Avionics Engineer I – Design

About the role

Rocket Lab is seeking an Avionics Engineer I to design and develop flight‑quality printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) for spacecraft avionics. The role involves creating schematics, selecting components, and ensuring robust electrical performance for power and control systems.

Key responsibilities

• Design and develop flight‑quality PCBAs, including schematic capture, component selection, and circuit design for power electronics and control systems.
• Conduct electrical analyses such as worst‑case analysis, power budgeting, thermal derating, and signal‑integrity assessments.
• Participate in hardware bring‑up, debugging, and verification of prototypes, and support environmental testing (thermal vacuum, vibration, EMI/EMC).
• Create and maintain design documentation, including schematics, bills of materials, test reports, and design justification documents.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (Test, Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, and other subsystems) to resolve interface issues and support integrated system development.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electronics, or a related field.
• 1–3+ years of experience in electronics design or hardware development.
• Strong foundation in power electronics, analog and digital circuit design, signal integrity, and grounding principles.

Required skills

• PCB design and schematic capture
• Power electronics design
• Analog and digital circuit design
• Signal‑integrity and grounding analysis
• Electrical analysis (worst‑case, power budgeting, thermal derating)
• EMI/EMC testing
• Hardware bring‑up and debugging
• Design documentation and bill of materials preparation