Senior Supplier Development Engineer I/II – Mechanical

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Rocket Lab

Long Beach, CA

On-site

Posted March 27, 2026

Job Description

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access space. The rockets and satellites we build, and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.

Our Electron rocket has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium-lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment. Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Rocket Lab’s Supply Chain team is responsible for the flow of all materials, products, and components through the business. With many of our own products functioning as critical components to our own and our customers’ missions, the Supply Chain team has a direct impact on the success of our rocket and satellite programs. They set up the assembly kits that enables our technicians to put together our Electron rockets, manage inventory, look after shipping and receiving, manage direct and indirect procurement, and inspect and ensure that all of our materials and products are compliant and up to standard. They are the chain that links our teams together, and are critical to our success.

SENIOR SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER I/II – MECHANICAL

Based out of Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA the Senior Supplier Development Engineer I/II – Mechanical is the primary technical owner of the supply base for a broad portfolio of mechanical hardware. This role is responsible for leading the end-to-end industrialization of suppliers from source selection and process qualification through NPI, PPAP, and production ramp thereby ensuring that every supplier can deliver conforming hardware at rate, on cost, and on schedule.

This is a hands-on, supplier-facing role requiring deep commodity knowledge across mechanical domains including but not limited to Complex Machined Parts, Electro-Mechanical Assemblies, Structural Composites, 3D printing and raw materials. The SDE operates proactively at the intersection of design, manufacturing, procurement, and quality. They are the ultimate internal advocate for supply chain manufacturability and capability.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

Lead end-to-end supplier industrialization for mechanical hardware from source selection and process qualification through NPI, PPAP, and rate production ramp.
Partner with procurement and engineering to identify, evaluate, and select suppliers based on process capability, quality systems, and capacity across CNC machining, EDM, grinding, additive manufacturing, welding and electro-mechanical assemblies.
Conduct supplier capability assessments during qualification phases, evaluating tooling maturity, measurement systems, process controls, and workforce qualification against program requirements.
Lead Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews with design engineering at the earliest program stage, providing actionable feedback on feature complexity, datum schemes, tolerance stack-ups, and design characteristics that drive cost or quality risk.
Own the APQP process at suppliers, driving completion of all quality planning deliverables — process flow, PFMEA, control plan, MSA/GR&R, and dimensional results — on schedule and to the required standard.
Drive the PPAP program as a production readiness gate; define required submission levels, disposition supplier packages, and ensure process capability (Cpk) is demonstrated on critical and significant characteristics to enable at rate product