Senior Launch Mechanical Engineer

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:

• Lead and contribute to the design, analysis, and development of complex mechanical systems from concept to deployment.
• Create detailed 3D models and engineering drawings using CAD software.
• Perform structural analysis using hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing, testing, and systems engineering.
• Apply sound engineering judgment to solve challenging problems independently.
• Ensure compliance with engineering standards and best practices in design documentation, including GD&T.
• Manage multiple projects and shifting priorities while maintaining high-quality deliverables.

About you: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 4+ years of experience in a full-cycle design engineering role.
• Proficiency with CAD software (e.g., NX, Creo, SolidWorks, CATIA).
• Demonstrated experience managing complex mechanical designs from concept through activation.
• Strong understanding of First Principles and structural analysis methods, including hand calculations and FEA.
• Experience with motion control mechanisms and over-center rotating devices.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work collaboratively within a team.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; able to manage multiple priorities.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Proficiency in creating detailed engineering drawings using GD&T.

Nice to haves but not required: 

• 6+ years of experience in a design engineering role.
• Experience working with AFSPCMAN 91-710.
• Familiarity with Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Air Force (USAF), or NASA projects.
• Background in the aerospace or launch vehicle (rocket) industry.
• Extensive experience with Siemens NX.
• Proficiency with FEA software such as ANSYS or FEMAP.
• Experience supporting Launch Ground Support Equipment (GSE) operations.
• Experience with large-scale steel or aluminum structures.
• Experience designing mechanical mech