Principal Propulsion Development Engineer

Company Overview:

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:

This role is on the Engine Systems & Test Team. Our work spans simulation & software tools; system-level architecture, requirements, and interfaces; component & integrated system hotfire testing; and more. We collaborate closely with component engineers, our manufacturing team, our Stennis test team, and our Cape launch team to deliver engines that will successfully propel the Terran rocket to orbit. We strive for continuous improvement and support the development of our technical hardware and human teammates alike.

About the Role:

This role may span several areas of our team depending on your skillset and the team’s needs at the time. The core responsibilities 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.

At the principal level, you will have significant impact on the development trajectory of the current engine, as well as on the architecture of future engine iterations. Depending on your background & where you want to grow, you may work across multiple teams & technical disciplines in propulsion. You will serve as a mentor to guide the team, but will also learn from mentors of your own within propulsion and 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. You should also be a self-starter who is always looking for ways to improve yourself & learn more about the systems that interface with yours. 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 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
• 11+ years of relevant experience, preferably in a complex engineering system development and/or test environment
• Strong engineering fundamentals in fluid mechanics & thermodynamics
• Clear evidence of ownership, problem-solving skills, and effective team collaboration from school or work experience
• Demonstrated drive to deliver on ambitious schedules, even and especially if unconventional & creative solutions are necessary to do so
• Working knowledge of liquid-propellant rocket engines

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

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.