Design of flight software, algorithms, and simulation product
- Development of spacecraft autonomy tools for constellation management
- GNC component selection and GNC subsystem design
- Test process development and execution
- Define fault detection and response
- Hardware-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo simulation
- Integration of flight and simulation software with modern analysis, test, and operations tools
- Support internal and external design reviews
- Coordinate with teams in Denver, Colorado and New Zealand
Compensation
- $115,000 - $140,000 USD
- 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.
Company info
- You will also directly interact with customers to ensure mission success.
Visa & Work Authorization
- S citizenship is required, due to program requirements
This listing is sourced directly from Rocket Lab USA's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.