Staff Launch Mechanical Engineer - Launch Structures

Relativity Space; Florida; On-site; USD 150,000 - 226,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

PTO & sick leave

Parental leave

Learning stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space, Inc. in Cape Canaveral, Florida, is seeking a Staff Launch Mechanical Engineer to lead end-to-end hardware design for Terran R launch structures, using NX CAD and FEA to deliver on aggressive schedules with cross‑functional teams.

Applicants should have 7+ years in aerospace or mechanical engineering, strong problem solving, and the ability to own projects from concept through fabrication, embracing ownership and collaboration in a fast-paced program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering; aerospace/manufacturing preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in large precision structural builds.
• Proficient in CAD (NX, Creo, SolidWorks, CATIA) and FEA methods (hand calculations, FEA).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end hardware design for launch structures.
• Perform NX CAD work and FEA analyses (Nastran/ANSYS).
• Collaborate with vehicle, ground systems, and test teams.
• Coordinate with fabrication partners to ensure delivery.

Skills

7+ years experience

Mechanical/aerospace background

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Independent judgment

GD&T proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

NX CAD

Creo

SolidWorks

CATIA

ANSYS

Nastran

Job description

Staff Launch Mechanical Engineer - Launch Structures

Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States

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 Launch team operates at the intersection of every major aspect of Terran R, from stages and payloads to ground systems, launch, landing, and refurbishment. The Cape is the only place where you see it all come together, offering a level of exposure and responsibility unmatched elsewhere in the program. This is where first flights happen, where history is built on top of history, and where the scale of what’s underway is unlike anything in modern aerospace. The mission stays the same, but the work evolves with every milestone: from first launch to reuse, high-cadence operations, and beyond. If you’re looking to define what’s next in space launch and write a new playbook, not just repeat what’s already been done, this is where it happens.

About the role

As a Launch Mechanical Engineer, you will be at the forefront of creating a world class orbital launch site. In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and is able to lead projects into completion. Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced, aerospace or mechanical engineering environment, having completed difficult projects while collaborating effectively with other key groups. Pressure around timelines, cost, and quality unleash the best in you, while finding creative ways to optimize across trade-offs. This role requires the highest attention to detail, while being able to abstract from day-to-day challenges while ensuring alignment on high-level objectives. Excellent judgement and analytical skills are a must, as well as a high degree of professional ethics and integrity. You bring curiosity for our unique technology and our production processes and are eager to develop a next generation launch site. In this role, you will be responsible for end-to-end hardware design, with a strong emphasis on ownership and accountability. Your day-to-day tasks will include working within our CAD environment (NX), conducting FEA analyses using Nastran and/or ANSYS, and performing supporting hand calculations. You will collaborate closely with the launch site civil and fluids engineering teams, various vehicle engineering groups, and the test team. Additionally, you may contribute to the development and review of procedures for testing or operating the equipment you design and analyze. This position also involves coordination with both in-house and external fabrication partners to ensure successful hardware delivery.

About you

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering discipline (manufacturing, mechanical, aerospace, or equivalent)
• 7+ years of experience manufacturing with a focus on large precision structural builds
• Experience with CAD (NX, Creo, Solidworks, CATIA)
• First Principles and complex structural analysis capabilities including hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis.
• Experience with motion control mechanism and over-center rotating devices
• Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Must have strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment
• High organizational skills in working on more than one project simultaneously
• Ability to perform technically complex projects using independent judgment and personal initiative
• Recognize and act on opportunities; maintain flexibility to adjust as requirements shift or constraints change
• Ability to create drawings and use GD&T effectively

Nice to haves but not required

• 10+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role
• Experience working with AFSPCMAN 91-710
• Experience Working with DOD, USAF, and NASA
• Experience in the aerospace (rocket) sector
• Extensive experience with NX
• Experience with ANSYS and FEMAP
• Experience with Launch GSE Operations
• Experience with large steel/aluminum structures
• Experience with mechanisms
• Experience checking drawings and reviewing GD&T
• Experience with various standards, including American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) 360, American Concrete Institute (ACE) 318, and American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1, ASTM, ASME, NASA, DoD, NFPA, API, and SAE

Successful candidates must clear a background check administered by the US government to obtain clearance for on-site work at our government partner location in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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!

• competitive salary and equity
• generous PTO and sick leave policy
• parental leave
• an annual learning and development stipend
• and more!

Hiring Range:

$150,000 - $226,000 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.

As defined in the ITAR, U.S. Persons include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a "U.S. Person".

The person hired will have access to information and items controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), and, therefore, must either be a "U.S. person" as defined by those regulations or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license. To assist Relativity in assessing its export compliance obligations in relation to your application, please identify which statement best applies to you: