Lead Propulsion Engineer, Integrated Design

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 136,000 - 187,000; 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

A pioneering aerospace company in Long Beach, California, is seeking a Lead Engineer to manage the design and analysis of integration hardware for rocket engines. This role requires strong mentorship, project management skills, and collaboration with various engineering teams. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree, over 5 years in fluid/structural design, and proficiency with CAD software and FEA tools. The position offers a salary range of $136,000 – $187,000, along with competitive benefits including PTO and parental leave.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with fluid systems and structural design.
• Experience in mentoring and demonstrated leadership skills.
• Experience applying fluid, thermal, structural, and mechanical design fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team responsible for design and analysis of integration hardware.
• Manage project priorities and technical guidance.
• Collaborate with various stakeholders in propulsion engineering.

Skills

Fluid systems design

Structural design

Mentorship

Leadership skills

Computer aided design software

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field

Tools

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Ansys

Abaqus

Nastran

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:

You will lead a team that is responsible for the design and analysis of integration hardware, as well as overall engine layout and packaging. This role will require managing a small team, requiring strong mentorship, project management, establishing priorities, communicating with leadership, providing technical guidance, and recruiting. Close collaboration with stakeholders within Propulsion Engineering (Combustion Devices, Turbomachinery, and Components) and external to Propulsion Engineering (Stage, Test Stand, and Integration) is essential. Designs and packaging trades will be informed by both fluid and structural analytical and computational models. You will strategically leverage 3D printing, as well as traditional manufacturing methods, to dramatically reduce the cost, weight, and part count of Aeon-R. To be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and knows how to lead (and guide) projects to completion.

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field
• 5+ years of experience with fluid systems design and/or structural design
• Experience in mentoring and demonstrated leadership skills
• Experience with computer aided design software
• Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and commercial tools such as Ansys, Abaqus, or Nastran
• Experience applying fluid, thermal, structural, and mechanical design fundamentals

Nice to haves, but not required:

• Experience in leading teams
• Experience in the design of liquid propulsion components and systems
• Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter, specifically
• Experience with large CAD model management, change management, and configuration management
• Familiarity with aerospace standards (AS, NAS, SAE, etc.)

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 – $187,000 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].