Manager, Propulsion Development Engineering

This role may span several areas of our team depending on your skillset and the team’s needs at the time. The core technical responsibilities of the role & of your team are driving engine system (architecture + CONOPS) trades, managing engine interfaces & negotiating requirements to optimize for the vehicle, and supporting engine system development overall. You may additionally support engine system analysis and simulation, engine testing, tool development, and more. In engineering at the system level, you will be expected not just to coordinate & facilitate amongst other technical teams, but to bring your own deep technical acumen to bear on problems in this highly technical role – and to coach the folks on your team to do the same.

You will also lead a team of engineers with similar responsibilities as the above. This will require mentorship, project management, establishing priorities, communicating with leadership, providing technical guidance, and recruiting. Leaders at Relativity are expected to be both people leaders & highly technical – you will balance your time between effectively supporting your team’s growth and success at Relativity and making direct technical contributions of your own. You will serve as a mentor to guide the team, but will also learn from peers & mentors of your own within propulsion & the broader company. And in addition to learning from each other, we all learn from the engine – Aeon R is a novel engine that’s never been built before, and with every engine test it gives us new mysteries to solve and challenges to grow from.

In order to be successful in this role, you should be capable of leading collaborative projects to completion with minimal oversight and supporting your team in doing the same. You should also be a self-starter who is always looking for ways to improve yourself & your team, and learn more about the systems that interface with yours. You should be someone who cares deeply about the people on your team & is invested in their growth. Along with these high expectations comes the opportunity to have a significant influence on a fast-growing startup company and to make rapid professional gains in an environment that encourages growth and risk.

This role is full-time onsite at our factory in Long Beach, CA. This role requires an average of 15% travel to our test & launch sites and may occasionally require shifted schedules or weekend work for critical milestones.

About You:

Bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field

8+ years of relevant engineering experience in a complex system development and/or test environment, with a minimum of 2 years of direct experience with liquid-propellant rocket engines

Experience leading teams

Experience applying engineering fundamentals in fluid mechanics & thermodynamics

Nice to haves but not required:

Working knowledge of fluid components such as valves and instrumentation

Working knowledge of engine subsystems such as combustion devices and turbomachinery

Demonstrated drive to deliver on ambitious schedules, even and especially if unconventional & creative solutions are necessary to do so

Experience mentoring, managing complex interdisciplinary projects, supporting continuous improvement of the people around you, or participating in growing your team through hiring

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.

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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at accommodations@relativityspace.com.

Please note: Relativity Space does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate profiles, or referrals from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited submission - via email, our website, social media, or directly to an employee - will be deemed the property of Relativity Space, and no fee will be owed absent a current, fully executed agreement with Talent Acquisition that specifically authorizes submissions for the applicable role.