Mission Manager- TS/SCI Clearance

Rocket Lab Corporation
Littleton, CO
On-site

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have mission management experience with suborbital or hypersonic payloads and are comfortable with frequent travel.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with prior mission management or integration experience in suborbital or hypersonic fields
    — “Prior mission management or mission integration experience required, preferably in support of suborbital and/or hypersonic payloads”
  • Individuals with technical program management experience on launch vehicles or spacecraft projects
    — “Hardware integration or project management experience on either launch vehicles or spacecraft projects”
  • Professionals with strong customer interaction and technical sales engineering skills
    — “Assists business development with proposal input, lead generation, and technical sales engineering reviews”

Things to consider

  • Active DoD Secret Clearance is mandatory, which may limit eligibility for some candidates
    — “Active DoD Secret Clearance”
  • The role may involve exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas
    — “occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with interface control documentation (ICD) development and verification
    — “Responsible for development and verification of Launch Vehicle to Payload Spacecraft Interface Control Documentation (ICD)”
  • Emphasize ability to lead technical reviews and coordinate with customers on mission milestones
    — “Lead technical milestone reviews with customers such as mission design or test readiness reviews”
  • Showcase hands-on experience with complex mechanical systems and payload integration
    — “Experience working with complex mechanical systems with your own hands”
  • Demonstrate a track record of managing multiple missions across technical, programmatic, and financial dimensions
    — “Management of multiple Rocket Lab customer missions, including technical, programmatic, and financial milestones”
  • Include examples of successful customer collaboration and technical communication
    — “In constant contact with customers to answer questions with technical staff as required”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • managing multiple Rocket Lab customer missions
  • overseeing payload integration activities
  • leading technical milestone reviews with customers
  • assisting business development with proposal input
Typical background
mission managementtechnical program managementhardware integration or project management experience on launch vehicles or spacecraft projects

Skills & requirements

Required

Mission ManagementTechnical Program ManagementPayload IntegrationProposal InputTechnical Sales EngineeringLaunch Vehicle To Payload Spacecraft Interface Control Documentation

Preferred

Suborbital And/or Hypersonic PayloadsITARMission Management Or Mission Integration ExperienceMechanical And Electrical DrawingsPresentation And Technical Writing Skills

Stack & domain

Mission ManagementTechnical Program ManagementHardware IntegrationProject ManagementPayload IntegrationLaunch Vehicle IntegrationMechanical And Electrical DrawingsITARTAASuborbital And Hypersonic PayloadsLaunch Vehicle To Payload Spacecraft Interface Control Documentation (icd)LeadershipCommunicationTeamworkProblem-solvingTechnical WritingPresentationCustomer ServiceSalesTechnical Sales EngineeringDod Secret ClearanceSpaceLaunch VehiclesPayloadsSpacecraftSuborbitalHypersonic

About the role

Original posting from Rocket Lab Corporation via Greenhouse

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

MISSION MANAGER 

Based out of one of Rocket Lab sites in North America, Mission Managers work directly with customers from signing of contract through payload integration to launch at either our Auckland, New Zealand or Wallops, Virginia launch site for Rocket Lab’s HASTE program. The ideal candidate is comfortable working with both commercial and government customers as well as frequent domestic and international travel. Prior mission management or mission integration experience required, preferably in support of suborbital and/or hypersonic payloads. 

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO: 

Management of multiple Rocket Lab customer missions, including technical, programmatic, and financial milestones. 

Oversee hands-on payload integration activities, including fit checks, dispenser and launch vehicle integration. 

Lead technical milestone reviews with customers such as mission design or test readiness reviews 

Assists business development with proposal input, lead generation, and technical sales engineering reviews. 

Responsible for development and verification of Launch Vehicle to Payload Spacecraft Interface Control Documentation (ICD). 

In constant contact with customers to answer questions with technical staff as required. 

Represent the company at public events, including conferences, industry forums, outreach and recruiting events. 

Helps lead Mission Integrators in expanding their mission management skillset 

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A MISSION MANAGER: 

Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technical discipline – Mechanical, Electrical or Aerospace degree preferred. 

5+ years of mission management experience/Technical program management experience 

Active DoD Secret Clearance 

Hardware integration or project management experience on either launch vehicles or spacecraft projects. 

Ability to travel to launch pads, customer sites, and overseas (e.g. Rocket Labs New Zealand facility/launch site). 

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE: 

Experience with Suborbital and/or hypersonic payloads 

ITAR - Previous experience with ITAR & establishment of TAA's. 

Previous Mission Management or Mission Integration experience. 

Experience working with complex mechanical systems with your own hands. 

Ability to read mechanical and electrical drawings. 

Solid interpersonal and organizational skills, able to assist with closure of sales / customer capture. 

Ability to understand technical constraints relative to payload launch including results from mission specific analysis. 

Solid presentation and technical writing skills. 

 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

The expected salary range for the position is displayed in accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Final agreed upon compensation is based upon individual qualifications and experience. 

Base salary is only one part of Rocket Lab’s compensation package for this role. You may be eligible for company stock, or cash incentives, and can purchase discounted stock through Rocket Lab’s Employee Stock Purchase Program. Employee benefits also include medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage; 401(k) retirement plan options; paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave; paid parental leave; and other discounts and perks.  

Base Pay Range (CO Only)$107,200—$134,000 USDWHAT TO EXPECT 

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. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. 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.   

Important information:

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 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.

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.This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant.  These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations. 

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.  For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.

Source: Rocket Lab Corporation careers (Greenhouse)

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