Manufacturing Engineer I - Avionics

About the role

Rocket Lab is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer I focused on avionics to ensure the quality, reliability, and performance of integrated electrical and mechanical systems in a fast‑paced production environment. You will own test and production activities, support build‑rate targets, and make risk‑based engineering decisions that directly affect mission success.

Key responsibilities

• Assess product quality issues and make risk‑based decisions, especially near launch timelines.
• Determine disposition of failed units (rework, accept, scrap) based on technical risk and delivery constraints.
• Plan and execute environmental testing (thermal, vibration, shock) using multi‑unit test systems.
• Diagnose failures, distinguishing product faults from test equipment issues.
• Conduct testing of electronic and electromechanical systems, including PCB assemblies integrated with motors.
• Validate system‑level performance and support PCB integration and production testing.
• Own production lines, remove blockers, improve yield, and increase build rate.
• Drive process improvements across manufacturing, test, and integration.
• Contribute to change management, assessing risk and impact of design or process changes.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to resolve issues and enable informed decisions.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Electrical, Electronic, or Mechatronics Engineering.
• Experience with electrical hardware systems, PCBA assemblies, or instrumentation/control systems.
• Experience designing or debugging test systems or automated test infrastructure.
• Hands‑on troubleshooting of complex electrical or integrated systems.

Required skills

• Electrical hardware systems
• Printed circuit board assembly (PCBA)
• Test system design and automated test infrastructure
• Environmental testing (thermal, vibration, shock)
• PCB integration and production testing
• Troubleshooting complex electrical/integrated systems
• Process improvement
• Change management