About this job

WHY ROCKET LAB?

Rocket Lab is the global leader in small satellite launch. Our mission is to open access to space to improve life on Earth. There are endless possibilities for what we can achieve with better access to space, and that access is now a reality thanks to Rocket Lab. Our team is 500 people strong and we’re adding to it every week. Collaboration is at our core – every idea is heard and everyone makes a difference. Teams are nimble, decisions are made quickly and we are action-oriented.

While other companies talk about it, we do it!

DIRECTOR, MISSION MANAGEMENT AND INTEGRATION

Based at Rocket Lab’s new headquarters in Long Beach, California the Director, Mission Management and Integration is responsible for executing a pipeline of exquisite launch services by serving customers just prior to first contact with Rocket Lab until their payload is successfully delivered into orbit and all contractual milestones are closed out.  The Director will recruit and lead a talented team to facilitate a simple, efficient process of customer engagement, mission execution, flight reliability, payload accommodations, analysis, and integration.

Responsibilities

This position will work with customers as well as engineering, operations and production teams, with responsibilities spanning across customer engagement, mission management, mission integration, flight reliability, payload accommodations, and analysis. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Partner with Global Launch Services (GLS) Business team, participating in proposal development, and serving as a technical representative for customers.
• Collaborate with technical teams to perform preliminary technical studies and develop mission concepts for prospective customers.
• Collaborate internally with Executives, Production, Launch Services, and Engineering teams on a routine basis to actively review and manage Rocket Lab’s growing launch manifest.
• Support multiple missions and manage between missions.
• Mentor, train, and lead a team of Mission Managers and Engineers, ensuring proper management of all missions, throughout the mission life-cycle, from pre-contract negotiations to design reviews to the launch campaign to post-launch data review.
• Work with customers to mitigate and resolve technical and programmatic issues that may arise.
• Responsible for the execution of launch services agreements including customer reviews, and contractual milestones.
• Develop interface control documents between customers’ spacecraft, including hardware, software and operational products, and Electron launch vehicle.
• Develop customer integration plans and support integration of spacecraft into dispensers and/or the launch vehicle.
• Responsible for the efficient integration and guaranteed deployment of customer payload(s).
• Development of single and multiple payload mission architectures, including driving design of payload stacks from concept to execution
• Constantly seek opportunities to streamline mission management process and improve customer satisfaction.

Profile

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related Science discipline.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of professional relevant working experience in program management, project management or operations, in the Aerospace / Space & Defense industry.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience leading, mentoring, and guiding teams.
• Minimum
• Highly effective and professional verbal and written communication skills with team and internal/external customers.
• Dedicated mission integrator(s) will have certified training and integration experience of known industry deployers & separation systems, examples include:
  • RUAG: C-Clamp Payload Adapter Systems
  • Planetary Systems Corp: Motorized Lightband
  • Maxwell Deployers

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in Engineering or related Science discipline a plus.
• Prior spacecraft engineering and systems integration experience.
• Prior experience executing spacecraft missions, for a launch service company, desired.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work out of Rocket Lab Headquarters in Long Beach, California.
• Security clearance or ability and willingness to obtain one.
• Frequent domestic and international travel (40% or more) required. including on short notice.
• Available outside of normal business hours and/or weekends, as needed.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15) or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.Rocket Lab USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with Rocket Lab USA is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.