Sr Manufacturing Engineer, Paint and TPS

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

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

PTO and sick leave

Parental leave

Learning stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Sr Manufacturing Engineer for Paint and Thermal Protection System to own process development and successful installation on the Terran R launch vehicle. You will scale production, lay out build flows, and drive equipment and process improvements on the shop floor with cross-functional partners.

You will mentor engineers and collaborate with Engineering, Build Reliability, Supply Chain, and external partners to meet program milestones in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical or mechanical engineering with 4+ years of related experience.
• Experience building workcenters including capital equipment selection and activation for scaling manufacturing.
• Self-starter who can define and roll out new processes from scratch with technicians and external partners.
• Experience with at least two processes: adhesive bonding, coating processes, machining, composites manufacturing.
• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the application of Paint and Thermal Protection System materials from design release through installation, and lay out the build flow for scalable production.
• Drive first build efforts and improve product lines through design integration, assembly sequencing, mBOM development, and specification authoring.
• Support the shop floor and production personnel through responsive issue resolution and upstream feedback.
• Identify, develop, and implement new manufacturing capabilities to increase capability, quality, and throughput of Paint & Thermal Protection System processes.
• Mentor other engineers and team members through technical and non-technical decision making.
• Develop strong working relationships with Engineering, Build Reliability, Supply Chain, and external partners to meet company objectives.

Skills

Workcenters setup

Self-starter

High-pressure prioritization

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in aeronautical or mechanical engineering (or related)

4+ years related work experience

Job description

Sr Manufacturing Engineer, Paint and TPS

Long Beach, California, United States

At Relativity Space, we’re building rockets to serve today’s needs and tomorrow’s breakthroughs. OurTerran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting the growing demand for launchcapacity. But that’s just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock newopportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyondthe 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. Nowis a unique moment in time where it’s early enough to leave your mark on the product, the process, andthe culture, but far enough along that Terran R is tangible and picking up momentum. The mostmeaningful work of your career is waiting. Join us.

About the Team:

The Manufacturing team owns all process development, fabrication strategy, and production equipment for Terran R, our next generation, reusable rocket. This team has a wide variety of responsibilities – from factory floor layout, to developing complex tooling for novel processes, and interfacing with our vehicle engineering team to heavily influence design of the rocket. We leverage our deep expertise to translate engineering requirements into highly optimized production lines, working cross functionally to consistently enhance the vehicle program.

About the role:

• Own the application of Paint and Thermal Protection System materials from design release through successful installation onto the Terran R launch vehicle—lay out the build flow to ensure an efficient, high-quality process capable of scaling production rate with time
• Drive first build efforts and improve existing product lines through design integration, assembly sequencing, mBOM development, build work order creation, and specification authoring
• Support the shop floor and production personnel through responsive issue resolution and provide upstream feedback as we innovate the next generation of manufacturing technology
• Identify, develop, and implement new manufacturing capabilities to increase capability, quality, and throughput of Paint & Thermal Protection System processes
• Mentor other engineers and team members through technical and non-technical decision making
• Develop strong working relationships with Engineering, Build Reliability, Supply Chain, and external partners to ensure all company objectives can be met

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical, mechanical engineering, or other engineering discipline with 4+ years progressive and related work experience
• Experience building out workcenters including the selection, acquisition, and activation of capital equipment for scaling manufacturing processes
• Self-starter who can define and roll out new processes from scratch, working collaboratively with technicians, engineers, and external partners
• Strong working experience and expert knowledge of at least 2 of the following processes: adhesive bonding, soft goods manufacturing, coating processes, machining, mechanical fastening and torquing operations, trim and drill operations, composites manufacturing, critical lifting, tool design and fabrication
• Highly self-motivated and able to prioritize and execute tasks in an ambiguous, high-pressure environment

Nice to have, but not required:

• New product introduction of an aerospace hardware product or process with proven success
• Previous experience leading or mentoring engineering teams
• Master’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline

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.