Rocket Lab USA
Senior Spacecraft GNC Engineer I
East Long Beach, Los Angeles County · Senior · full-time
Stay score
odds of building a lasting career here
Sponsors, but it's cap-subject — you still face the weighted lottery (~61% per draw at Level IV). 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
$21,283 more — $161,283 — moves this role to Level III and 3 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 $161,283 would place this position at wage Level III. 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
- 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.
- 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
- BS and 5+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS
- U.S citizenship is required, due to program requirements
- BS and 8+ years of industry experience in GNC/ADCS
Nice to have
- Active Secret or TS Security Clearance
- 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
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
- $140,000 - $190,000 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.
Benefits
- This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview.
Company info
- You will also directly interact with customers to ensure mission success.
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
- 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.