Weld Engineer I New Long Beach, California

Relativity; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

PTO & sick leave

Parental leave

Learning stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach is seeking a Weld Development Engineer to accelerate Terran R fabrication. You will collaborate with design, manufacturing, materials, and quality teams to optimize fusion welding processes, troubleshoot production issues, and ensure weld quality across stage hardware.

You’ll bring a BS in Materials Science or Mechanical Engineering, 1+ years welding experience (GTAW/GMAW/laser), and comfort working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 1+ years of welding experience and familiarity with AWS/ASME specs.
• 1+ years in a high-paced production manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to develop and optimize fusion welding processes for Terran R
• Provide technical support for welding operations, troubleshoot issues, and resolve production welding challenges
• Serve as the accountable weld engineer for a range of stage hardware
• Ensure process quality control and documentation meet required standards; implement corrective actions and improvements

Skills

Welding processes (GTAW, GMAW, OTW, or

Education

B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Welding Engineering degree (B.S. or M.S.)

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 Weld Development team is part of the Materials and NDE (Non‑Destructive Evaluation) team. The Materials and NDE team plays a central role in enabling Terran R to fly, re‑fly, and scale: developing, characterizing, and inspecting materials and processes across all parts of the vehicle. From welding and additive manufacturing to advanced composites, the team works at the intersection of innovation and execution, balancing performance and reliability with cost, quality, and schedule. As we move toward first flight and beyond, the challenges become more exciting, offering opportunities to shape how we design and develop for re‑use. With ownership across products, systems, and disciplines, engineers gain broad exposure and drive key decisions across design, manufacturing, and operations.

About the Role

• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including design, manufacturing, materials and processes, and quality, to develop and optimize fusion welding processes for Terran R
• Partner directly with manufacturing teams to provide technical support for welding operations, troubleshoot issues, and develop solutions to rapidly resolve production welding challenges
• Serve as the accountable weld engineer for a range of stage hardware, including transfer tubes, fluid assemblies, grid fins, bellows, and heat shields
• Ensure process quality control and documentation meet required standards and specifications; implement corrective actions and continuous improvements to maintain high‑quality outputs

About You

• B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• 1+ years of experience with welding processes (GTAW, GMAW, OTW, laser welding) and industry specifications (AWS, ASME, or similar)
• 1+ years of experience in a high‑paced production manufacturing environment
• Strong curiosity and bias for action, with a hands‑on approach and extreme ownership mentality

Nice to haves but not required

• Welding Engineering degree (B.S. or M.S.)
• 1+ years of fusion welding experience – GTAW or Laser welding experience preferred

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: $90,000 - $136,000 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.