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Relativity

Senior Propulsion Design Engineer

Relativity, Long Beach, California, us, 90899

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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. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress beyond the known.

Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you’ll solve 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, influence decisions, and see your work come to life in record time.

About the Team The Propulsion team at Relativity is focused on developing and delivering highly performant and manufacturable engines for Terran R. Engineers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their parts, from initial design through production to qualification and flight. The team fosters a culture of bottom‑up decision‑making, free from technical gatekeeping, where ownership and accountability are key at all levels.

About the Role As an Engine Assembly RE on the Propulsion Integrated Design team, you will own top‑level engine CAD models. Depending on the phase of the program and the engine configuration you are owning, this role entails:

Lead CAD release and configuration control for production engine assemblies, ensuring accurate eBOM structures and smooth downstream integration

Own engine layout and packaging trades, including definition of Keep‑in‑Zone (KiZ) and Keep‑out‑Zone (KoZ) boundaries

Design and analyze Integrated Design hardware (fluid manifolds, tubing, ducting, secondary structures) and execute rapid design tweaks to support engine testing

Drive cross‑functional alignment as point of contact for Vehicle, Avionics, Manufacturing, Integration, and Test teams

Define engine assembly tolerances/requirements as defined on Interface Control Diagrams (ICDs) and standardize best practices across the Propulsion organization for fittings, bolts, seals, etc.

Champion the change management process and continuously improve it, tracking key engine metrics such as mass and part count

Partner with the Integration/Manufacturing team by reviewing and continuously improving Process Plans, Work Orders, and Non‑Conformances

Set downstream stakeholders up for success by enabling increased engine build rates and quality and provide floor support during build issues

About You

5+ years of professional design experience

Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field

Demonstrated project/technical leadership skills

Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals in structures, fluids, thermal, and mechanisms

CAD skills on any platform and GD&T knowledge

Experience with large CAD model management, change management, and configuration management

Experience owning ambiguous layout and packaging trades and navigating conflicting stakeholder requirements

Experience designing Integrated Design hardware (manifolds, secondary structure, tubing, etc.)

System thinker who views the engine’s design holistically and prioritizes the engine as a whole over a component

Attention to detail, thorough follow‑through, and understanding of a flawless eBOM that sets downstream stakeholders up for success

Great integration/Manufacturing partner with experience using an MES and addressing DFA/DFM feedback in a timely fashion

Nice to Haves

Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter

Experience designing liquid propulsion components and systems

Experience with FEA and commercial tools such as Ansys, Abaqus, or Nastran

Familiarity with aerospace standards (AS, NAS, SAE, etc.)

Experience creating release, mass, and part count reports and communicating this information to leadership

Familiarity with Qualification and Acceptance test requirements for flight hardware

Compensation and Benefits Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors. Compensation is one part of our total rewards package. We offer competitive salary and equity, 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:

$142,000 – $181,500 USD

Equal Opportunity Employer 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.

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