Relativity Space→
NDE Engineer I at Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA
Job Description
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 Materials and NDE (Non-Destructive Evaluation) team plays a central role in enabling Terran R to fly, re-fly, and scale: developing, characterizing, and inspecting materials and processes across all parts of the vehicle. From welding and additive manufacturing to advanced composites, the team works at the intersection of innovation and execution, balancing performance and reliability with cost, quality, and schedule. As we move toward first flight and beyond, the challenges become more exciting, offering opportunities to shape how we design and develop for re-use. With ownership across products, systems, and disciplines, engineers gain broad exposure and drive key decisions across design, manufacturing, and operations.
About the Role
- Own production NDE methods applicable to additively manufactured (AM) spaceflight hardware
- Own the NDE inspection development process from initial problem statement on hardware, to implementation, to iterative improvement with cross-functional teams
- Work closely with NDE Level 3s and NDE Engineers to develop and execute feasibility studies, POD’s, and qualification plans incorporating the above Inform hardware changes to enable NDE accessibility
- Inform and generate drawing requirements for NDE methods on AM hardware using empirically derived process understanding
- Incorporate interdisciplinary knowledge from the additive/ welding process, non-destructive inspection, machining and post-processing implications
- Interface with:
- PBF team to interpret process parameter impacts to material properties
- Materials laboratory staff to understand material characterization
- Non-destructive examination personnel to interpret detected discontinuities
- Supply chain to specify vendor requirements, audit criteria, and process controls
- Factory and automation teams to onboard NDE inspection equipment
- Leadership to elevate risks and overcome roadblocks
About You:
- BS or MS in Engineering or related field
- Demonstrated ability to apply engineering fundamentals to achieve a practical manufacturing/production outcome, or similar relevant scope
- Technical knowledge in at least 1 of the following NDE Methods: Digital RT, CR, ECA, PAUT
- Direct experience and understanding of additive manufacturing processes
- Awareness and familiarity with traditional manufacturing processes
Nice to haves, but not required:
- Direct experience with AM hardware for aerospace/ propulsion systems
- Familiarity with industry NDE codes (AWS, ASNT, NASA)
- Ability to build computational/ statistical pipelines with regard to process/ inspection data
- Familiarity with key process variables for welding/ DED/ PBF
- An understanding of aluminums, Ni-based superalloys, stainless steels, and titaniums
- Demonstrated ability for technical writing (published papers, patents). • Verifiable experience contributing to design and/or qualification of automated NDE systems
- Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and familiarity with MES systems, experience with one or more CAD modeling software platforms
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.
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.