Software Engineer
Posted 27 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Senior Software Engineer II - Simulation Engineering ”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Level
- II
- Expected experience
- 8+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
No salary listed for this role.
Field of studyApplied Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics (or related)
Study levelBachelor's
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
At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.
Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has 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 them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER II – SIMULATION ENGINEERING
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Software Engineer II – Simulation Engineering to join our team, based out of our Littleton, CO site. In this role, you will focus on architecting large-scale simulation environments and driving high-level data analysis to solve complex aerospace challenges. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to design distributed simulation campaigns, extract actionable insights from massive datasets, and support critical mission decision-making processes. This position is ideal for someone with a strong background in big data analysis, distributed computational modeling, and software systems architecture, who thrives in solving constellation-level technical problems.
WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:
- Architect and deploy large-scale, distributed simulation environments for complex aerospace systems, including multi-vehicle and constellation-level modeling.
- Develop robust data pipelines to process, analyze, and visualize massive datasets generated by high-fidelity simulations.
- Derive actionable engineering and mission-level insights through advanced statistical analysis and data modeling of simulation outputs.
- Optimize simulation infrastructure for high-performance computing (HPC) and distributed cluster environments to ensure scalability.