Relativity Space
Materials Characterization Engineer II (Metallics Development)
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 Materials & NDE Engineering team is responsible for the development, characterization, and inspection of materials across the Terran R launch vehicle. We specialize in rapid implementation of material systems through robust internal testing capabilities and first principles driven qualification approaches. We have recently made our first primary structure barrel, supported introduction of next generation powder additive alloys in the Aeon-R engine, and developed 100% in-cell NDE inspection capabilities for WAAM manufactured hardware.
About the Role:
- Serve as materials characterization subject matter expert for activities related to metallography, chemistry, thermal, or mechanical testing
- Support testing across production, research and development, and failure analysis
- Create and maintain documentation of processes and procedures for both equipment and test techniques
- Develop characterization processes to expand our in-house testing capabilities. This includes managing any new hardware needed.
- Communicate technical data to engineering customers and determine best practices for data output and reporting
- Work with team of skilled technicians and specialists to execute materials testing.
About You:
- Bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering or related field
- 2+ years of experience related to materials characterization
Nice to haves but not required:
- Master’s/PhD in material science or materials engineering, with specific studies and work in process improvements in testing, fixture design, and data analysis
- Specific knowledge of materials characterization (e.g., mechanical, metallurgical, thermal chemical, etc.)
- Expertise in ASTM standards for testing in mechanical, thermal, chemical, and/or metallurgical areas
- Experience with aerospace materials including high strength aluminum, nickel alloys, copper alloys, titanium, refractories, polymers/adhesives, and/or composites
- A desire to establish and foster strong interdisciplinary relationships across the company
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.
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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