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Posted 15 August, 2026

Senior Software Engineer - Operations Software

Rocket Lab
Auckland, AUK, NZ Full Time
Reference: dee1e2c8e51ae7c0

Job Description

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER – OPERATIONS SOFTWARE As a Senior Software Engineer – Operations Software based at Rocket Lab’s site in Auckland New Zealand, you will have the opportunity create, maintain, deploy and support components, functions or services in launch vehicles and spacecraft operations. In this role you will have scope to perform independent engineering as allocated and have product ownership. Join a driven team that’s tackling challenging projects, delivering on exciting missions, and making an impact on the future of space! What You’ll Get To Do Acquisition, ingestion and storage of telemetry from: Launch Operations Spacecraft Operations Integrated Systems Testing Operational Simulations Sub-System Testing Design and implement software, tests, and architecture based on feature requests and bug fixes. Create operational documentation for software products. Manage and review source code using version control tools and establish code review standards. You’ll Bring These Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in software engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or similar. Minimum of 5+ years’ experience within a related field. Experience with Git. Experience with one of: Redmine, Jira, or other issue tracker. Golang Development. High-performance systems & scalability. These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have Network Protocols (UDP / TCP / gRPC / CCSDS). Scrum / Kanban. Linux Containers. Cloud Application Development. System Administration. CI/CD systems. Shared data model definition. Python Development. What 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 [email protected]. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr

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