Senior Propulsion Manufacturing Engineer

Long Beach, California

At Relativity Space, we’re building rockets to serve today’s needs and tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Our Terran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting the growing demand for launch capacity. But that’s just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyond the known.

Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you're not just executing tasks; you're solving problems that haven’t been solved before, helping develop a rocket, a factory, and a business from the ground up. Whether you’re in propulsion, manufacturing, software, avionics, or a corporate function, you’ll collaborate across teams, shape decisions, and see your work come to life in record time. Relativity is a place where creativity and
technical rigor go hand in hand, and your voice will help define the stories we’re writing together. Now is a unique moment in time where it’s early enough to leave your mark on the product, the process, and the culture, but far enough along that Terran R is tangible and picking up momentum. The most meaningful work of your career is waiting. Join us.

About the Team: 

The mission of the Engine Manufacturing department is to deliver high-performing products and innovative manufacturing systems while driving continuous improvements in cost, quality, and lead time. Through cross-functional collaboration, high levels of accountability, and a focus on safety we play a crucial role in building our reusable rocket, Terran-R. We are responsible for providing design feedback on new hardware iterations, pioneering and implementing advanced manufacturing methods and systems, and ultimately delivering engine and vehicle hardware for testing prior to launch. Over the past year, the Engine Manufacturing Team has successfully developed, iterated, and delivered processes and hardware for the first Aeon-R development engines. Now, we are entering a critical phase: producing flight engines that will pave the way for Terran-R's inaugural launch to orbit.

About the Role:

You will be responsible for the development and production of Aeon-RVac Nozzle Extension hardware for Terran R. As a Propulsion Manufacturing Engineer, you will own the manufacturing trades and then develop the processes for fabricating, testing, and delivering Aeon-R Nozzle Extension hardware to the vehicle for integration. With a focus on manufacturability and integration, you will serve as the primary point of contact between the manufacturing and design teams as we develop and optimize Aeon-R hardware, ensuring that as-built hardware meets all aspects of the intended design. You will project-manage a wide variety of hardware in varying states of their manufacturing lifecycle, as well as develop processes and procedures for post-processing printed parts and recommend design adaptations to improve reliability and throughput. You have the passion, tenacity, and resolve to work through challenging issues unique to 3D printed and machined components.

About You:

  • Bachelor's Degree in engineering or related technical field and 5+ years of direct experience working with thrust chamber assemblies or related hardware
  • Manufacturing Process Experience: Welding, Sheet Forming, Machining, Additive
  • Ability to effectively investigate, resolve and screen hardware non-conformances
  • Ability to work with and train technicians
  • Knowledge of general assembly and test procedures, including tolerance stack-up analysis, structural proof testing and pressurized leak checks
  • Experience with GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and industry specifications

Nice to haves but not required:  

  • Experience with weld engineering, including joint design, process qualification, and NDE
  • Familiarity with forgings and related inspection techniques
  • Experience working in a fast-paced, startup, high-mix manufacturing environment
  • Demonstrated track record of delivering results leading complex manufacturing development projects from conceptual development through qualification / early production

At Relativity Space, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our compensation practices. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.

Compensation is only one part of our total rewards package. Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous PTO and sick leave policy, parental leave, an annual learning and development stipend, and more! To see some of the benefits & perks we offer, please visit here.

Hiring Range:

$130,000 - $166,000 USD

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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