Senior Electrical Engineer II

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-09-23

Job description

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.

ROCKET LAB ROBOTICS

At Rocket Lab Robotics, we build robotic systems that push the boundaries of what's possible in space. From Mars-proven robotic arms to precision motion control systems for the most demanding environments in our solar system, our team delivers advanced electro-mechanical solutions for planetary exploration and various satellite programs. We've engineered hardware that has operated on the surface of Mars on NASA's Perseverance rover, supported lunar exploration through the CADRE rover program, and developed precision mechanisms for spacecraft subsystems including solar array drives, antenna gimbals, and optical payloads. As part of Rocket Lab, we combine the focus of small, dedicated robotics teams with the resources of a leading end-to-end space company, empowering some of the boldest missions in history. We're looking for people who take ownership and drive a problem from first principles all the way through manufacturing and delivery.

SENIOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER II

Based at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, California, the Senior Electrical Engineer II will participate in the development and test of avionics hardware for our robotics programs. You will work collaboratively with engineers across multiple disciplines and participate in all aspects of electrical hardware development, from requirements definition through design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and production. We are looking for people who are passionate about robotics electrical hardware design and are willing to learn and execute in a fast-paced environment.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO

• Take end-to-end ownership of hardware for robotics and motor-control applications.
• Drive architecture decisions that advance control algorithms, including work with microcontroller-based systems.
• Develop PCBA requirements in collaboration with other engineering disciplines.
• Perform PCBA design verification testing and system integration testing.
• Own and support environmental testing, including EMI/EMC, thermal-vacuum, shock, and vibration testing.
• Perform schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium Designer.
• Provide oversight and mentorship to support engineers performing layout, analysis, testing, and related activities.
• Lead electronic component and parts selection with consideration for electrical performance, reliability, environmental requirements, availability, lifecycle status, lead time, and cost.
• Develop and maintain engineering bills of material and partner with planning, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to support material readiness, long-lead procurement, and production schedules.
• Support sourcing and supplier selection for electronic components, PCBAs, and related hardware, including evaluation of alternates and resolution of obsolescence or supply-chain constraints.
• Drive design for manufacturability and testability, working closely with manufacturing and suppliers to ensure designs can be built, inspected, tested, and scaled reliably.
• Provide production and manufacturing support as needed.
• Support failure analysis and root-cause investigations for units in test, integration, or on-orbit operation.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or another engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of electrical hardware design experience.
• Ability to develop blank-sheet-of-paper design concepts.
• Experience in motor-control applications.
• Experience with analog signal chains.
• Proficiency performing circuit analyses using SPICE.
• Proficiency with board bring-up and debugging.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with field-oriented control.
• Experience with switch-mode power supplies.
• Experience designing electronics for space environments, including radiation impacts and SEU/SEL mitigation.
• Experience with environmental testing, including thermal-vacuum, shock, and vibration testing.
• Experience with EMI/EMC testing.
• Experience with Altium Designer for schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Proficiency with PCBA verification and validation.
• Experience with parametric, sensitivity, or worst-case analysis.
• Demonstrated expertise selecting electronic components and managing tradeoffs among performance, reliability, availability, lifecycle, lead time, and cost.
• Experience supporting BOM development, material planning, supplier sourcing, component alternates, and design-for-manufacturability reviews.
• Experience with Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Experience designing rigid-flex PCBs and working with electromechanical systems.
• Experience with system-modeling tools such as Simulink.

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. 

Join one of the world's fastest-growing space companies and own a piece of it. In addition to competitive base pay, you'll receive company stock as part of your total compensation package, giving you a direct stake in our success. As we expand to new launch sites, groundbreaking missions, and global markets, your ownership has the opportunity to grow alongside the company.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes our industry-leading Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount on company stock), top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution), dental and vision coverage, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) retirement plan with company match.

Additional perks include subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers (where available), discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on our popular merch store, and a variety of other employee discounts.

Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

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 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.

Explore around this job

Field: Engineering, Construction and Energy Sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering All jobs at Rocket Lab Corporation Jobs in California Jobs in Pasadena, CA Pasadena city guide California state guide Los Angeles County economy Pay for this occupation (BLS) All 252 open jobs for this occupation

View this job and apply on the employer's page →

You apply on the employer's page; AtiveSite does not receive or process applications and is not affiliated with the employer. The description above is shown as the source published it.

About the role

This is a — role in the Engineering, Construction and Energy field (Manufacturing and hardware engineering) at Rocket Lab Corporation.

The closest occupation in the official wage statistics is Electrical engineers (a match by name, so treat it as an estimate). Nationally its median pay is $120,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), employment is projected to change by +9.9% between 2025 and 2035, and the typical entry route is: Bachelor's degree.

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area the median for this occupation is $139,780 a year with 8,970 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This is a statistic for the occupation, not an offer from this employer.

