Manager, Avionics Rapid Prototyping

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:

As the Manager of Avionics Electrical Test Engineering, you will lead a team responsible for developing and scaling Relativity’s electrical hardware and system test capabilities. You will oversee PCBA bring‑up and debugging, integrated avionics system testing, and the development of automated test solutions for power electronics, low‑voltage systems, digital/mixed‑signal assemblies, and flight-critical avionics. This role requires a strong technical foundation in electrical engineering, hands-on lab expertise, and experience managing test teams in fast-paced development environments. You will partner across Avionics Hardware, Power Systems, GNC, Manufacturing, and Vehicle Integration to define test strategies, drive test automation, and ensure robust electrical system validation throughout the program lifecycle.

 

About the Role:

  • Lead, mentor, and grow a team of electrical test engineers responsible for PCBA bring-up, integrated system test, and automated test development
  • Define and drive test strategies for power electronics, low-voltage avionics, digital and mixed-signal hardware, and multi-box integrated systems
  • Develop automated test infrastructure, scripted test frameworks, data capture, and automated result analysis
  • Oversee board-level and system-level validation including functional, performance, environmental, and fault-injection testing
  • Drive root-cause analysis and corrective action efforts across electrical components and integrated avionics systems
  • Partner with hardware design teams to ensure design-for-testability and influence architecture with early test insights
  • Maintain a safe, high-quality lab environment including calibration, equipment readiness, and robust test processes
  • Manage scheduling, resource planning, and cross-functional alignment to support aggressive development and flight milestones
  • Champion continuous improvement of test methods, automation, documentation, and data-driven decision making

About You:

  • PhD or M.S. in Electrical Engineering (or B.S. with exceptional relevant experience)
  • Extensive experience in PCBA bring‑up, debugging, validation, and electrical system troubleshooting
  • Strong background in system‑level testing of complex electrical systems (avionics, inverters, OBCs, DC‑DC converters, power distribution, etc.)
  • Deep knowledge of power electronics and low-voltage hardware used in mission‑critical environments
  • Proficient with electrical lab and measurement equipment and comfortable developing test infrastructure
  • 3+ years leading electrical test engineering teams, including development of engineers’ technical and leadership skills

Nice to haves but not required:  

  • Experience developing automated test systems, HIL rigs, or scripted test frameworks
  • Familiarity with environmental testing (thermal, vibe, TVAC, HALT/HASS)
  • Knowledge of EMC, power quality, or hardware reliability testing methodologies
  • Experience collaborating with design teams to implement DfT and DfR (Design for Reliability)

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:

$174,000 - $262,000 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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at accommodations@relativityspace.com.

Please note: Relativity Space does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate profiles, or referrals from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited submission - via email, our website, social media, or directly to an employee - will be deemed the property of Relativity Space, and no fee will be owed absent a current, fully executed agreement with Talent Acquisition that specifically authorizes submissions for the applicable role.

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