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Job Description

Overview

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company focused on delivering launch services and spacecraft design and manufacturing. The Manufacturing Engineer II/Senior - Fluid Systems will enhance the manufacturing processes for propulsion components at Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA.

Responsibilities

  • Develop, perform, and qualify precision welding and fabrication of tubing components according to aerospace specifications.
  • Utilize TIG, MIG, OTW and other welding methods to achieve the required structural integrity.
  • Conduct thorough inspections of welded components, employing NDE/NDT methods to identify and rectify defects.
  • Collaborate with engineering teams to interpret and implement design specifications.
  • Lead problem containment and root cause/corrective action investigations when required.
  • Quickly analyze and resolve manufacturing discrepancies and non-conformances.
  • Collaborate with the quality team to identify and drive quality-related initiatives and improvements.
  • Liaison between production, quality, supply chain and design engineering staff for complex problem solving and process changes.
  • Identify, plan and execute capital equipment, machine, and layout upgrades to meet production requirements.
  • Lead the continuous improvement process via Lean/Six Sigma tools and techniques.
  • Develop, introduce, and maintain new planning, production, quality, ERP, data collection and analysis processes.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline.
  • 2+ years of experience developing and introducing fabrication methods such as OTW, TIG, proof testing and cleaning for Manufacturing Engineer II.
  • Experience setting up and/or operating a tube shop or build area.
  • 5+ years of experience developing and introducing fabrication methods such as OTW, TIG, proof testing and cleaning for Senior Manufacturing Engineer.
  • Strong knowledge of metal working and fabrication processes.
  • Ability to create and deliver accurate and concise presentations for design, manufacturing, and quality.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • 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 area.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Long Beach, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $64/hr, this posting sits about 25% above the $51/hr median for welding jobs in Long Beach, CA — toward the top of a $35–$75/hr middle band drawn from 51 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 67% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Long Beach, CA

We're tracking 58 other active welding openings in Long Beach, CA right now, from 18 different employers. 8 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 581 other active welding openings from 267 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Long Beach, or widen the search to California.

Rocket Lab currently has 2 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), Vast (18), and Relativity Space (17). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Gardena at $73/hr, Redondo Beach at $72/hr, and Pasadena at $61/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and TIG work. MIG (GMAW) feeds a continuous wire electrode through a shielding-gas nozzle. It lays down metal fast and is forgiving on clean material, which is why it dominates production and light fabrication work. TIG (GTAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with filler added by hand, giving the operator the most control of any process. It is slow, demanding, and the standard for stainless, aluminum, and anything where the bead has to look as good as it holds.

See all manufacturing welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Long Beach, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Manufacturing Engineer II / Senior - Fluids figures were last recalculated when this page was built.