Hardware Development Engineer II

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 104,000 - 156,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity

Generous PTO and sick leave policy

Parental leave

Annual learning and development stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, California, is seeking a Propulsion Hardware Development Engineer to develop and manufacture reliable engines for the Terran R vehicle. In this role, you will work closely with design and production teams, bringing your strong engineering fundamentals and aerospace manufacturing knowledge to ensure high-performance hardware.

The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of experience in a relevant field and a Bachelor’s degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics discipline. Competitive salary and generous benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional engineering experience.
• Direct experience in thermodynamics, structures, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing processes and techniques for engine performance.
• Work with design teams to simplify propulsion systems.
• Participate in design reviews and DFM initiatives.
• Coordinate testing of systems and conduct data reviews.
• Design tooling for manufacturing and testing.
• Create development build and test schedules.

Skills

Aerospace manufacturing techniques

Engineering fundamentals

CFD tools (ANSYS)

FEA tools (ANSYS)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field

Job description

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 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.

About the Role:

Propulsion Hardware Development Engineers are responsible for taking the Aeon‑R engine from paper designs to highly reliable, high‑performance hardware. This role requires deep engagement with both the design and production teams to ensure our designs are readily manufacturable and our manufacturing processes are reliable and production‑ready. You will also be responsible for developing new manufacturing processes to improve Aeon‑R engines and the Terran‑R vehicle. You should have strong engineering fundamentals as well as a knowledge of aerospace manufacturing techniques to be an effective Hardware Development Engineer. The role demands close interaction with propulsion hardware, including defining build procedures and hands‑on build and integration of hardware.

Responsibilities:

• Develop manufacturing processes, new techniques, and tools to enable high rate productions and increase engine performance
• Work hand‑in‑hand with the design and analysis teams to simplify our propulsion systems
• Participate in design reviews and lead design for manufacturing (DFM) initiatives
• Design test set‑ups, coordinate and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of systems, and conduct data reviews
• Participate in test failure investigations and implement corrective actions
• Design, analyze, and procure tooling for piece part manufacturing and system testing
• Create and maintain development build and test schedules

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field
• 2+ years of professional engineering experience
• Direct experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, structures, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer
• Experience with CFD and FEA tools (ANSYS)

Benefits & Compensation:

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:

$104,000 — $156,000 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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail].