Senior Propulsion Design Engineer, Engine Systems Design & Analysis

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. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress beyond the known.

Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you’ll solve 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, influence decisions, and see your work come to life in record time.

The Propulsion team at Relativity is focused on developing and delivering highly performant and manufacturable engines for Terran R. Engineers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their parts, from initial design through production to qualification and flight. The team fosters a culture of bottom‑up decision‑making, free from technical gatekeeping, where ownership and accountability are key at all levels.

As an Engine Assembly RE on the Propulsion Integrated Design team, you will own top‑level engine CAD models. Depending on the phase of the program and the engine configuration you are owning, this role entails:

• Lead CAD release and configuration control for production engine assemblies, ensuring accurate eBOM structures and smooth downstream integration
• Own engine layout and packaging trades, including definition of Keep‑in‑Zone (KiZ) and Keep‑out‑Zone (KoZ) boundaries
• Design and analyze Integrated Design hardware (fluid manifolds, tubing, ducting, secondary structures) and execute rapid design tweaks to support engine testing
• Drive cross‑functional alignment as point of contact for Vehicle, Avionics, Manufacturing, Integration, and Test teams
• Define engine assembly tolerances/requirements as defined on Interface Control Diagrams (ICDs) and standardize best practices across the Propulsion organization for fittings, bolts, seals, etc.
• Champion the change management process and continuously improve it, tracking key engine metrics such as mass and part count
• Partner with the Integration/Manufacturing team by reviewing and continuously improving Process Plans, Work Orders, and Non‑Conformances
• Set downstream stakeholders up for success by enabling increased engine build rates and quality and provide floor support during build issues

• 5+ years of professional design experience
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field
• Demonstrated project/technical leadership skills
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals in structures, fluids, thermal, and mechanisms
• CAD skills on any platform and GD&T knowledge
• Experience with large CAD model management, change management, and configuration management
• Experience owning ambiguous layout and packaging trades and navigating conflicting stakeholder requirements
• Experience designing Integrated Design hardware (manifolds, secondary structure, tubing, etc.)
• System thinker who views the engine’s design holistically and prioritizes the engine as a whole over a component
• Attention to detail, thorough follow‑through, and understanding of a flawless eBOM that sets downstream stakeholders up for success
• Great integration/Manufacturing partner with experience using an MES and addressing DFA/DFM feedback in a timely fashion

• Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter
• Experience designing liquid propulsion components and systems
• Experience with FEA and commercial tools such as Ansys, Abaqus, or Nastran
• Familiarity with aerospace standards (AS, NAS, SAE, etc.)
• Experience creating release, mass, and part count reports and communicating this information to leadership
• Familiarity with Qualification and Acceptance test requirements for flight hardware

Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors. Compensation is one part of our total rewards package. We offer competitive salary and equity, 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: $142,000 – $181,500 USD

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.