At Relativity Space, we have two audacious goals: to build the next great commercial launch company with Terran R and to become America's leading force in additive manufacturing innovation. Both contribute to our long-term vision of creating humanity’s industrial base on Mars, paving the way for interplanetary life to expand the possibilities of the human experience. This journey begins right here on Earth – where we design, build, and fly rockets to deliver customer payloads to orbit. Terran R, our medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, fulfills the growing demand for launch capacity, thanks to our iterative approach that accelerates design, testing, and development while minimizing costs. While our groundbreaking research and development in 3D printing pushes the boundaries of large-scale additive manufacturing.
Your journey with us is more than just a job – it’s an opportunity to shape the future of aerospace technology, additive manufacturing, and the human experience alongside a community of passionate, creative individuals. Join us on this extraordinary journey, as we work together to transform our vision into reality.
About the Team:
The Stage Fluids and Components team is responsible for all fluid systems and components on the Terran R launch vehicle. This includes systems for the liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas propellants as well as the supporting helium and nitrogen gasses. We also design the individual valves that are used within these systems on the stages and engines. This requires us to integrate our designs with those of the structures, propulsion, avionics hardware teams. It also requires us to work closely with the GNC and performance teams to ensure that our systems can meet the requirements of launching and landing a reusable rocket. Finally, we also work closely with the manufacturing and test teams to ensure our hardware is adequately built and tested.
About the Role:
In this role you will lead a team of engineers working on valves and accompanying systems through design, development, testing, and production. This role involves a range of skillsets: design, analysis (thermodynamics, structures, fluids, electrical), manufacturing, test, project management, communication, and leadership. You will work across teams and departments and take ownership of projects of your creation. To be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and be capable of leading highly technical and collaborative projects to completion with minimal oversight. Along with these high expectations, this position will involve recruiting, career development, and mentoring engineers.
About You:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering field
- 3+ years of experience in fluid control devices, valves and/or mechanisms design and analysis
- Experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, structures, and fluids
- Hands-on experience with fluids and structural development testing and manufacturing
- Experience with ownership of projects from school or work experience
- Experience leading projects or small teams
Nice to haves but not required:
- 5+ years relevant experience, preferably in a rocket engine development and/or test environment
- Experience with the design and manufacturing process of valves, regulators, and actuators, motors, solenoids
- Experience with design and testing of cryogenic systems and components
- Exposure and knowledge in powder bed additive manufacturing
- We believe varied perspectives & backgrounds strengthen our team. Prior experience in aerospace is not required
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:
$146,000—$187,000 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.
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.
Similar Jobs at Relativity Space
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
