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 Machine Shop team delivers high-precision, high-quality machined components that are critical to Terran R’s success. Here, you’ll combine technical skill with creativity, collaborating closely with engineering and design teams to drive better part designs and manufacturing solutions. You’ll work with best-in-class, premium machinery and get to bring our expanded, state-of-the-art machine shop to life to support the scale and pace of the Terran R program. This role offers the rare chance to see your craftsmanship directly integrated into flight hardware, making an immediate impact. With clear training pathways, you’ll have opportunities to advance from operating machines to programming them, growing your career alongside the program.
About the Role:
Our mission is to change people’s conception of the way rockets are built and flown. As a CNC Programmer/Machinist, you will develop the programs, post G-code, and machine a variety of 3d-printed engine parts. You will develop first article programs and optimize them into production programs. You must be able to write a manufacturing plan, develop your own tooling and fixtures, and collaborate with manufacturing engineers to develop new machining processes.
In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and is able to drive their own projects to completion. You must have the passion, tenacity and resolve to work through challenging issues unique to precision-machined hardware. Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced, aerospace environment, having completed difficult projects while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary groups. More specifically, we are looking for:
- Someone who can program and operate multi axis machines (2-axis, 3-axis, 5-axis, mill/turn)
- Someone with experience programming and operating DMG-MORI machines (NLX, NTX, DMC FD, and DMU series)
- Someone who can optimize programs and post code using Esprit, Mastercam or similar CAM software
This is a 2nd shift position with a standard schedule of 3:00 PM – 1:30 AM PT, Monday through Friday. The role includes a 10% shift differential added to the base pay. Please note that this position is structured around a baseline expectation of a 50-hour workweek, which may include occasional overtime as needed to meet operational goals.
About You:
- 5+ years of experience in CNC machining
- 2+ years of programming experience
- Strong knowledge of GD&T and tolerance stack-up
- Ability to program and operate multi-axis high-precision machines (5-axis, 3 axis, lathe, mill/turn)
- Ability to manually edit G-code paths/settings to optimize production programs
Nice to haves but not required:
- Experience machining 3D-printed parts
- Experience in a startup or agile development environment
- Experience working in a flight development program
- Experience transitioning parts from first article to 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.
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 [email protected].
Top Skills
Relativity Space Long Beach, California, USA Office
We have two sites in Long Beach, CA's Space Beach: "The Wormhole," a 1M sq. ft. factory, once Boeing C-17's home. Nearby, "The Portal" supports Aeon R engine production for our Terran R launch vehicle.
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