Incoming Quality Control Inspector
Posted 7 Oct 2026
Advertised as “Incoming Quality Control Inspector - Mechanical”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 2+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Employment
- On-Site
No salary listed for this role.
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.
NEUTRON
Neutron is a medium lift launch vehicle capable of delivering the mega constellations of tomorrow, high assurance payloads, and human spaceflight. As a highly reusable launch platform, Neutron will deliver a highly cost-effective and reliable launch solution leveraging Rocket Lab’s proven execution history with the Electron program. If you’re interested in joining a high performing team, pushing the boundaries with a clean sheet development of re-usable liquid launch vehicle, this is your opportunity!
ABOUT INCOMING QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR AT ROCKET LAB
As an Incoming Quality Control (IQC) Inspector - Mechanical, you're the gate between our suppliers and our production floor. When hardware arrives, whether it's a machined manifold, a 3D-printed injector, or a batch of fasteners, you verify that it matches the drawing, the purchase order, and the paperwork before it goes anywhere near an engine or stage.
If it's right, you release it. If it's not, you quarantine it, write it up, and make sure it doesn't come back the same way twice
WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:
- Inspect a wide range of hardware, including purchased parts, 3D-printed components, CNC-machined parts, and electro-mechanical assemblies, against drawings, specifications, and purchase order requirements.
- Carry out precision inspections at every stage, from receiving through in-process to final assembly, using hand measuring tools and CMMs.
- Document non-conformances clearly and accurately in our ERP, MES, and issue-tracking systems, following Rocket Lab procedures, so issues can be resolved quickly and traced to root cause.
- Work with Engineering and management to improve work instructions and identify critical inspection points in the build process.
- Coordinate with Production to prioritise inspection workload and help the team hit key delivery milestones without compromising quality.
- Live a Built-In Quality mindset (Don't accept a defect. Don't pass a defect.) by catching non-conformances early and stopping them from reaching downstream teams or customers.
YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- 2+ years in a quality assurance or inspection role in a mechanical manufacturing environment.