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 launch operations team is a part of the Cape Canaveral launch site and is primarily responsible for the operational aspects of vehicle integration, payload integration, pad operations, countdown operations, recovery, and reusability. Over the last few years, the launch operations team successfully lifted the Terran 1 vehicle off the ground and have since transitioned focus to designing and building the infrastructure to support our next generation vehicle, Terran R. The team is working hand in hand across multiple engineering disciplines to design and build out critical systems such as the launch pad, transport erector, integration hardware, transport vessels, integration facilities, and much more to support the Terran R program
About the Role:
Relativity is seeking a highly talented Launch Mechanical Engineer to join our growing team in Cape Canaveral, FL. This role will play an integral part in designing, building and operating the launch site. As a Launch Mechanical Engineer, you will be responsible for some of Relativity’s critical launch infrastructure and Ground Support Equipment projects. This role is part of Relativity’s Launch and Infrastructure team, which oversees launch site design & build, launch operations, and new infrastructure projects including test and recovery sites. This role will report directly to the Manager of Test and Launch Structural Engineering. As a Launch Mechanical Engineer, you will have a major role in the development, build, and operation of launch site hardware that interfaces directly with the vehicle, ground support equipment, test fixtures and tooling. This role is responsible for the entire life cycle of the projects, from conceptualization to design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing, and implementation.
As a Launch Mechanical Engineer, you will be at the forefront of creating a world class orbital launch site. In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and is able to lead projects into completion. Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced, aerospace or mechanical engineering environment, having completed difficult projects while collaborating effectively with other key groups. Pressure around timelines, cost, and quality unleash the best in you, while finding creative ways to optimize across trade-offs. This role requires the highest attention to detail, while being able to abstract from day-to-day challenges while ensuring alignment on high-level objectives. Excellent judgement and analytical skills are a must, as well as a high degree of professional ethics and integrity. You bring curiosity for our unique technology and our production processes and are eager to develop a next generation launch site.
Day to day, you will be working within our CAD program (NX) as well as performing some FEA Analysis (Nastran and/or ANSYS) and hand calculations. You will also be working with the launch site civil and fluids engineering teams, various vehicle engineering teams, the test team, and could be involved in writing or reviewing procedures to test or use the equipment you design, analyze, and build. You will also work with in house and outside fabrication companies to get your parts built.
About You:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering discipline (mechanical, aerospace, or equivalent) as well as 7+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role
- Experience with CAD (NX, Creo, Solidworks, CATIA)
- First Principles and complex structural analysis capabilities including hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis
- Experience with motion control mechanism and over-center rotating devices; ability to create drawings and use GD&T effectively
- Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills; strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment as well as high organizational skills in working on more than one project simultaneously
- Ability to perform technically complex projects using independent judgment and personal initiative; recognize and act on opportunities; maintain flexibility to adjust as requirements shift of constraints change
Nice to haves but not required:
- 10+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role
- Experience working with AFSPCMAN 91-710
- Experience Working with DOD, USAF, and NASA or experience in the aerospace (rocket) sector
- Extensive experience with NX, ANSYS, and FEMAP
- Experience with large steel/aluminum structures as well as mechanisms
- Experience checking drawings and reviewing GD&T as well as experience with various standards, including American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) 360, American Concrete Institute (ACE) 318, and American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1, ASTM, ASME, NASA, DoD, NFPA, API, and SAE
Successful candidates must clear a background check administered by the US government to obtain clearance for on-site work at our government partner location in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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:
$161,000—$206,800 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
What the Team is Saying
What We Do
Welcome to Relativity Space, where we're rewriting the rules of rocketry. We have built and launched the world’s first 3D printed rocket, Terran 1, and are now bringing to market Terran R, our reusable medium-to-heavy-lift launch vehicle. Our iterative development approach revolutionizes the process from design to flight, ensuring we can scale to meet customer needs.
Our focus is clear: provide exceptional launch services that are highly competitive in the market. We design and manufacture cost-effective, high-performance, and reusable rockets at an unprecedented pace and scale – setting a new industry standard.
At Relativity Space, we have two audacious goals: build the next great commercial launch company with Terran R, and become America’s leading force in additive manufacturing innovation. Both ladder up 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. That journey begins right here on Earth—designing, building, and flying rockets to deliver customer payloads to orbit.
A medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, Terran R is designed to meet the ever-growing need for launch capacity. Our iterative approach accelerates the design, test, and development processes, enabling high-volume performance and reliability, with lower costs and shorter time to market. Our 3D printing research and development is at the bleeding edge, setting the standard for a new era of large-scale additive manufacturing.
Why Work With Us
We believe in a future where interplanetary life fundamentally expands the possibilities for the human experience. In realizing this, our long-term goal is to create humanity’s industrial base on Mars. The first step toward this long-term vision starts here on Earth – building rockets and pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing.
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Relativity Space Teams
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Relativity Space Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Given the dynamic nature and diversity of roles at Relativity Space, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for how every team works best.
