Senior Turbomachinery Engineer, Turbine Development

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 181,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO and sick leave policy

Parental leave

Annual learning and development stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space is seeking a technical expert in turbine design to join their propulsion team in Long Beach, California. You will work on the Terran R vehicle and be part of a groundbreaking project to deliver payloads to orbit. This role requires strong experience in turbine design and collaboration across teams to drive projects to successful completion.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in engineering, relevant work experience, and the capability to solve complex problems unique to rocket turbopumps. Relativity Space offers competitive salaries, equity, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in aerospace.
• Experience with turbine design and structural analysis.
• Knowledge of industry-standard turbomachinery design methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Advance turbine design for the Terran R vehicle.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to drive projects to completion.
• Work through challenges unique to rocket turbopumps.

Skills

Turbine design expertise

Aerodynamic analysis

Strong communication skills

Knowledge of turbopump assembly procedures

Education

Degree in engineering or related field

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

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 propulsion team at Relativity is responsible for the successful development of the engines that will power the Terran R vehicle. We own their design from concept through to launch and reuse. Our team partners heavily with manufacturing, test, launch, and integration teams, striving to develop our engines in record time and to support Terran R's first launch in 2026. As part of this team, you will help build, test, and iterate on the full product lifecycle of our Aeon‑R engine systems, seeing them mature and eventually bring Terran R into space.

About The Role

We are looking for a technical expert who can help advance the state of the art of turbine design for space applications. You will collaborate closely with the propulsion development and manufacturing teams to incorporate improvements into future designs. In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and is able to drive their own projects to completion. You must have the passion, tenacity and resolve to work through challenging issues unique to rocket turbopumps. We are looking for someone multifaceted, and capable of working at the interfaces of design, development, and analysis of turbomachinery. Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced, aerospace environment, having completed difficult projects while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary groups.

About You

• Degree in engineering or related technical field and 5+ years of relevant experience
• Experience with turbine design, performing aerodynamic and structural analysis.
• Experience with LCF and HCF methodologies
• Knowledge of industry standard turbomachinery design and analysis
• Strong communication skills
• Knowledge of turbopump assembly procedures, including rotor balancing, interference fits, clearance checks, structural proofing, and leak checks

Nice To Haves But Not Required

• Experience with transient thermal/aerodynamic analysis
• Experience with forced response analysis
• Experience with in‑situ mode shape/ blade deformation measurement
• Experience overseeing turbomachinery development and/or test campaigns
• Proficiency in Siemens NX and Teamcenter
• Experience in a startup or agile development environment
• Experience working in a flight development program

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—$181,500 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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail].