Senior CNC Programmer
Relativity Space · Long Beach, United States · 8mo 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 engine manufacturing department's mission is to product high performing products & manufacturing systems by continuously innovating on cost, quality, and lead time. Through cross-functional collaboration, high levels of accountability, and a focus on safety we support the Terran R program. We are responsible for providing design feedback on new hardware iterations, developing new manufacturing methods and systems, and ultimately building engine and vehicle hardware for testing prior to our first launch. Our team's highlights from the last 6 months include the MDC of the first Aeon-R engine, completing thousands of hours of PBF printing, building and testing over 50 valves of 26 different iterations, and implementing large scale process improvements along the way.
This is a first-shift position with a standard schedule of Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PT. The role is structured around a 50-hour workweek, including 10 guaranteed overtime hours each week.
About the Role:
As CNC Programmer, you will develop the programs, post G-code, and machine a variety of 3d-printed engine parts. You will develop first article programs and optimize them into production programs. You must be able to write a manufacturing plan, develop your own tooling and fixtures, and collaborate with manufacturing engineers to develop new machining processes.
In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and is able to drive their own projects to completion. You must have the passion, tenacity and resolve to work through challenging issues unique to precision-machined hardware. Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast paced, aerospace environment, having completed difficult projects while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary groups.
More specifically, we are looking for:
- Someone who can program and operate multi axis machines (2-axis, 3-axis, 5-axis, mill/turn)
- Someone with experience programming and operating DMG-MORI machines (NLX, NTX, DMC FD, and DMU series)
- Someone who can optimize programs and post code using Esprit, Mastercam or similar CAM software
- Someone who has run lights-out production before
About You:
- 7+ years of CNC programming experience
- Understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-up
- Ability to program and operate multi-axis high-precision machines (5-axis, 3 axis, lathe, mill/turn)
- Ability to manually edit G-code paths/settings to optimize production programs
- Experience creating detailed set up instructions
- Experience transitioning parts from first article to production
Nice to haves but not required:
- Degree in Engineering or related technical field and 6+ years of relevant experience
- Experience machining 3D-printed parts
- Experience in a startup or agile development environment
- Experience working in a flight development program
- Experience working in fast-paced, R&D environment
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.