Data Engineering Intern

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 THE ROLE

We're looking for a motivated intern to join our Operational Data team in Auckland. Operational Data is a software engineering team sitting at the intersection between software and data. The team develops and maintains the tools and services that extract value from operational data, enabling engineers and analysts to derive the technical insights used to develop and improve Rocket Lab's launch vehicles and space systems.

As a Data Engineering Intern you will learn modern data engineering practices and get hands-on with real data pipelines from across every company domain - from avionics to propulsion, and everything in between. You'll build and maintain the software that collates, curates and surfaces the data our engineering and operations teams rely on every day.

You'll work as part of a sprint team, contributing to code reviews, documentation and backlog refinement, and you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate what you've built directly to the stakeholders who use it. Under the guidance of experienced engineers, you'll take ownership of your own tickets and see your work deployed and supported in a live operational environment.

This is an opportunity to work on real space technology projects and contribute to missions that are literally reaching for the stars.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Operational Data:

Support the collation, curation and classification of operational data

Support the retrieval and display of operational data

Build and port data pipelines from across the business

Support analysis and report generation on behalf of stakeholders in engineering and operations

Software Development:

Develop software and tooling to support the data management and exploitation needs of the company

Maintain existing software and tooling according to bug-fix and feature requests

Collaborate in the review and approval of merge requests

Document software architecture and designs

Refine product backlog items and keep assigned tickets up to date

Participate in team activities (stand-ups, retrospectives, sprint planning) and contribute innovative ideas

Lead demonstrations of software products to stakeholders

Deploy and support operational software

Collaborate with engineers and team members across multiple departments

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

MUST HAVE:

Studying towards (or recently completed) a tertiary diploma, certificate or degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science, or equivalent level of knowledge

Experience with Python development - professional, coursework or personal projects all count

Experience with Git

Excellent problem-solving skills

Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team

Team player with a positive attitude and a "how can I help?" mentality

Proven communication skills and the ability to build strong working relationships

Passion for aerospace, space technology, and innovation

NICE TO HAVE:

REST API and services development

Experience with common data analysis libraries and tools, such as Pandas/NumPy, ETL pipelines and SQL

Kubernetes, Docker and/or Linux

Data visualisation

Knowledge of data science and numerical analysis techniques

Previous internship or project experience in software or data engineering

WHAT WE OFFER

Hands-on experience working on real aerospace and space technology projects

Mentorship from world-class engineers and industry professionals

Exposure to data from across the business, from avionics to propulsion

Opportunity to build and deploy production data pipelines and tooling

Professional development opportunities in the space industry

Collaborative and innovative work environment

Opportunity to contribute to missions that make a difference

* Potential pathway to future career opportunities at Rocket Lab

HOW TO APPLY

Please ensure you submit a cover letter, detailing why you are interested in the specific role you have applied for. Please make sure to cite a project/experience/hobby that is relevant to the role.

Please note: We will be reviewing and interviewing candidates on a rolling basis as applications are received. We strongly encourage you to submit your application as early as possible, as positions may be filled before the closing date.

Start Date: November 2026

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 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.