Pay by state and metro area for this occupation →

Does the pay work here? (estimate)

How to prepare and behave

This is editorial guidance, not information from the employer.

• Read the whole description and match your examples to its requirements; use the same words the posting uses where they are true for you.
• Research the employer before the interview: what it does, who its customers are and recent news; prepare two or three questions about the work.
• Arrive early (or log in early for a video call), dress one step above the daily dress code, and test your camera and audio beforehand.
• Answer with short stories: the situation, what you did and the result. Give numbers when you have them and never invent them.
• Be honest about gaps; say what you did to learn and how fast you can close them.
• Ask about the team, the first 90 days, how success is measured and the schedule; do not open with salary and time off.
• When pay comes up, know the market range for the occupation and your lowest acceptable offer before you answer; ask for the full package in writing.
• Send a short thank-you message within a day, mentioning one thing you discussed.

Know your rights as a candidate and an employee:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: prohibited employment practices
• U.S. Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division
• CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor): job search help, interview tips and resumes
• USA.gov: avoiding job scams

The city

The job is in Pasadena, CA. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.

How Pasadena compares. Among the 145 largest places in California, Pasadena is #45 by population, #128 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #28 for remote work (#1 = most), #29 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Los Angeles County, is #7 of 58 counties for average pay ($83,554).

The place in numbers

Pasadena has 136,969 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of California. It covers 23 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 5,966 people per square mile. The median age is 40.1, 6% older than the state median (40.1 against 37.9).

Housing

The median gross rent is $2,265 a month (rent plus utilities), 11% above the state median ($2,265 against $2,036). Over a year that is 25.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $1,093,300, which is 10.4 times the median household income ($105,192); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 42.5% of households own their home, 24% below the state average (42.5% against 55.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.

Work and pay

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area has 6,271,560 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $55,850 a year, 10% above the national median ($55,850 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (702,480 jobs, median $52,710); food preparation and serving related (588,660 jobs, median $38,460); healthcare support (537,460 jobs, median $35,630). The area is most specialised in arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (2.2 times) and healthcare support (1.7 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,490) and legal ($128,110). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Los Angeles County was 4.5%. 67.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Los Angeles County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 55.5% drive alone, 3.8% use public transit, 4.2% walk, 27.6% work from home. 18.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 6% below the state average (18.3% against 19.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.

People and education

56.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51% above the state share (56.1% against 37.1%). 28.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 5% above the state share (28.2% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 13.3%, 11% above the state rate (13.3% against 12.0%).

Climate

The warmest month is Aug, averaging 75°F (23.9°C), and the coolest is Dec at 53°F (11.8°C). About 332 mm (13 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Feb is the wettest month (75 mm) and Jun the driest (1 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.

Nearby cities to compare

Closest cities in this guide: Alhambra (5 miles, rent 14% lower); Glendale (6 miles, rent 4% lower); El Monte (9 miles, rent 23% lower); East Los Angeles (9 miles, rent 34% lower). Rent differences are against Pasadena; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Pasadena →California guideAll jobs in Pasadena

Official links for Pasadena

• Census Bureau data profile for Pasadena
• Official website of Los Angeles County: lacounty.gov
• Official state website: ca.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: California

These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.

Where to live

The job city has no coordinates we can place on the map, so no housing comparison is shown. Use the 250 largest cities table to compare rent and income.

Career paths

Occupations close to Electrical engineers in the official classification, with pay, outlook and whether there are open jobs for them on this site right now.

Distances

This job has no single city we can place on the map (remote, flexible or unmatched location), so no distance table is shown. Browse all Engineering, Construction and Energy jobs with distances from any of the 20 largest cities.

The employer

Rocket Lab Corporation is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

We do not hold headcount or revenue for this employer. Check its careers site and, if it is listed on a stock exchange, its public filings (SEC EDGAR search).

What it is like to work at a company (culture, schedules, benefits) is not in the source data, so we do not describe it. Read the description and ask the questions under "How to prepare".

Other open jobs at Rocket Lab Corporation

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering

More jobs in Pasadena, CA

All Manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs → · All Engineering, Construction and Energy sub-niches →

FAQ

What is the Senior Electrical Engineer II job at Rocket Lab Corporation?

A private-sector role in engineering, construction and energy (manufacturing and hardware engineering) listed 47 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Pasadena, CA.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on the employer's page" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay. For the closest occupation (Electrical engineers) the national median is $120,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

What is the cost of living there?

Median rent in Pasadena is $2,265 a month and median household income $105,192 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-09-23 (47 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs in California.

Sources and terms

• Job data: Rocket Lab Corporation careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-09-23). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

AtiveSite is not affiliated with or endorsed by the employer or any government agency, and does not process applications. Verify every detail with the employer before acting.

Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)