Senior Avionics Source Inspector, PCBA, First Shift

Socket.dev; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 111,751,000 - 167,626,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Sick leave

Parental leave

Equity

Annual learning stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA is hiring a first-shift Quality Inspector to join the Reliability team and perform PCBA and high-reliability electronics inspections at supplier sites and in-house manufacturing facilities.

You will travel 50–80% to suppliers, inspect solder joints and conformity to IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 Class 3, review documentation, and ensure quality throughout the Terran R program. Strong attention to detail and independent work habits are essential.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in PCBA/electronics inspection in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to travel 50–80%.
• Familiar with IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 Class 3.
• Detail-oriented with thorough inspection documentation.

Responsibilities

• Travel to supplier sites to perform source inspections and audits.
• Inspect PCBA and post-processing at onsite facilities; support assembly.
• Examine solder joints, placements, markings, coatings for compliance.
• Use microscopes and inspection equipment to identify defects.
• Maintain inspection records and document nonconformances.
• Stay current with avionics QA standards and industry practices.
• Review POs, certificates of conformance, test reports, and BOMs.
• Verify parts match drawings and purchase orders.

Skills

PCBA inspection

Electronics inspection

SMT inspection

Quality in manufacturing

Tools

Microscopes

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 Reliability team at Relativity Space ensures quality is built into every stage of the Terran R design and production process, embedding reliability from the very beginning. The team works directly with design, manufacturing, test, and launch teams to stay close to the hardware, understand constraints, and proactively shape decisions. As the program moves from development into production and scaled operations, this is the time to establish the right processes, controls, and inspections without slowing progress. The team plays a key role in balancing risk, fostering a culture of ownership, and making sure speed never comes at the cost of reliability. Success means creating a quality system that scales with the Terran R program and Relativity as a whole.

This is a first-shift position with a standard schedule of Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PT. The role is structured around a 50-hour workweek, including 10 guaranteed overtime hours each week.

About the Role:

• Travel approximately 80% of the time to supplier sites, both local and remote, to perform source inspections, conduct audits, and support supplier quality and compliance activities
• Perform in-process and final inspections of PCBA and post-processing at onsite supplier facilities and provide part-time support to our in-house manufacturing assembly
• Inspect solder joints, component placement, polarity, markings, conformal coating, cleanliness, and overall workmanship against drawings, specifications, and IPC-A-610
• Use microscopes and standard electronic inspection equipment to identify workmanship defects and nonconformances
• Maintain detailed inspection records and document nonconformances
• Stay current with industry standards, regulations, and best practices related to avionics quality assurance and inspection processes
• Review purchase orders, certificates of conformance, test reports, material traceability, First Article Inspection (FAI), and shipping documentation for accuracy
• Verify that parts match purchase orders, engineering blueprints, and bills of materials

About You:

• Minimum 3 years of hands-on PCBA, electronics, SMT, or high-reliability electronic assembly inspection experience as an electronics inspector in a manufacturing environment, preferably in a quality function.
• Ability to travel 50-80%
• Capable of working independently without supervision
• Familiar with electronics assembly and soldering standards such as IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 Class 3
• Familiar with staking, underfill, and conformal coating standards such as IPC-610 Class 3 and NASA-STD-8739.1
• A high level of attention to detail for conducting thorough inspections and ensuring compliance with quality standards and regulations

Nice to haves but not required:

• Well-versed in process development and first-time quality efforts
• Highly organized and able to provide structure and direction to the previously undefined
• Familiarity with CofCs, FAI, and source inspection documentation
• Certified or previously certified in NASA-STD-8739.1 and IPC-A-610 or J-STD-001

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.

Hiring Range:

$31.20 — $46.80 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].