Lead, Data & Control Systems Engineering

About the role

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. But that’s just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyond the known.

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 Factory Test team designs, builds, and operates the infrastructure needed to test nearly every part of Terran R right here at our headquarters in Long Beach, CA. This centralized approach provides engineers and technicians with exposure to the entire product lifecycle across a wide range of part sizes and complexities. The scope and scale are significant, with test stands capable of handling millions of pounds of force. Team members lead multiple projects in parallel, avoiding silos and gaining broad technical experience without needing a background in aerospace. With high-impact campaigns ahead, now is the time to join. You won’t just execute, but you’ll help shape and scale the test infrastructure required to meet the demands of a rapidly growing launch program.

About the Role:

Design, build, and operate a diverse set of world class testing assets

Foster the growth and development of high-performance engineering teams, in partnership with the Factory Test leadership team

Lead the DACS hardware group in the development, deployment, and maintenance of our data and control systems

Responsible for technical mentorship and talent development of your team. Your role will entail both deep technical and people leadership responsibilities

Liaison and advocate with our various software and partner electrical teams

Responsible for allocating resources, providing technical direction, and enforcing best practices within your team

About You:

5+ years of experience developing, activating, and troubleshooting electrical and software systems

Fundamental understanding of low voltage, DC electronics

Familiarity with data and control systems (SCADA, PLC’s, NI, Beckhoff, etc.)

Demonstrated ability to make decisions and gain consensus with incomplete information and many stakeholders

Demonstrated ability to identify and mitigate risks in complex systems. * Strong desire to mentor, teach, and support career growth of others

No previous aerospace experience is required

Nice to haves but not required:

Experience in a time-critical operations environment

Experience writing software in one or more systems programming languages

Knowledge and experience of sensing systems for pressure, strain, force, temperature, and acceleration

Experience with camera-based sensing technologies (Digital Image Correlation, Motion Amplification, etc.)

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:
$128,000 $192,000 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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at accommodations@relativityspace.com .

Please note: Relativity Space does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate profiles, or referrals from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited submission - via email, our website, social media, or directly to an employee - will be deemed the property of Relativity Space, and no fee will be owed absent a current, fully executed agreement with Talent Acquisition that specifically authorizes submissions for the applicable role.