Relativity Space

Staff Spacecraft Responsible Engineer

Relativity Space$164K — $225K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline
  • 7+ years of experience in spacecraft or satellite systems engineering
  • Proven ability to manage complex systems and work with multiple vendors
  • Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems and interdependencies
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams through integration and testing

Responsibilities

  • Define and oversee the integration and delivery of the spacecraft bus
  • Ensure adherence to spacecraft-level requirements and performance budgets
  • Collaborate with internal teams and external providers to guarantee mission success
  • Manage specifications for power, mass, thermal, and communication aspects
  • Lead hands-on mission execution from design to operations

Benefits

  • Competitive salary and equity
  • Generous PTO and sick leave policy
  • Parental leave
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • Supportive work environment for personal and professional growth
Full Job Description
About the Team:

The Interplanetary Sciences Program was established to expand access to scientific exploration across our solar system. Its mission is to make planetary research faster, more affordable, and more capable than ever before by rethinking how science missions are designed, built, and operated. The program aims to enable scientists to send instruments to distant worlds without decades of development or prohibitive costs. By creating a sustainable model for interplanetary exploration, we are transforming space science from an occasional event into a continuous process of discovery that accelerates knowledge, broadens participation, and inspires the next generation of explorers.

About the Role:

As a Spacecraft Responsible Engineer within the Interplanetary Sciences Program at Relativity Space, you will own the end-to-end definition, integration, and delivery of the spacecraft bus and its interaction with mission payloads. You will serve as the technical and programmatic focal point ensuring that spacecraft-level requirements, interfaces, and performance budgets (power, mass, thermal, comm, etc.) are properly defined, tracked, and met throughout the mission lifecycle.

You'll collaborate across internal teams and with external spacecraft bus providers to ensure mission success, from design and procurement through integration, test, launch, and operations. This position blends systems engineering, vendor management, and hands-on mission execution, offering a high degree of ownership and impact.

About You:
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline
  • 7+ years of experience in spacecraft or satellite systems engineering, integration, or mission design
  • Proven ability to manage complex systems multiple vendors and customers
  • Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems (power, thermal, comms, ADCS, propulsion, etc.) and their interdependencies
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams through integration and test, launch campaigns, or mission operations
  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills with the ability to interface across technical and programmatic boundaries

Nice to haves but not required:
  • Experience with end-to-end mission development, including payload-to-spacecraft integration
  • Familiarity with NASA or commercial spacecraft systems engineering processes in an applied / New-Space manner is a plus
  • Experience supporting launch and early operations of spacecraft missions
  • Prior work with deep-space or interplanetary spacecraft systems


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:

$164,000-$225,500 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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