Relativity Space

Senior Materials & Processes Engineer, Adhesives and Sealants

Relativity Space • $124K — $186K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in materials science, engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years of relevant experience in materials and processes
  • Experience with formulation, material selection, and process development
  • Strong commitment to accountability and collaboration
  • Desire to build interdisciplinary relationships
  • Passion for fast-paced, iterative product development

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the M&P discipline expert for adhesives and sealants
  • Manage adhesive and sealant usage in sensitive environments
  • Develop and execute test plans for flight qualification
  • Create and maintain technical specifications and engineering standards
  • Lead experimental design and process improvement initiatives
  • Collaborate with materials engineers to address technology gaps
  • Interface with various engineering teams to support materials selection and troubleshooting

Benefits

  • Competitive salary and equity
  • Generous PTO and sick leave policy
  • Parental leave
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • Commitment to transparency and fairness in compensation practices
Full Job Description
About the Team:

The Materials and NDE (Non-Destructive Evaluation) team plays a central role in enabling Terran R to fly, re-fly, and scale: developing, characterizing, and inspecting materials and processes across all parts of the vehicle. From welding and additive manufacturing to advanced composites, the team works at the intersection of innovation and execution, balancing performance and reliability with cost, quality, and schedule. As we move toward first flight and beyond, the challenges become more exciting, offering opportunities to shape how we design and develop for re-use. With ownership across products, systems, and disciplines, engineers gain broad exposure and drive key decisions across design, manufacturing, and operations.

About the role:
  • Be the M&P discipline expert for all Terran-R adhesives & sealants
  • Own adhesive & sealant interaction and usage in sensitive Terran-R environments (payload, avionics, etc.)
  • Identify qualification envelopes, form test plans, execute characterization campaigns, and analyze data for flight qualification and usage
  • Develop, implement, and maintain technical specifications and engineering standards
  • Drive statistically-driven experimental design and process improvement campaigns
  • Interface with:
    • Materials engineers to identify, define, and fill critical technology gaps through Relativity developed + commercially available materials
    • Laboratory staff to characterize materials and processes
    • Responsible Engineers to support materials selection, design and analysis, qualification, failure analysis, flight, and reuse
    • Manufacturing and TPS engineers to develop processes, troubleshoot issues, and enable cost & rate while maintaining required performance
    • Build reliability and supply chain to ensure compliance and reliability
    • Relativity + Customer Fracture Control Boards to achieve vehicle reuse
    • Leadership to develop technical roadmaps, elevate risks, and overcome roadblocks

About you:
  • Bachelor's degree in materials science or engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years of experience relevant to the competencies listed below
    • Leveling is flexible - please see other posting levels for expectations
  • Experience with general M&P activities, such as formulation, material selection, process development, qualification, damage tolerance, inspections, risk assessments, and failure analysis
  • A core commitment to accountability, collaboration, and execution
  • A desire to establish and foster strong interdisciplinary relationships across the company
  • An authentic, introspective, and inclusive mindset towards technical, interpersonal, and team growth and development
  • Passion to work in a fast-paced and challenging environment on constantly iterating products + processes, driving impact on the Terran-R program as we ramp manufacturing rate + achieve reuse


Nice to haves, but not required:
  • Demonstrated hands-on ownership of non-metallic materials and processes for use in aerospace products, such as:
    • Structural & non-structural adhesives, sealants, and elastomers
    • Primers, paints, and coatings for corrosion, thermal, and electrical applications
    • Potting, staking, and conformal coats
    • Elastomeric gaskets and seals
    • Other polymeric material systems for non-structural and structural applications
    • Dry film lubricants and greases
  • Expertise with contamination control and outgassing principles
  • Expertise with non-metallic testing standards and procedures
  • Understanding of cryogenic and high temperature non-metallic material behavior in launch vehicle relevant environments


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:

$124,000-$186,000 USD

About Relativity Space

Relativity Space is an American aerospace manufacturer that is developing 3D printed rockets. The company was founded in 2015 by Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone, and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Relativity Space's goal is to reduce the cost and time required to produce rockets by using 3D printing technology. The company's rockets are designed to be fully reusable, which could significantly reduce the cost of space launches. Relativity Space has received funding from a number of investors, including Mark Cuban and Playground Global.
Learn more about Relativity Space
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2016

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