Director, Stage Manufacturing

At Relativity Space, we have two audacious goals: to build the next great commercial launch company with Terran R and to become America's leading force in additive manufacturing innovation. Both contribute to our long-term vision of creating humanity’s industrial base on Mars, paving the way for interplanetary life to expand the possibilities of the human experience. This journey begins right here on Earth – where we design, build, and fly rockets to deliver customer payloads to orbit. Terran R, our medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, fulfills the growing demand for launch capacity, thanks to our iterative approach that accelerates design, testing, and development while minimizing costs. While our groundbreaking research and development in 3D printing pushes the boundaries of large-scale additive manufacturing.

Your journey with us is more than just a job – it’s an opportunity to shape the future of aerospace technology, additive manufacturing, and the human experience alongside a community of passionate, creative individuals. Join us on this extraordinary journey, as we work together to transform our vision into reality.

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:

• Lead the manufacturing and scaling of primary structure and final integration production for Terran R stages, ensuring precision, quality, and efficiency in vehicle assembly from structural integration to full vehicle completion.
• Build, develop, and scale a diverse, high-performing manufacturing team and productions systems to support significant ramp up of Terran R stages, while maintaining operational efficiency and adherence to aerospace quality standards.
• Develop and execute long-term strategies for manufacturing scalability, leveraging automation, process optimization, and supply chain partnerships to meet increasing production demands for high-rate vehicle assembly. 
• Drive rapid iteration on new production processes, balancing speed with manufacturing rigor to enable the efficient development and deployment of new aerospace products, including stage assembly and integration. 
• Collaborate closely with engineering, supply chain, and quality teams to ensure seamless integration of design, manufacturability, and production execution, with a focus on structural integration and final vehicle assembly.

About You:

• Bachelor’s Degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline. 
•  8+ years of experience in manufacturing or related industries, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role overseeing complex production operations, preferably in aerospace, automotive, or other high-precision industries, with experience in vehicle assembly and integration. 
• Demonstrated success in building and scaling manufacturing teams, production lines, and systems to support high-rate production while maintaining flexibility for rapid iteration. Able to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment 
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, including structural integration, assembly, automation, supply chain integration, quality systems, and lean manufacturing principles. 
• Experience driving full accountability for manufacturing—from process development and production execution to quality, cost, and delivery performance. 
• Ability to work effectively with engineering, supply chain, quality, and leadership teams to align manufacturing with business objectives. 

Nice to haves but not required:  

• Extensive background in manufacturing complex aerospace vehicles (e.g., primary structure assemblies, vehicle integration systems, critical flight hardware), with a proven track record of scaling production in fast-paced, high-growth environments while maintaining quality and reliability throughout the vehicle production process. 
• Hands-on experience implementing cutting-edge man