Relativity Space

Senior Mechanisms Systems Engineer

Relativity Space$132K — $198K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field
  • 5+ years of relevant experience in design, manufacturing, assembly, or testing of complex mechanical or electromechanical systems
  • Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary projects
  • Strong technical judgment and communication skills for conveying complex concepts
  • Experience balancing requirements, cost, and schedule during system integration and verification processes

Responsibilities

  • Define system concepts of operations (CONOPS), requirements, and verification plans
  • Lead integrated product activities across multiple engineering teams
  • Drive development tests and establish success criteria
  • Anticipate technical risks and develop mitigation strategies
  • Coordinate design, manufacturing, integration, and test schedules for complex systems
  • Take ownership of emergent engineering challenges

Benefits

  • Competitive salary and equity
  • Generous PTO and sick leave policy
  • Parental leave
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • Supportive work culture encouraging autonomy and ownership
Full Job Description
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 Mechanisms Team at Relativity Space designs and delivers the complex, high-performance mechanical systems that enable launch-vehicle flight, landing, and reusability. We own the full lifecycle of mission-critical hardware-actuators, latches, and thrust vector control (TVC) systems-while partnering deeply with Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC), Avionics, and Software to create integrated, operable solutions. Our work spans concept development through design, analysis, test, flight operations, and recovery, always balancing performance, reliability, and build rate.

About the Role:

As a Senior Mechanisms Systems Engineer, you will be the technical and programmatic owner for large, cross-discipline mechanism systems such as thrust vector control. Reporting directly to the Mechanisms team, you will lead system-level design and integration, guiding requirements, architecture, and verification across hardware and software interfaces.
You will:
  • Define system concepts of operations (CONOPS), requirements, and verification plans
  • Lead integrated product activities across mechanical design, actuators, GNC, avionics, and software teams to ensure seamless system performance
  • Drive development tests, functional verification, and flight readiness by authoring test plans, executing tests, and establishing success criteria
  • Anticipate technical and logistical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and align priorities across engineering disciplines and schedules
  • Coordinate the design, manufacturing, integration, and test schedules for complex mechanism systems
  • Take hands-on ownership of emergent challenges-whether designing test fixtures, specifying sensors, writing test automation, or leading root-cause investigations

This role occasionally requires travel to test and launch sites and may involve shifted or weekend schedules to support critical milestones

About You:
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field and 5+ years of relevant experience in design, manufacturing, assembly, or test of complex mechanical or electromechanical systems
  • Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary projects and deliver on ambitious schedules
  • Strong technical judgment and the ability to communicate complex concepts across engineering and leadership audiences
  • Demonstrated experience balancing requirements, cost, and schedule while driving system integration and verification

Nice to haves but not required:
  • Background in actuator systems, flight mechanisms, or thrust vector control
  • Experience with motor-control tuning and model-based design using MATLAB/Simulink
  • Experience with integrated hardware/software testing and verification
  • Familiarity with reusability and rapid-iteration development 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:

$132,000-$198,000 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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