Avionics Engineer I - Integrated Electrical Systems

While other companies talk about it, we do it!

ABOUT ENGINEERING AT ROCKET LAB:

Engineering is at the heart of Rocket Lab. Our engineering team has a proven track record of designing and developing world-class rockets and spacecraft that are changing the way we access and use space. You'll work alongside driven, talented engineers from varied backgrounds and experience levels, all committed to the same mission. Our engineering team members span design, analysis, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, assembly and integration, quality control, engineering documentation, and more.

AVIONICS ENGINEER I - INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS:

Rocket Lab is seeking an Avionics Engineer I to join our Electron Avionics Development Team. In this role, you'll be at the forefront of designing, developing, and implementing electrical systems that take the Electron vehicle to orbit. You'll own electrical interfaces and wire harness designs that connect critical flight systems, working in a fast-paced environment where your contributions directly impact mission success.

This is a hands-on engineering role where you'll work across the full product lifecycle. You'll collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams including structures, propulsion, software, and manufacturing to deliver electrical systems optimised for performance, reliability, and mass.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

• Design and manage electrical interconnections between avionics systems, ensuring robust, reliable connectivity across the launch vehicle
• Develop schematic and 3D routing designs for complex flight harnesses, being responsible for, fit checks, connector selection, and wire specifications.
• Generate production-ready schematics, BOMs, manufacturing drawings, and ICDs.
• Support system-level electrical architecture development for the Electron launch vehicle development and mission-specific configurations.
• Execute signal integrity analysis, power budgets grounding studies, and EMI/EMC assessments to ensure system performance.
• Design and build prototype harnesses and electrical systems to validate concepts and de-risk designs before production commitment.
• Conduct analytical trade-offs to optimize designs for mass, cost, reliability, manufacturability, and schedule while meeting performance requirements.
• Manage project timelines for avionics systems projects to ensure electrical systems keep vehicle production on schedule
• Maintain design documentation, manage changes through formal processes, and ensure traceability across design iterations
• Support launch campaigns including troubleshooting, system health monitoring, and real-time anomaly resolution.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline
• 1+ years of hands-on experience in hardware development, electrical system design, or electronics test engineering
• Experience with Altium Designer, KiCAD, SolidWorks Electrical, Siemens NX, RapidHarness or similar eCAD/mCAD platforms
• Experience developing high quality design data including schematics, harness drawings and specifications
• Strong understanding of analog and digital electronics, power distribution, signal integrity, grounding, and EMI/EMC principles
• Experience with test equipment including oscilloscopes, power supplies, multimeters and data acquisition systems
• Proficiency in Python or similar languages for test automation and data analysis
• Demonstrated ability to design, build, test, and troubleshoot electrical systems in a fast-paced environment

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Proficiency with RS-422, RS-485, SPI, I2C, CAN bus, Ethernet, or other serial communication standards
• Hands-on experience with wire harness design, fabrication processes to industry standards including IPC-620, NASA-STD 8739.4, ECSS or similar.
• Experience designing analog, digital, or mixed-signal PCBs from concept through production
• Familiarity with RTDs, thermocouples, strain gauges, accelerometers, pressure transducers, and associated signal conditioning
• Experience with configuration management tools

If the above sounds like you apply now!