Software Product Owner

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.

ABOUT SOFTWARE AT ROCKET LAB:

Software keeps Rocket Lab moving. Every rocket and spacecraft we build relies on systems our own teams design, build and run.

As a Software Product Owner in our Terrestrial Software team, you'll shape the internally developed applications that power the business on the ground. These are the tools our engineers, production teams and wider business rely on every day to build, test and launch, often.

First idea to production release. You'll work with stakeholders to understand what they need and turn it into a clear vision and roadmap. You'll break it into work the development team can deliver, then measure what lands and keep making it better.

It's fast-paced, high-impact product work where business needs meet technical reality, and your decisions shape how Rocket Lab gets to space.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

You'll own the product. The vision, the roadmap, the backlog and the outcomes:

• Vision and strategy: a clear product vision and roadmap aligned with Rocket Lab's strategic objectives and the needs of the people who use it
• Lifecycle: planning, requirements gathering, development, testing, deployment and continuous improvement
• Delivery: sprint planning, backlog refinement and review sessions that keep the team focused on what matters most
• Planning and budgeting: insights on priorities, resourcing and budget so every product is cost-effective and delivers maximum return

And you'll own it end to end. You'll work shoulder to shoulder with developers who'll tell you what's technically possible and stakeholders who'll tell you what the business needs. Then you'll find the answer that satisfies both, plus quality, scalability, security and the schedule.

Some days you're deep in feedback, metrics and KPIs working out what to build next. Other days you're alongside the people using your software, seeing how it performs in the real world, or with the dev team spotting risks and finding ways to deliver faster. This is not just a backlog-management job.

Based at our Auckland Production Complex, with some domestic and international travel.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or an equivalent field
• 5+ years' experience as a Software Product Owner, or in product management and/or software development
• A strong understanding of software product lifecycle management
• Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Confluence, GitLab or similar platforms
• A proven track record of delivering complex software products in a fast-paced environment while driving process improvement and innovation
• Excellent communication, collaboration and stakeholder management skills
• The ability to work under pressure and deliver to tight deadlines

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• A strong understanding of lean, waterfall and agile methodologies
• Project management, process improvement or project engineering experience
• Programming experience in C, C++, C#, Go, Python, HTML, Rust or TypeScript
• Knowledge of CI/CD systems
• Finance, manufacturing or supply chain knowledge and experience
• Training experience
• Systems thinking expertise

If the above sounds like you, apply now!

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.