Business Development & Strategy Engineer - HASTE

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. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Rocket Lab’s Business Development team is responsible for connecting customers across government and commercial sectors with our industry leading mission solutions spanning launch and space systems. They work closely with new and existing customers to understand their needs and develop tailored solutions to deliver their missions. Building and maintaining relationships with customers and internally with engineering and operations teams is at the core of our Business Development team. They have their fingers on the pulse of the space industry and are driven to deliver results for our customers and our business. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY ENGINEER – HASTE  Based at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the  HASTE Business Development & Strategy Engineer is an early-career opportunity to build expertise at the intersection of hypersonic flight testing, national security, and business development. In this role, you’ll support the growth of Rocket Lab’s HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) business and the pursuit of new opportunities supporting the nation’s hypersonic test and evaluation needs. As an integral member of Rocket Lab’s Global Launch Services (GLS) Business Development team, you’ll work alongside experienced professionals and collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Mission Management, Production, and other teams. Reporting directly to the Director of Business Development, HASTE, you’ll develop experience supporting opportunity identification, market and competitive analysis, capture and proposal activities, and the development of mission concepts and business cases. WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO: Draft proposals for new business opportunities in collaboration with Business Development and Engineering teams. Support the Business Development team in tracking opportunities, analyzing pipeline activity, and forecasting demand for HASTE capabilities. Coordinate with Engineering to assess mission requirements and develop timely technical responses to inquiries related to HASTE capabilities. Work cross-functionally with Production and Engineering to establish realistic, achievable NRE timelines and launch dates for future missions. Collaborate with Communications and Business Development to maintain and improve HASTE marketing materials, data sheets, and user guides. Partner with Engineering to identify and address technical gaps and support efforts to improve and standardize customer-facing technical documentation. Use internal tools, including Salesforce, to track leads, opportunities, and proposals and support Business Development reporting and KPI development. Support Business Development activities related to launch service agreements, technical assistance agreements, and non-disclosure agreements, as well as Jira ticket creation, tracking, and prioritization. Build and maintain knowledge of the suborbital launch and hypersonic test markets, including competitive capabilities, customer demand, and emerging trends, to support sales forecasting, pricing strategy, business planning, and HASTE product development. YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, or other technical discipline. Professional or internship experience in an engineering role within the aerospace, defense, or national security industries. U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements. Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance. THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE: Experience or academic exposure to the design, manufacturing, integration, or testing of hypersonic systems, payloads, or flight vehicles. Experience with hypersonic systems, flight testing, or launch vehicles is a plus. Familiarity with current hypersonic flight test, missile defense, suborbital launch, or related national security markets. Experience working on fast-paced engineering programs with geographically distributed or cross-functional teams. Master’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related engineering discipline, such as mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering. Experience with Python scripting, trajectory generation, or trajectory analysis. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated curiosity and enthusiasm for aerospace, hypersonics, and national security applications. Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently when needed. Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and colleagues with diverse technical backgrounds and areas of expertise. Ability to understand complex technical concepts and communicate them clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences. 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. Anticipated annual equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience, and other factors; realized value depends on vesting and stock-price performance. 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% dis