Senior Program Manager II, RF Systems - TS​/SCI Pipeline

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access space. The rockets and satellites we build, and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.

Our Electron rocket has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium-lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment. Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope.

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets – we’re building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space – our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

Based at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, we are looking for a Senior Program Manager II, RF Systems for a future opening. You are the ultimate program authority for our next-generation RF Systems and Payloads. This is not a role for a spectator; you are the Mission Owner. You are responsible for the technical roadmap from the first “blank sheet” prototype and strategic “Make/Buy” decisions through the gauntlet of flight qualification and into high-rate production.

Success here demands a radical mission-first mindset. You will not just read requirements; you will immerse yourself in the operational realities of National Security, Civil, and Commercial pioneers to translate their hardest problems into concrete technical milestones. You are the bridge between world-class RF engineering and the tactical edge, ensuring our technology doesn’t just work, it wins.

• Command the Lifecycle:
  Drive the technical roadmap for advanced payloads from a “blank sheet” concept through flight qualification and high-rate production.
• Bridge the Gap:
  Translate complex tactical needs from Customers into high-velocity engineering sprints. You will speak the customer’s language, mission success, not just margin.
• Unblock Excellence:
  Synchronize cross‑functional teams across hardware, software, and spectrum management. Your job is to remove every obstacle in their path to ensure scalable, high-throughput connectivity reaches the user on time.
• Lead the Team of Teams:
  Partner with Chief Engineers to navigate the brutal trade-offs of Phased Arrays, Digital Signal Processing, and Production.
• Forge the Supply Chain:
  Manage high-stakes subcontracts and vendors not as “line items,” but as strategic partners essential to our mission’s heartbeat.
• Influence the Future:
  Partner with BD & Strategy for complex proposals and technical narratives that define the next generation of RF Systems and Payloads.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math
• 8+ years of experience in managing technical projects for aerospace/defense tech…