# Principal Program Manager (TS/SCI) at Rocket Lab

- Company: Rocket Lab
- What the company does: The end-to-end space company delivering reliable launch services, spacecraft, satellite components. Backed by Bessemer and Khosla.
- Company website: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/
- Type: Startups
- Level: Principal and up
- Location: Long Beach, CA
- Work setup: On-site
- Posted: 2026-10-15
- Apply by: 2026-11-29
- Apply: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/rocketlab/jobs/8034759003?utm_source=1752vc&utm_medium=careers
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/rocket-lab-principal-program-manager-ts-sci/

## About the role

Based at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you serve as the program authority for one of our most sensitive next‑generation mission platforms. You own the technical roadmap and all major programmatic decisions—from the first blank‑sheet prototype through flight qualification and into responsive production. Found on 1752vc Careers, the job board for startup and VC roles.

## What they're looking for

- Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
- 12+ years of experience in the aerospace/space industry
- 8+ years of technical program management experience
- EO/IR and optical payloads — Understanding the nuances of EO/IR sensing, optical payload architectures, or focal plane arrays
- Production engineering — Familiarity with takt time, line‑of‑balance, design‑for‑manufacturing principles, and learning‑curve economics

Tags: USA Space Systems

Source: 1752vc Careers, https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/rocket-lab-principal-program-manager-ts-sci/