Rocket Lab reviews

Very large disparity between US based and NZ based engineers, I’m talking over double what the NZ engineers are getting paid for the same position. Technicians get paid overtime but engineers don’t yet there’s a culture where everyone works 10+ hours a day to get the job done. High expectations make set backs all the more stressful and you are often given tasks you’re not qualified for to fill the resource gaps. The career grading matrix makes it seem like personal development is a priority but when performance reviews come round it’s mostly a box ticking session and if you don’t have all the points you don’t go up. They are also annual so join at the wrong time and you’re doing an extra year without the promotion. Overall the cons make it difficult to want to stay here long term unless you have been awarded heaps of stock to stick around.

Management are genuinely clueless about software development, failing upwards into leadership roles, then operating without any formal training. Outcomes are more important than their people at all times, but they also don't have a clear understanding what outcomes they're looking for, which means expectations aren't realistic. You can work 60+ hour weeks, release more code than entire teams, yet still get told your performance is lacking. Senior Engineers most likely have more understanding of the SDLC than Directors, but aren't allowed to question or improve processes, and will be managed by a mid-level intermediate who fits into the ego-driven boys-club. After 10 years, the codebases still look like a university group project, held together by toothpicks and red-bull. Tests? Standards? Governance? You won't find any of that here. They like to believe they move fast and are agile, yet are ignorant to how slow they move compared to other software companies. It's almost comical at times. "Rocket Lab can be a toxic and hostile place, and it's not for everyone" - said to me by my manager when I raised the ample sexism and racism in the workplace. I felt my time there was genuinely damaging to my career, not because of their (poor) industry reputation, but because they operate with such terrible practices that I started to forget what *good* software looked like.