Manager, Protective Operations Test & Launch
Relativity Space · Cape Canaveral, United States · 6d 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 Protective Operations team is responsible for safeguarding our people, facilities, critical assets, and operations across manufacturing, test, launch, and corporate environments. From physical site security and access control to supporting rocket transportation, launch activities, and high-profile events, the team plays a mission-critical role across the company. We partner directly with leadership and cross-functional teams to manage risk, respond to complex operational needs, and adapt to an ever-evolving aerospace environment. Our work has company-wide impact, and no two days are quite the same.
About the Role: This role requires 40% travel to Stennis, MS.
- Lead physical security operations across assigned Test & Launch locations, including launch, propulsion test, office, storage, and supporting facilities.
- Manage internal and contracted security personnel, ensuring appropriate staffing, post coverage, operational readiness, training, and performance.
- Develop and maintain site-specific security plans, post orders, emergency procedures, escalation protocols, and risk-mitigation strategies aligned with enterprise standards.
- Partner closely with Test & Launch leadership, Facilities, EH&S, Legal, Export Compliance, IT, and government or military installation partners to support safe and secure operations.
- Oversee incident response, investigations, access control, CCTV, intrusion detection, visitor management, emergency coordination, and other physical security systems and programs.
- Identify vulnerabilities, emerging risks, and operational gaps, and independently develop practical solutions and corrective actions to strengthen the security posture.
About You:
- 5+ years of experience in physical security, law enforcement, military security, emergency management, or a related operational field, including 3+ years in a leadership role.
- Experience leading security teams, supervisors, vendors, or multi-site operations in a fast-paced, high-risk, or regulated environment.
- Strong working knowledge of physical security systems, incident management, emergency response, investigations, security assessments, and facility protection.
- Experience developing security procedures, post orders, training programs, operational standards, and corrective-action plans.
- Working knowledge of ITAR, CUI, export-control requirements, or other security and regulatory compliance obligations.
- Ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgment under pressure, travel regularly between assigned U.S. facilities, and support critical operations outside normal business hours when needed.
Nice to haves but not required:
- Experience supporting aerospace, defense, launch, propulsion testing, advanced manufacturing, or other mission-critical operations.
- Experience operating within NASA, U.S. Space Force, Department of Defense, or other government-controlled installations.
- Experience coordinating with military security forces, law enforcement, fire departments, emergency services, or government agencies.
- Active or previously held U.S. Government Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
Successful candidates must clear a background check administered by the US government to obtain clearance for on-site work at our government partner location in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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.