Staff Mechanisms Engineer at Relativity Space
Long Beach, CA 90801
About the Job
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 Structures team at Relativity is responsible for the design, analysis, testing, and manufacturing our launch vehicle integrated structures, as well as flight mechanisms
As a part of this team, you will be given hardware ownership for the full product lifecycle, and get the opportunity to conveniently validate your hardware through testing at our factory of the future, headquartered in Long Beach, CA
Unique to Relativity, you will get to work across many teams to develop world-class integrated launch vehicles
Overall, this team was critical to the launch success of Terran 1 and is now playing a key role in the development and execution of the Terran R program.About the Role: To support our mission of changing the way rockets are built and flown, you will guide the design of Terran R mechanisms such as stage separation, payload deployment, aero control features and landing gear
To be successful, you will be working collaboratively with partner groups such as structures, avionics and fluids; and leverage our additive process and design freedom to design and build better products
The scope of work encompasses a full design cycle, including conceptualization, trade studies, design, analysis, manufacturing and testing of components.Here are some examples of projects you could be working on:Design and test the Terran R stage separation or fairing deployment systemInnovative conceptualization of the Terran R landing gear or aero surfaces actuationDefinition of design criteria and subsystems requirementsReview of static and dynamic load inputs, material properties & manufacturing processConduct trade studies on different mechanism design concepts and present to leadershipYour mission will be to deliver on time and budget
You will be challenged to integrate as many subsystems within our printed primary structure, and support the development of our additive process to make this a reality
To achieve this, you will be working closely with our vehicle design, test and loads teams, as well as our additive and manufacturing teams.In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who is self-motivated, thrives in ambiguity, and is able to lead his or her own projects to completion
Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced environment, having completed difficult projects with extreme ownership while collaborating effectively with other key groups.About You: Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline8+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role, including CAD, analysis, build and testFundamental knowledge of kinematic synthesis, pneumatic/hydraulic actuation, mechatronics and instrumentationFundamental knowledge of structures strength, stability and fatigue failure modesBasic knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and surface treatmentsExperience solving technical problem-solving and hands-on hardware build experienceCommunication and interpersonal skills to lead discussions on complex technical topicsNice to haves but not required: 10+ years of aerospace experience or an advanced engineering degreeExperience with launch vehicle mechanisms and multi-body dynamics analysisExperience in a demanding fast-paced development environmentExperience with design engineering tools such as NX, TeamCenter, Ansys or Femap, as well as engineering scripting language such as Python or MATLABHands-on experience with fabrication/prototyping such as machining, 3D printing, welding, woodworkingAt 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:$159,000—$203,000 USDWe 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.
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 Structures team at Relativity is responsible for the design, analysis, testing, and manufacturing our launch vehicle integrated structures, as well as flight mechanisms
As a part of this team, you will be given hardware ownership for the full product lifecycle, and get the opportunity to conveniently validate your hardware through testing at our factory of the future, headquartered in Long Beach, CA
Unique to Relativity, you will get to work across many teams to develop world-class integrated launch vehicles
Overall, this team was critical to the launch success of Terran 1 and is now playing a key role in the development and execution of the Terran R program.About the Role: To support our mission of changing the way rockets are built and flown, you will guide the design of Terran R mechanisms such as stage separation, payload deployment, aero control features and landing gear
To be successful, you will be working collaboratively with partner groups such as structures, avionics and fluids; and leverage our additive process and design freedom to design and build better products
The scope of work encompasses a full design cycle, including conceptualization, trade studies, design, analysis, manufacturing and testing of components.Here are some examples of projects you could be working on:Design and test the Terran R stage separation or fairing deployment systemInnovative conceptualization of the Terran R landing gear or aero surfaces actuationDefinition of design criteria and subsystems requirementsReview of static and dynamic load inputs, material properties & manufacturing processConduct trade studies on different mechanism design concepts and present to leadershipYour mission will be to deliver on time and budget
You will be challenged to integrate as many subsystems within our printed primary structure, and support the development of our additive process to make this a reality
To achieve this, you will be working closely with our vehicle design, test and loads teams, as well as our additive and manufacturing teams.In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who is self-motivated, thrives in ambiguity, and is able to lead his or her own projects to completion
Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced environment, having completed difficult projects with extreme ownership while collaborating effectively with other key groups.About You: Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline8+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role, including CAD, analysis, build and testFundamental knowledge of kinematic synthesis, pneumatic/hydraulic actuation, mechatronics and instrumentationFundamental knowledge of structures strength, stability and fatigue failure modesBasic knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and surface treatmentsExperience solving technical problem-solving and hands-on hardware build experienceCommunication and interpersonal skills to lead discussions on complex technical topicsNice to haves but not required: 10+ years of aerospace experience or an advanced engineering degreeExperience with launch vehicle mechanisms and multi-body dynamics analysisExperience in a demanding fast-paced development environmentExperience with design engineering tools such as NX, TeamCenter, Ansys or Femap, as well as engineering scripting language such as Python or MATLABHands-on experience with fabrication/prototyping such as machining, 3D printing, welding, woodworkingAt 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:$159,000—$203,000 USDWe 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.
