United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, launches Vulcan and Atlas V rockets for national security, civil and commercial customers.
In Huntsville, AL
United Launch Alliance builds its rockets in Decatur, Alabama: its manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are there, and the plant assembles the Vulcan rocket and has built Atlas V and Delta IV. A 2024 expansion took the Alabama facility from 1.9 million to 2.4 million square feet, which ULA calls the largest rocket plant in the world, and was expected to add 200 jobs. Finished rockets leave Decatur by ship for the launch sites in Florida and California.
About United Launch Alliance in Huntsville, AL
United Launch Alliance (ULA), a Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with about 2,700 employees, does its manufacturing, assembly and integration in Decatur, Alabama. The Decatur plant assembles Vulcan, ULA's newest rocket, and built the Atlas V and Delta IV that Vulcan replaces. In 2024 ULA expanded the Alabama facility from 1.9 million to 2.4 million square feet, which the company calls the largest rocket plant in the world. The expansion was meant to let ULA nearly double its launch rate and to add 200 jobs. Rockets leave Decatur by ship: ULA's RocketShip carries them to the launch sites, and in 2024 it ordered a second, larger vessel to move Vulcan rockets to Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg. Decatur's openings on ULA's careers site cover factory systems, mechanical and other engineering work as well as production roles. The plant's hourly workforce is represented by the machinists' union, whose 2025 contract covers about 600 ULA employees at Decatur and the launch sites.
Culture & Work Environment
ULA says its culture "is based on integrity" and that it is dedicated to delivering each customer's mission to orbit; its careers site adds that it builds "great teams" along with rockets. ULA's Decatur listings say most salaried employees work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off. The careers site has sections for internships and for military veterans. For what a production or engineering day in the Decatur factory looks like, including shifts on the production floor, ask the hiring manager directly.
Hiring Process & Timeline
ULA posts openings on its careers site, where Decatur, Alabama is one of the listed work locations alongside Denver, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg and others. Job families include avionics, mechanical, software and systems engineering, production operations, quality and safety, supply chain, and technician and hourly roles. The company does not publish a hiring timeline. A typical process is an online application, a recruiter screen and interviews with the hiring team; ask your recruiter what the process involves for your role. For factory roles, put hands-on experience with manufacturing, tooling, structures, welding or test up front; for engineering roles, the systems and hardware you have worked on.
Interview Tips
Know what the Decatur factory does: it assembles Vulcan and has built Atlas V, and its 2024 expansion was aimed at nearly doubling ULA's launch rate. Showing that you understand the move from Atlas to Vulcan, and what higher production rates demand of a factory, signals that you follow the company's priorities. For factory and manufacturing engineering roles, prepare examples of improving a production process, resolving nonconforming hardware or supporting a line through a rate increase. Rocket production is high-consequence work, so be ready to explain how you held quality standards under schedule pressure and how you handled a defect or failure you found.
Security Clearance Requirements
ULA's Decatur listings state that the work uses information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), so applicants must be U.S. persons as ITAR defines them. Some ULA listings also ask for a security clearance or the ability to obtain one, because the company launches national security payloads; read each listing for the level it names, if any. For how clearances work and how long they take, see our clearances guide.
Compensation & Salary
For current pay, check the ranges posted on ULA's listings on this site. ULA lists medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage; health care and dependent care spending accounts; a 401(k) plan with both matching and non-contributory company contributions; paid time off and holidays; 9/80 workweeks for most employees; tuition reimbursement; disability and life insurance; and supplemental options such as a legal assistance plan and home and auto insurance.
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