Principal COPV Engineer

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

PTO and sick leave policy

Parental leave

Learning and development stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA is seeking a senior engineer to help shape the Terran R gas storage architecture and COPV strategy. You will lead pressure vessel engineering efforts, collaborate across propulsion, manufacturing, and software teams, and help push a reusable rocket toward milestones.

You will apply fluid/ mechanical design fundamentals, lead testing campaigns, and work with vendors to deliver robust gas systems.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in engineering or a technical discipline.
• 12+ years of relevant technical experience.
• Experience applying pressure vessel engineering fundamentals.
• Experience applying knowledge of fluid and mechanical system design and operation.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze gas storage COPVs and related pressure vessels.
• Collaborate with thermo-fluid engineers on vehicle gas system design and operation.
• Establish test campaigns for COPV qualification and acceptance.
• Perform tests and review data to ensure design validity.
• Support integration of COPVs on the Terran R rocket.
• Select, vet, and manage vendors for COPV components.

Skills

Pressure vessel engineering

Fluid system design

Mechanical design

Test data analysis

Education

Undergraduate engineering degree

Tools

CAD

Testing equipment

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 Stage Fluids team designs and delivers the propellant, pressurant, pneumatics, and other fluid systems that turn structures into functioning rockets. The team has full ownership across design, production, test, and flight, maintaining a holistic view of Terran R, focused not on isolated parts but integrated functionality. Working on-site at the factory means you're never far from the hardware, enabling rapid iteration and tight feedback loops across design and manufacturing. You won't just be handed requirements: you'll be expected to ask the right questions, collaborate with partners across the company, and ultimately find the best solutions for Terran R.

About the Role:

You'll help develop the architecture for the upcoming Terran R vehicle and chart the company’s path for gas storage on a reusable rocket, both near-term and long-term.

Here are some examples of projects you could be working on:

• Partnering with third-party vendors in the design and analysis of gas storage COPVs
• Working with other thermo-fluid engineers on vehicle gas system design and operation
• Establishing test campaigns for the qualification and acceptance of COPVs
• Performing tests and reviewing data
• Supporting integration COPVs on the rocket
• Selecting, vetting, and managing vendors
• Performing trade studies to improve gas storage solutions for the near future vehicles
• Assessing long-term COPV design and manufacturing plans

About You:

• Undergraduate degree in engineering or a technical discipline
• 12+ years of relevant technical experience
• Experience applying pressure vessel engineering fundamentals
• Experience applying knowledge of fluid and mechanical system design and operation

Nice to haves, but not required:

• Experience working with COPVs or other composite structures
• Experience in a creative and fast-paced development environment, working with autonomy
• Experience with CAD
• Experience with launch vehicle systems

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: $185,000 - $277,000 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].

Please note: Relativity Space does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate profiles, or referrals from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited submission - via email, our website, social media, or directly to an employee - will be deemed the property of Relativity Space, and no fee will be owed absent a current, fully executed agreement with Talent Acquisition that specifically authorizes submissions for the applicable role.