Production Manager, Machine Shop

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 116,000 - 148,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO and sick leave policy

Parental leave

Annual learning and development stipend

Equity options

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company at the forefront of aerospace technology as a Production Manager. In this pivotal role, you will lead a skilled production team in the Engine Manufacturing Department, ensuring safety, quality, and operational excellence in the production of the innovative Terran-R rocket. You will be responsible for developing strategies to transition from low-volume to high-volume production while mentoring staff and driving continuous improvement. This is an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking projects in the aerospace industry, working alongside passionate individuals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing and space exploration.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading production teams and managing operations.
• Strong focus on safety, quality, and production excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a production organization across 2 shifts for Terran-R.
• Define strategy for transitioning to high-volume production.

Skills

Production Management

Collaboration

Communication Skills

Safety Management

Quality Control

Education

Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

Tools

Smartsheet

SQL

Excel

PLM Systems

ERP Systems

MES Systems

Job description

At Relativity Space, we have two audacious goals: to build the next great commercial launch company with Terran R and to become America's leading force in additive manufacturing innovation. Both contribute to our long-term vision of creating humanity’s industrial base on Mars, paving the way for interplanetary life to expand the possibilities of the human experience. This journey begins right here on Earth – where we design, build, and fly rockets to deliver customer payloads to orbit. Terran R, our medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, fulfills the growing demand for launch capacity, thanks to our iterative approach that accelerates design, testing, and development while minimizing costs. While our groundbreaking research and development in 3D printing pushes the boundaries of large-scale additive manufacturing.

Your journey with us is more than just a job – it’s an opportunity to shape the future of aerospace technology, additive manufacturing, and the human experience alongside a community of passionate, creative individuals. Join us on this extraordinary journey, as we work together to transform our vision into reality.

About the Team:

The mission of the Engine Manufacturing Department is to deliver high-performing products and innovative manufacturing systems while driving continuous improvements in cost, quality, and lead time. Through cross-functional collaboration, high levels of accountability, and a focus on safety, we play a crucial role in building our reusable rocket, Terran-R. We are responsible for providing design feedback on new hardware iterations, pioneering and implementing advanced manufacturing methods and systems, and ultimately delivering engine and vehicle hardware for testing prior to launch. Over the past year, the Engine Manufacturing Team has successfully developed, iterated, and delivered processes and hardware for the first Aeon-R development engines. Now, we are entering a critical phase: producing flight engines that will pave the way for Terran-R's inaugural launch to orbit.

About the Role:

As a Production Manager on the Machine Shop Manufacturing team, you will be accountable for a key lane of the Engine Manufacturing organization – CNC Machining and Benchwork. You will have purview over production and operations teams. A high degree of proactivity, technical & operational versatility, and people skills are required to be successful in this role. You will be expected to oscillate between big picture strategy and tactical operations on a whim. Key responsibilities will include:

• Accountable for leading and managing a diversely skilled production organization across 2 shifts to build Terran-R.
• Ensure a culture of safety, quality, and excellence is communicated and upheld by driving quality metrics to continuously improve product output of the manufacturing team.
• Defining the strategy to transition team from low-volume development environment to high-volume production environment on short time-frame; responsible for communicating a clear, actionable plan to set team up for success.
• Standing up a scalable Production program. Building the necessary tools, schedules, reports, and reviews to ensure a data-backed story on Terran-R’s hardware health is presented and understood by the cross-disciplinary team and leadership.
• Developing and mentoring production staff to meet team and company goals.

About You:

• Bachelor of Science degree in manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering & operations, or equivalent (including direct work experience as a Production Manager).
• Extensive experience leading or managing a Production team, including formally leading production leaders.
• Highly collaborative, strong communication skills, and ability to navigate diverse backgrounds (engineering, technician, executive, etc.).
• Relentless pursuit of production excellence—safety, quality, and schedule at forefront.

Nice to haves but not required:

• Mastery of Smartsheet, SQL, and Excel.
• Extensive Production scaling experience (i.e., hiring 10’s to 100’s over short time-frames).
• Expert experience in PLM, ERP, and MES systems.
• Direct experience in NPI-to-Production environments.

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:

$116,000 - $148,500 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.