Engine Systems & Test Team- Propulsion Test Responsible Engineer I

About the Team:  

The propulsion team at Relativity is responsible for the successful development of the engines that will power the Terran R vehicle. We own their design from concept through to launch and reuse. Our team partners heavily with manufacturing, test, launch, and integration teams, striving to develop our engines in record time and to support Terran R's first launch in 2026. As part of this team, you will help build, test, and iterate on the full product lifecycle of our Aeon-R engine systems, seeing them mature and eventually bring Terran R into space.

About the Role: 

This role is on the Engine Systems & Test Team. Our work spans simulation & software tools; system-level architecture, requirements, and interfaces; component & integrated system hotfire testing; and more. We collaborate closely with component engineers, our manufacturing team, our Stennis test team, and our Cape launch team to deliver engines that will successfully propel the Terran rocket to orbit. We strive for continuous improvement and support the development of our technical hardware and human teammates alike.  

We are hiring for two test sub-teams: your role will be on either the combustion devices test team (which primarily tests combustion devices like igniters, gas generators, and thrust chambers), or the integrated engine test team (which tests the full engine assembly). Within each team, your work may span several different areas depending on your skillset and the team’s needs at the time.

• In the test part of your role, you will serve as a Responsible Engineer for propulsion test articles.
  • You will develop test plans in collaboration with product owners, and you will execute test campaigns with our Stennis team, troubleshooting technical puzzles along the way.
  • You will own the exploratory operation of new and existing test article designs, diving deep into the evaluation of test hardware behavior in support of continuous engine development and certification.
  • This role is extremely varied day-to-day and, in addition to overall campaign ownership, can include writing test sequences, reviewing data, hands-on work with test articles, writing code, sitting console for hotfire tests, designing tooling, and more.
• Most test roles also involve systems work – on this side of your role, you may support engine subsystem troubleshooting, partner team product investigations, engine system analysis and simulation, trade studies, and more.
• You will also take ownership of projects of your creation to increase our collective efficiency.
• As our vehicle development program progresses, you may have the opportunity to be involved in stage test and flight campaigns – including sitting console for launch operations, defining stage test objectives, and defining flight concepts of operations (CONOPS).

In order to be successful in this role, you should be a self-starter who is capable of leading collaborative projects to completion. You should be always looking for ways to improve yourself & learn more about the systems that interface with yours – who will leverage the training & mentorship we provide to grow as an engineer and an individual. Along with these high expectations comes the opportunity to have a significant influence on a fast-growing startup company and to make rapid professional gains in an environment that encourages growth and risk.

Work schedule & travel:

• These roles are full-time onsite in Long Beach, CA with an average of 25% travel to our test & launch sites.
• These roles may occasionally require weekend work for critical milestones.
• The engine test role additionally requires working shifted schedules (1^st and 2^nd shift) on a rotating basis, while the combustion devices test team typically operates on standard business hours.

We believe varied perspectives & backgrounds strengthen our team. Prior experience in aerospace is not required.

About You:  

• Bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field
• This is an entry-level role & prior full-time work experience is not required. Prior internship or research lab experience in a complex engineering system development and/or test environment is required.
• Experience with:
  • Applying engineering fundamentals in fluid mechanics & thermodynamics
  • Problem-solving
  • Working in a collaborative environment
• Demonstrated ability to execute high-ownership projects on ambitious schedules, especially if unconventional solutions are necessary to do so

Nice to haves but not required:  

• Exposure to test operations environments
• Working knowledge of at least one of the following: combustion devices, valves, heat exchangers, or instrumentation