Staff Engineer - Launch Fluids Engineering

Mechanical & Aerospaceposted 3d ago

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:

Responsible for designing, fabricating, operating, and maintaining Terran R's launch pad and support facilities
Design launch pad propellant and gas infrastructure, including fluid system design, modeling, pipe stress analysis, fabrication drawings, process and instrumentation diagrams, component lists, and detailed work instructions
Supervise the construction activation & commissioning and initial operations of these facilities
Solve technically challenging problems across a variety of disciplines under varying programmatic pressures

About You:

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline
8+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role, including analysis, build and test
Fundamental knowledge of incompressible & compressible flow, heat transfer, and pipe stress
Strong project lifecycle and project management background
Proven track record of technical problem-solving and hands-on hardware build experience
Communication and interpersonal skills to lead discussions on complex technical topics

Nice to haves but not required:

Demonstrated ability to work in high-pressure environments and meet aggressive deadlines
Demonstrated problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
Experience safely operating complex fluid systems, including high-pressure gas, cryogenic fluids, flammable liquids and gases, and hydraulics
In-depth knowledge of launch vehicle ground support equipment and operations, including cryogenic tanks, pumps, valves, and instrumentation, or related experience
Demonstrated proficiency with ANSYS and other piping analysis software (Caesar, Bentley Autopipe, etc.)
Experience Working with DOD, USAF, and NASA personnel
Demonstrated customer service excellence and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with internal and external teams

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:

$150,000—$226,000 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.

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.