Staff Avionics Manufacturing Engineer
Relativity Space · Long Beach, United States · 1mo 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 Avionics team is responsible for the full lifecycle of Terran R’s nervous system, designing, building, testing, installing, and operating the hardware that connects and controls every major electrical system on the vehicle and ground. The team leverages close partnership between avionics design, manufacturing, and test to enable rapid iteration and feedback loops. Engineers are deeply embedded into other functions within Relativity, working closely with propulsion, GNC, fluids, and stage engineering teams to ensure seamless integration and operation. Now is a unique time to join: you’ll get to help shape Terran R's fundamental avionics architecture and be given a high degree of ownership on components that will fly.
About the Role:
- Develop detailed process plans, work instructions, and work orders for the manufacturing of avionics hardware and wire harnesses
- Conduct Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRRs) to ensure production readiness and risk mitigation before major builds
- Collaborate with design engineers to provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback and improve product designs for ease of fabrication and assembly
- Support build technicians during manufacturing by troubleshooting issues, resolving non-conformances, and implementing corrective actions
- Work with supply chain and quality teams to ensure the procurement and inspection of high-quality avionics components
- Analyze process performance and yield data to drive continuous improvement initiatives. Develop and maintain capacity and demand plan models
About You:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
- 7+ years of experience in manufacturing, process development, or production support for avionics hardware
- Hands-on experience with PCBAs, avionics boxes, or wire harness fabrication and assembly
- Knowledge of IPC standards for PCB and cable assembly
- Experience with process documentation, such as manufacturing work instructions, process control plans, and test procedures
Nice to haves but not required:
- Experience with ramping from R&D or pilot manufacturing to full production
- Familiarity with high-reliability electronics manufacturing and environmental testing
- Experience with CAD tools (e.g., NX, Zuken, CATIA) for mechanical design and harness routing
- Familiarity with PLM and ERP systems for managing work orders and production tracking
- Understanding of AS9100 or ISO9001 quality management systems
- Experience using data analysis/visualization tools to identify, track, and optimize manufacturing KPIs
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.