Lead, Dynamic Environments Engineering

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 136,000 - 204,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Generous PTO and sick leave

Parental leave

Annual learning stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Dynamics Engineer to own design aspects of structural dynamics, random vibrations, and acoustics for the Terran R program. You will collaborate across propulsion, aerodynamics, and GNC to ensure vibration and test requirements are met.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, mentoring, and hands-on analysis with tools like NASTRAN/ABAQUS/ANSYS, influencing hardware and software integrations while improving vehicle reliability and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field required.
• 3+ years in structural dynamics, random vibrations and acoustics.
• Expert knowledge in test vibration and shock methods and plans.
• Knowledge of NASTRAN/ABAQUS/ANSYS and a related tool.
• High-speed instrumentation and signal processing experience.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of design considerations of secondary structures, avionics and actuators for random vibration, acoustics and aero buffet.
• Manage implementation and validation of Dynamics instrumentation and measurement systems in partnership with Avionics to ensure reliable test and flight data capture.
• Proactively support test planning and execution related to vibration, shock, acoustics.
• Develop payload interface vibration/shock/acoustic levels, interface with Mission Management and customers as needed to determine spec compliance and paths to improvement.
• Lead collaboration with interfacing teams on high-frequency vibrations across aero, propulsion, GNC, reliability engineering, and life analysis.
• Mentor junior analysts to be hardware-focused, collaborative, technically rigorous, and practical.

Skills

Technical leadership

Communication & mentoring

Structural dynamics

Random vibrations

Acoustics

Test vibration & shock methods

NASTRAN/ABAQUS/ANSYS

Instrumentation & signal processing

Cross-disciplinary problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

NAST R?

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 Integrated Performance team owns the holistic view of how Terran R comes together, ensuring that every system on the vehicle and ground is capable of achieving our ambitious objectives. The team works across the full launch system, from trajectory design and aerodynamics to reliability analysis and beyond, with direct influence on all parts of the product lifecycle, from conceptual design to post-flight data review. Beyond analysis, team members engage hands-on with hardware and operations, with the mission and authority to drive meaningful programmatic change. With a unique organizational structure, the integrated performance team spans multiple technical domains and embeds directly with partner teams to solve the hardest multi-disciplinary problems. The team operates with a rare scale: large enough to support complex development, yet small enough that individual contributors have meaningful impact.

The Dynamics team works collaboratively with other Flight Sciences teams and across Stage Engineering, Fluids, Propulsion, Avionics, Test and Launch teams to develop analysis tools, test levels, vehicle and ground loads, and separation and deployment system architectures on time and budget while meeting our technical requirements. A high degree of autonomy along with an ability to prioritize work in our fast-paced environment is required

About The Role

• Ownership of design considerations of secondary structures, avionics and actuators for random vibration, acoustics and aero buffet. This involves developing methodology to analyze, test and qualify the designs for vibration and shock
• Manage implementation and validation of Dynamics instrumentation and measurement systems in partnership with Avionics to ensure reliable test and flight data capture
• Proactively support test planning and execution related to vibration, shock, acoustics
• Develop payload interface vibration/shock/acoustic levels, interface with Mission Management and customers as needed to determine spec compliance and paths to improvement
• Lead the collaboration with interfacing teams: aerodynamics, propulsion, GNC, reliability engineering, reusability/life analysis and design criteria on all issues pertaining to high frequency vibrations
• Mentor more junior analysts to be hardware-focused, collaborative, technically rigorous, and practical in their approach

About You

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or related field
• Technical leadership, communication and mentoring skills
• 3+ years of experience working on structural dynamics, random vibrations and acoustics issues and a demonstrated record of solving complex inter-disciplinary problems is required
• Expert level knowledge in test vibration and shock test methods, applicable industry standards Ability to draw up shaker and shock test plans to qualify and accept aerospace parts
• Knowledge of random vibration theory behind standard codes like NASTRAN. ABAQUS or ANSYS and fluency in any one tool
• High speed instrumentation and signal processing
• Demonstrated experience driving dynamics issues to closure across mechanical, fluids or other domains

Nice To Haves, But Not Required

• Master's or higher qualification is highly preferred
• Direct experience in the Space Engineering domain working on structural dynamics analysis, test and qualification through a full program cycle

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

$136,000—$204,000 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].