SPACE SYSTEMS

Rocket Lab’s Space Systems team is responsible for every satellite and satellite component made by Rocket Lab: from complete satellites destined for missions to the Moon and Mars, to the individual components and subsystems that make up a satellite like solar panels, flight software, reaction wheels and star trackers, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team is made up of engineers, technicians, and designers who design, create, and put together our own satellites for missions across the commercial, government, and defense sectors, or who build and assemble satellite hardware and software that supports other satellite missions. 

SENIOR QUALITY ENGINEER

Based out of Rocket Lab's site in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Senior Quality Engineer is responsible for developing and implementing methods to track and reduce manufacturing non-conformances and improve flight reliability. This facility manufactures satellite mechanisms; their products include separation systems, on-orbit devices, and other electro-mechanical deployables.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

• Manage PSC-RL’s quality management system and tailor based off industry standards
• Oversee non-conformance tracking and evaluation systems of space flight mechanisms, ensuring timely resolution and root-cause determination by the team
• Develop and implement KPIs to continually evaluate and track product risk during manufacturing and flight
• Work closely with program management, design, manufacturing and production teams to improve product reliability
• Track and reduce RPNs and time to resolution for non-conformances
• Lead team to identify and resolve the root cause of the issues, applying tools like 5 Whys, Cause and Effect analysis and 8Ds.
• Develop employee quality training standards
• Improve quality tracking transparency and organization performance via dashboards or similar methods
• Support customer quality audits
• Contract review of quality clauses
• Interface with procurement quality team to improve quality standards for entire product lifecycle standards
• Mentor junior engineers
• Travel to other Rocket Lab facilities, suppliers, conferences, and customers.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATION: 

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering field
• 5 years' experience as a quality engineer
• Knowledge of AS9100 and ISO9001 quality management systems
• Experience with non-conformance investigations, RPN evaluation and root cause determination
• Experience implementing and continuously evaluating quality related KPIs
• Capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Master’s degree or 7 years' experience as a quality engineer
• Experience with aerospace industry 
• Tulip MES, Siemens Teamcenter PLM or Infor LN ERP software proficiency
• Experience implementing and utilizing statistical process controls

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus
• Regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, operate computer keyboard and controls, and communicate verbally and in writing
• Must be physically able to commute to buildings
• Occasional exposure to dust, fumes and moderate levels of noise