Director - Electron Design Engineering - IN NEW ZEALAND (Relocation provided)

The Director of Electron Design Engineering at Rocket Lab will lead a high-performing engineering team responsible for the ongoing development of the Electron rocket, overseeing design, development, prototyping, and testing of rocket components and subsystems.

• Lead, mentor, and empower a team of Design Engineers to cultivate a high-performance culture.
• Collaborate with production and manufacturing engineering teams to make critical design trade-off decisions.
• Drive the evolution of the Electron launch vehicle for increased performance and new mission capabilities.
• Develop and execute Annual Operating Plans with measurable Key Performance Indicators.
• Manage department budgets and resources efficiently.
• Prioritize work based on business priorities and risk assessments.
• Resolve production bottlenecks and drive root cause mitigations.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in a complex, safety-critical design engineering environment.
• Proven track record of leading complex engineering projects with measurable results.
• Exceptional people leadership skills to build and influence high-performance teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for distilling complex issues.
• Experience transitioning products from design to high-volume manufacturing.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software and familiarity with DFMEA, PFMEA, and Fault Tree Analysis.