Senior CNC Machinist - B Shift

Rocket Lab · Long Beach, CA

Posted Oct 30, 2026

Est. total comp~$88K–$119K

Apply on Rocket Lab's site ↗

From the posting

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!

SENIOR CNC MACHINIST - B SHIFT

Based out of Rocket Lab Headquarters in Long Beach, California the Senior CNC Machinist will maintain, set up and operate the CNC machines to build flight-ready hardware that meet Rocket Lab specification at the needed rate.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

Work with CNC lathe and mill machines

Read and translate drawings/CAD models

Provide feedback to improve work instructions

Work with CNC programmer to maintain tolerances

Work to reduce any non-conformances found by quality or engineering.

Provide improvement ideas on batch sizes, setups, tool selection etc. …

Excerpt from Rocket Lab's public job board. Read the full posting.

Job inventory

Required 1 item

Other: Shift, weekend or overtime work

Preferred none listed in the text we have

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Get ready for this role

Crew department: Drilling

Skills this kind of role usually asks for:

CAD
Machining
Mechanical design and failure analysis
Rock and soil mechanics basics
Motors, gearboxes and torque control

Train for it: the Drilling Track: Rigs, Well Control and Geothermal. 4 short modules, a quiz after each one and a final test. Pass it and you get the Mars Mining Certificate in Drilling Fundamentals, with its own public page you can link from your resume.

Join the crew and train for this role About Drilling

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I can do CAD on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Machining on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Mechanical design and failure analysis on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Rock and soil mechanics basics on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Motors, gearboxes and torque control on the job, or have used it in a class or project I have a project or work sample I could show an interviewer My resume is tailored to this kind of role I've practiced answering interview questions for this kind of job

Free. The department comes from the job title and can be off. A Mars Mining certificate shows you studied and passed our test; it isn't a license or academic credit.

About this listing. Pulled automatically from Rocket Lab's public job board and refreshed daily; closed roles are removed. Mars Mining Co. is not the employer, does not take applications and does not screen candidates. Field and level labels come from the job title and can be wrong.

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