Senior Build Reliability Engineer, Propulsion Long Beach, California

Relativity Space, Inc.; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

PTO & sick leave

Parental leave

Learning stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior Build Reliability Engineer for the Propulsion team. You will own reliability across design, manufacturing, test, and launch interfaces, helping ensure the Terran R program meets safety, quality, and schedule targets while scaling production.

You will collaborate with Design, Manufacturing, Test and Launch teams, applying GD&T, PLM/MES/ERP/QMS knowledge, and robust quality practices to drive first-time quality, defect prevention, and process

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering or STEM field required.
• Minimum 5 years as a Quality Engineer in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.
• Extensive interfacing with design, manufacturing, production and test personnel.
• Knowledge of aerospace manufacturing and GD&T practices.

Responsibilities

• Ownership may include: design standardization, DFM, configuration management and control.
• Planning: work instruction review, process development, standard rework/repair documentation.
• Manufacturing: in-process build verification and coordination of traveled work.
• Drive quality initiatives to support Terran R program and processes.

Skills

Quality engineering

GD&T knowledge

Aerospace manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Tools

PLM

MES

ERP

QMS

Job description

Senior Build Reliability Engineer, Propulsion

Long Beach, California

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.

About the Role:

• Ownership may include the following: Design: drawing standardization, DFM, and configuration management and control
• Planning: work instruction review, process development, standard rework/repair documentation
• Manufacturing: in-process build verification, coordinate of travelled work, etc.
• Drive initiatives to facilitate quality in our growing launch vehicle program. Some projects may include spearheading specification development, developing walk down checklists, supporting automation initiatives for quality inspection, assisting in DFM practices, etc.
• Develop strong working relationships with Engineering, Additive, Manufacturing, Test, and Launch teams to ensure all company objectives can be met

About You:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or other STEM field and m inimum of5 yearsof experience acting as a Quality Engineer at a fast-paced manufacturing company
• Extensive experience interfacing with design engineering, manufacturing, production and test personnel
• In-depth knowledge of aerospace manufacturing/complex assembly practices and typical quality processes/controls
• Working knowledge of typical PLM, MES, ERP and QMS software and p roficiency with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Ability to solve a wide range of difficult problems in imaginative and practical ways and evaluate alternative solutions that may require coordination across multiple teams. Ability to establish goals and objectives to complete projects.
• Ability to effectively communicate and present information to team members, team leaders, and top management and w ell-versed in process development and first-time quality efforts

Nice to haves but not required:

• Working knowledge of product development methodologies such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Production Process Verification (PPV).
• New product introduction (NPI) of hardware system into a manufacturing, test, and production system with proven success.
• Familiarity with high-volume inspection methods and data-driven acceptance methods.
• Understanding of AS9100/ISO9001 applications and practices for an aerospace program.
• Self-starter that has demonstrated the ability to define and own a process from scratch and roll out that process through adept communication to a diverse team.

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:

$122,000 - $182,000 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.

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.