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.
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Rocket Lab’s People & Culture team is responsible for looking after our most valuable asset: our people. Across our global teams, the People & Culture team supports our people and departments across recruitment, new staff orientation, compensation, training and development. They make sure our growing and diverse global team is supported and capable of delivering our projects and customer’s missions, and they’re responsible for supporting their development, nurturing their skills and talent, and retaining the world-class people already on our team.
SENIOR TALENT ACQUISITION SOURCER I – TEMPORARY
Rocket Lab is on a mission to redefine access to space, and we need exceptional talent to get there. As a Senior Talent Acquisition Sourcer, based on-site at Rocket Lab Headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you’ll be at the forefront of building the teams that drive our innovation. This strategic, hands-on sourcing position involves partnering closely with production department recruiters and leaders to define candidate profiles, develop innovative search strategies, and build pipelines of both active and passive candidates.
We seek a career Sourcer with experience identifying top-tier talent for complex technical and engineering roles in fast-paced manufacturing environments. In this role you will leverage advanced sourcing tools to uncover hard-to-find talent in aerospace, defense, and cutting-edge technology. If you have deep expertise with sourcing platforms, a passion for connecting with passive candidates, and the drive to operate with urgency and creativity, you’ll feel right at home here. In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to shape this role and make a huge impact on our sourcing strategies and capabilities!
*This is an 8-month fixed-term role for immediate hire, with the potential opportunity to convert to full-time employment upon term completion. This role sits onsite at our Long Beach, CA headquarters – remote work is not considered for this position.
WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO
Lead strategic sourcing initiatives for technical roles, utilizing advanced sourcing tools and techniques, including LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, Indeed, and niche industry platforms.
Own search strategy development, proactive outreach campaigns, and initial candidate assessments to ensure a consistent flow of high-quality candidates.
Engage and convert passive candidates through creative outreach, referral campaigns, and relationship building, while promoting Rocket Lab’s employer brand.
Build and maintain robust talent pipelines for hard-to-fill, niche, or high-priority roles, ensuring long-term alignment with future hiring needs.
Conduct high-level candidate screening and interviews, assessing skills, motivations, and cultural fit to achieve strong interview-to-offer ratios.
Provide market intelligence and talent mapping, offering insights into talent availability, competitor trends, and compensation benchmarks.
Collaborate closely with recruiters and hiring managers to define candidate personas, calibrate search efforts, and provide timely updates on pipeline progress.
Champion diversity sourcing strategies and ensure an outstanding candidate experience at every touchpoint.
Contribute to recruitment marketing efforts, including social media outreach, university events, and talent community engagement.
Track and report on key sourcing metrics, continuously optimizing processes and strategies for better outcomes.
YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
5+ years of full-time experience as a dedicated Talent Acquisition Sourcer, within aerospace, defense, technology, or other high growth industry and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of work experience (9+ years total experience).
Proven expertise sourcing for technical and niche engineering roles.
Advanced proficiency with LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, Indeed, and other sourcing platforms and strategies.
Experience with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) such as Greenhouse, Lever, Workday Recruiting, or similar.
Track record of building pipelines for passive candidates through creative sourcing, networking, and engagement campaigns.
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
Experience at an agency or high-growth startup, with a focus on hard-to-fill roles.
Demonstrated success in market research, talent insights, and competitor intelligence to drive data-driven recruiting decisions.
Excellent communication and storytelling skills to effectively present Rocket Lab’s value proposition to top talent.
Strong time and project management skills, thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced environment while managing multiple roles simultaneously.
Creative, resourceful, and highly motivated with a sense of urgency and ownership.
Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience partnering with hiring managers, directors, and executives to define hiring needs and strategies.
Deep understanding of complex engineering principles and technical job profiles.
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.
Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one component of our total rewards package at Rocket Lab. Employees may also receive company equity and access to a robust benefits package including: top tier medical HMO, PPO & a 100% company-sponsored medical HSA plan option, dental and vision coverage, 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 days sick leave per year, 11 paid holidays per year, flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, and access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company match. Other perks include: Discounted employee stock purchase program, subsidized EV charging stations, onsite gym, food and drinks, and other discounts.
Eligibility for benefits may vary based on employment status, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role. Benefit programs are subject to change at the company’s discretion.
Base Pay Range (CA Only)$90,000—$110,000 USD
WHAT TO EXPECT
We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.
Important information:
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com.This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.
Talent Acquisition Sourcer at Rocket Lab Corporation — BranchFactor