Vehicle Test Engineering Manager - Automation & GSE Lead

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 228,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO and sick leave

Parental leave

Learning and development stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space is seeking a Test Engineering Manager to lead a 4-5 person team focused on vehicle test, GSE/automation, and production checkouts for Terran R manufacturing. You will drive continuous improvement, optimize test cycles, and align test plans with Stage 1/Stage 2 requirements and campaign ownership.

The role requires strong leadership, avionics hardware experience in manufacturing, and the ability to define scalable test processes across multiple subsystems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace, mechanical, manufacturing engineering, or equivalent.
• 6+ years of experience building, testing, and integrating avionics hardware in a manufacturing environment.
• 1+ years of experience in managing and growing engineering teams.
• Experience interfacing with design engineering, manufacturing, and production personnel to get the highest quality output.
• Working knowledge of other launch vehicle subsystems including structures, propulsion, mechanisms, and high-pressure gas systems.
• 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.
• Experience with launch vehicle systems testing and checkout operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of 4-5 Test Engineers, including the new Test Infrastructure team that is responsible for developing GSE/automation/etc. for production utilization.
• Own all Vehicle Test deliverables for the final stage integration workcenters including test plans, planned hours.
• Move team to culture of continuous improvement – including reducing test cycle time, determining how we hit stage cycle time goals within these test demands, improve first pass-yield with the build team, etc.
• Create strong relationship for how to get production demand signal from Stage 1, Stage 2, and Thrust Structure.
• Own execution and process for all vehicle and subsystem checkout operations including fluid system leak checks, low voltage and high voltage checkouts, and functional verifications.
• Develop vehicle test standards for production including production asset control, qualification of operators, a training plan, etc.
• Partner with systems engineering to define requirements and data reviews.
• Own test data collection, post-processing, and storage for vehicle checkouts – ensuring the Validation and Verification matrix is complete for items pre-ship to downstream sites.
• Own the strategy and roadmap for vehicle test infrastructure including automation systems, test GUIs, GSE, and checkout racks.
• Drive to develop automated test frameworks and require design process for these items for production utilization.
• Manage manifest demands through forecasting for your workcenters, working closely with upper leadership and program management to maintain schedule alignment.
• Make data driven decisions

Skills

Team leadership

Test engineering

Manufacturing experience

Systems integration

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor of Science in aerospace, mechanical, manufacturing engineering, or equivalent

Tools

GSE tooling

Test automation frameworks

Job description

Relativity Space is seeking a Test Engineering Manager to lead a 4-5 person team focused on vehicle test, GSE/automation, and production checkouts for Terran R manufacturing. You will drive continuous improvement, optimize test cycles, and align test plans with Stage 1/Stage 2 requirements and campaign ownership.

The role requires strong leadership, avionics hardware experience in manufacturing, and the ability to define scalable test processes across multiple subsystems.