Staff Propulsion Design Engineer, Relativity Space
Valves
$164-225.5k
Aerospace manufacturer of 3D printed rockets
Open for applications
Aerospace manufacturer of 3D printed rockets
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$164-225.5k
1001+ employees
Company mission
To upgrade humanity’s industrial base on Earth and on Mars.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering discipline (Mechanical or related)
- 7+ years of professional engineering experience
- Direct experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, structures, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer
- Experience with programming languages such as Matlab, Python, or C++
- Experience with CFD and FEA tools (ANSYS)
What the job involves
- 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 bottoms-up decision-making, free from technical gatekeeping, where ownership and accountability are key at all levels
- But designing engines with a quarter million pounds of thrust is just the beginning. As the flight configuration enters qualification, the team is now exploring modifications for future engines, including thrust upgrades, new cycles, and design for mass production
- In this role you will be responsible for the design, analysis, development and qualification of flow control devices for the Aeon R engine and Terran R launch vehicle
- Specific responsibilities will include:
- Design and analysis of clean sheet of cryogenic, pneumatic, proportional, or solenoid valves
- Detailed fluid, thermal, and structural analysis of piece parts and assemblies
- Development and qualification test planning and execution of internally developed valves
- Engine and vehicle test support for existing flow control products
- Conducting trade studies to produce architectures and designs that satisfy system requirements
Our take
Relativity Space has set out to build humanity’s multiplanetary future with its innovative 3D printed rockets. The company is at the forefront of software-defined manufacturing, combining 3D printing, AI, and autonomous robotics to create the “factory of the future.” By utilising 3D printing, Relativity has simplified its supply chain, building rockets in less than 60 days that require 100x fewer parts.
The company completed its flagship Terran 1 rocket and initial round of test flights in 2023. While the first launches technically failed, as the rocket failed to reach orbit, the attempt is still classified as a resounding success, as the rocket managed the highest stress state - Max-Q. The company is currently building its follow-up Terran R rocket, which is set for a debut launch in late 2026. While the company faces competition from SpaceX, Relativity Space’s cheaper and accelerated building process is well set to be a fierce competitor.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
9% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 8 rounds)
Dec 2025
$800m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Nov 2023
$20m
SERIES F
Total funding: $2.2bn
Company benefits
- Health, dental, and vision coverage
- Additional stipend for employee wellness
- 401(k)
- Equity
- 11 company holidays & generous PTO
- Monthly lunches, game nights, holiday celebrations, and offsite events
- Generous parental leave and provide a $10,000 stipend for fertility, adoption, and other family-building benefits
- $2,000 annual learning stipend
- Constant training opportunities, company Lunch and Learns, and access to industry conferences
Company HQ
Long Beach, CA
Leadership
Tim Ellis
(Co-Founder & Board Member)They are part of the National Space Council Users Advisory Group for The White House. Held a variety of positions at BLUE ORIGIN before Relativity Space was accepted into the YC W16 batch.
Jordan Noone
(Co-Founder & Executive Chairman)Former CTO of the company. Co-founder and current Executive Chairman at KittyCAD, and Co-Founder & General Partner at Embedded Ventures.
Salary benchmarks
We don't have enough data yet to provide salary benchmarks for this role.
Submit your salary to help other candidates with crowdsourced salary estimates.
Share this job
View 37 more jobs at Relativity Space