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Mechanical

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Relativity Space logoRelativity Space$132,000/yrLong Beach, California, United StatesPosted 2mo ago

About the role

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 Stage Fluids team is responsible for the design and delivery of propellant, pressurant, pneumatics, and other fluid systems that turn structures into functioning rockets! The team has full ownership across design, production, test, and flight, maintaining a holistic view of Terran R, focused not on isolated parts but integrated functionality. Working on-site at the factory means you’re never far from the hardware, enabling rapid iteration and tight feedback loops across design and manufacturing. You won’t just be handed requirements: you’ll be expected to ask the right questions, collaborate with partners across the company, and ultimately find the best solutions for Terran R.

About the Role

In this role, you will be responsible for the hardware design and implementation of that hardware into vehicle fluid systems, ensuring a reliable and efficient operation of our Terran R launch vehicle. Your primary tasks will be focused on:

  • Design and analysis of clean sheet of pressure components for launch vehicle fluid and propulsion systems
  • Detailed fluid, thermal, and structural analysis of piece parts and assemblies
  • Development and qualification test planning and execution of internally developed components
  • Conducting trade studies to produce architectures and designs that satisfy system requirements

About You

  • Bachelor’s degree (Mechanical Engineering or relevant)
  • 5+ years of experience working with fluids system component design
  • Direct experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, structures, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer
  • Experience with CFD and FEA tools (ANSYS)
  • Project experience with all the following: Experience with a commercial CAD package (NX, CREO, Solidworks)
  • Experience designing fluid system pressure components (fittings, seals, valves, regulators, etc.) and qualifying them for aerospace applications
  • Experience with FEA (ie. ANSYS, FEMAP) tools to analyze component structural margins

**Nice to haves but not required: **

  • Experience with internal flow CFD to assess component performance

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

$132,000 - $198,000 USD

Copied from the listing Relativity Space published, verified 30 Oct 2026.

The application

Your details and CV, then 4 questions (1 written).

Have readyCVCover letter (optional)LinkedIn (optional)
  1. 1.
    Why Relativity?Written answer · optional
  2. 2.
    If your location differs from the location posted on the job description, are you willing to commute and/or relocate for this role? If not, please explain:Short answer
  3. 3.
    EXPORT COMPLIANCEPick one: I am currently a “U.S. Person” · I am not a “U.S. Person"
  4. 4.
    If answer selection above requires an explanation, please explain below:Short answer · optional

Taken from the application form Relativity Space runs, verified 29 Oct 2026.

About Relativity Space

Builds reusable rockets that make access to space more reliable and routine.

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