# Principal Systems Engineer at Rocket Lab > United States · Principal · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Arocketlab%3A8025172003 (read 2026-11-04). ## Facts (observed) - Company: [Rocket Lab](https://alderhq.app/companies/rocket-lab) - Location text: Tucson, AZ; Geost Wetmore - Where it can be done from (inferred): United States (evidence: "Location: Tucson, AZ; Geost Wetmore") - Posted: 2026-10-11 (24 days ago) - First seen by alder: 2026-11-03 · last verified: 2026-11-04 - Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times - Apply on the employer's site: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/rocketlab/jobs/8025172003 ## Pay and sponsorship - Posted pay: not posted - Market band for similar posted roles (United States, n 451): p25 $206k, median $240k, p75 $283k ## Description (the employer's text) ### 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. ### SPACE SYSTEMS Rocket Lab’s Space Systems division builds complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space including solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, and radios. The Space Systems division has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. We have built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help get to space — our Space Systems division is empowering the boldest and most ambitious space missions. ### PRINCIPAL SYSTEMS ENGINEER Rocket Lab Optical Systems solves mission-critical space domain and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance challenges for Department of Defense and Intelligence Community customers. Our vision is to revolutionize the space-based payload market with innovative and novel designs for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments. Building on more than 20 years of electro-optical and infrared systems innovation from Geost, Rocket Lab Optical Systems delivers solutions to the warfighter for responsive, scalable sensing solutions across all orbital domains. As a Principal Systems Engineer for Rocket Lab Optical Systems in Tucson, AZ, you will be involved throughout the entire lifecycle of advanced space payloads in support of Tranche 3 of the U.S. Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. ### WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO - Support the development of system architecture for space-based optical instruments, subsystems, and payloads on airborne and space platforms, with emphasis on electrical architecture and controls integration - Define, decompose, and manage system requirements with focus on electrical behavior, control functions, subsystem interactions, and overall system performance - Develop and maintain technical documentation including architecture descriptions, interface control documents, electrical interface definitions, concepts of operations, state and mode descriptions, test plans, and verification artifacts - Support development of electrical and functional architectures, including command and telemetry flow, power distribution, control logic, signal paths, timing, synchronization, and subsystem interaction - Collaborate with hardware, software, firmware, and test teams to ensure the electrical architecture and controls implementation align with system requirements and mission intent - Support the development, integration, and testing of space payloads to be integrated on spacecraft platforms - Support hardware and software development teams with system-level test planning, debugging, integration, and execution of verification procedures; analyze data and recommend design refinements - Participate in hardware and software verification and validation activities related to system behavior, electrical performance, controls implementation, and interface compliance - Support architecture trades involving sensors, motor control, embedded electronics, power systems, command and data handling, and subsystem interfaces - Participate in technical interchange meetings and project discussions with internal teams, customers, and external partners as needed - Identify, assess, and help mitigate technical risks related to electrical architecture, controls implementation, and subsystem integration - Support travel or off-site work as needed - Perform other duties as assigned ### QUALIFICATIONS YOU’LL BRING AS PRINCIPAL SYSTEMS ENGINEER --- Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Arocketlab%3A8025172003 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.