Manager, Environmental Test Long Beach, California

Relativity; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 178,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

Generous PTO and sick leave policy

Annual learning and development stipend

Job summary

Relativity in Long Beach is seeking an Environmental Test Lab Manager to lead the execution and scaling of avionics environmental test operations for the Terran R rocket. You will oversee daily operations, partner with cross-functional teams, and ensure efficient test procedures.

The ideal candidate has over 6 years in aerospace production and a Bachelor's degree in Engineering. This role offers a salary range of $130k - $178k USD, along with competitive benefits and perks.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in environmental testing or aerospace production.
• Strong understanding of vibration, shock, and thermal testing.
• Experience with qualification and acceptance testing using structured procedures.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution and scaling of environmental test operations.
• Oversee daily operations of vibration, shock, and thermal laboratories.
• Partner with design, manufacturing, and test teams for efficient hardware testing.

Skills

Environmental testing operations

Leadership

Cross-functional communication

Operational improvements

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, or Manufacturing Engineering

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 Avionics team is responsible for all aspects of the electrical design on the rocket, from electronics, interconnects, associated mechanical design, testing and initial production. This team's scope includes the flight computers, power systems, RF systems, PCB design, autonomous flight safety systems, and telemetry. This team works on complex electrical systems that require modularity and flexibility, and are critical to the successful launch of Terran R, and beyond!

About the Role

• As the Environmental Test Lab Manager, you will play a critical role in leading the execution and scaling of Relativity’s avionics environmental test operations in support of Terran R development and production
• You will oversee daily operations across vibration, shock, and thermal test laboratories, ensuring efficient execution of qualification test procedures (QTP) and acceptance test procedures (ATP) for launch‑critical avionics hardware
• In this role, you will be responsible for developing and guiding a growing team of test technicians and specialists while driving operational excellence across lab scheduling, asset utilization, test readiness, and process standardization
• You will partner closely with Avionics Design, Manufacturing, Integration, Quality, and Test Engineering teams to ensure hardware is tested safely, efficiently, and in alignment with aggressive program milestones
• Your expertise in laboratory operations, test execution, and continuous improvement will be essential in identifying bottlenecks, improving throughput, and implementing scalable systems and processes that support both development and production‑rate testing
• Your leadership will directly contribute to vehicle reliability, production readiness, and successful launch execution

About You

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field
• 6+ years of experience in environmental testing, manufacturing operations, or aerospace production environments, including prior leadership or management experience
• Strong understanding of environmental testing operations, including vibration, shock, and thermal testing of aerospace or avionics hardware
• Experience supporting qualification and acceptance testing for flight hardware using structured test procedures and specifications; background in lab operations, production support, scheduling coordination, and cross‑functional execution within fast‑paced development environments; strong communication and organizational skills, capable of coordinating across engineering, manufacturing, integration, and executive teams
• Experience driving operational improvements, asset utilization, and process standardization within technical laboratory environments

Nice to haves but not required

• Familiarity with aerospace environmental test standards such as SMC‑S‑016, MIL‑STD‑1540, DO‑160, or similar
• Experience supporting production‑rate environmental screening and acceptance testing of avionics hardware
• Understanding of instrumentation, data acquisition systems, fixturing, and test setup development
• Experience with AS9100 quality systems and controlled test documentation practices
• Prior experience scaling environmental test capabilities for rapidly growing aerospace programs

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:

$130,000 - $178,000 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.