Senior Mechanical Engineer

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity

PTO and sick leave

Parental leave

Learning and development stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space is developing the Terran R launch vehicle with a focus on hardware integration of fluid systems and propulsion components. The role centers on designing pressure components, performing CFD/FEA analyses, and guiding test plans to ensure reliable performance for aerospace applications.

The candidate should bring a mechanical engineering background with 5+ years of fluids experience, CAD proficiency, and a track record of translating requirements into robust, flight-ready designs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or relevant field.
• 5+ years of experience designing fluid system components.
• Strong foundations in thermodynamics, structures, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer.
• Experience with CFD/FEA tools (ANSYS).
• Experience with CAD packages (NX, CREO, SolidWorks).
• Experience designing fluid system pressure components (fittings, seals, valves, regulators).
• Experience with FEA tools to analyze component structural margins.

Responsibilities

• Design and analysis of pressure components for launch vehicle fluid and propulsion systems.
• Perform detailed fluid, thermal, and structural analyses of parts and assemblies.
• Plan and execute qualification tests for internally developed components.
• Conduct trade studies to optimize architectures meeting system requirements.

Skills

Fluids system design

Thermodynamics

Fluid dynamics

Heat transfer

CFD

FEA

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

NX

CREO

SolidWorks

FEMAP

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 is responsible for the design and delivery of 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

In this role, you will be responsible for the hardware design and implementation of that hardware into vehicle fluid systems, ensuring a reliable and efficient operation of our Terran R launch vehicle. Your primary tasks will be focused on:

• Design and analysis of clean sheet of pressure components for launch vehicle fluid and propulsion systems
• Detailed fluid, thermal, and structural analysis of piece parts and assemblies
• Development and qualification test planning and execution of internally developed components
• Conducting trade studies to produce architectures and designs that satisfy system requirements

About You

• Bachelor’s degree (Mechanical Engineering or relevant)
• 5+ years of experience working with fluids system component design
• Direct experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, structures, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer
• Experience with CFD and FEA tools (ANSYS)
• Project experience with all the following:
• Experience with a commercial CAD package (NX, CREO, Solidworks)
• Experience designing fluid system pressure components (fittings, seals, valves, regulators, etc.) and qualifying them for aerospace applications
• Experience with FEA (ie. ANSYS, FEMAP) tools to analyze component structural margins

Nice To Haves But Not Required

• Experience with internal flow CFD to assess component performance

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

$132,000—$198,000 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].