Terran R rocket render
Relativity Space Logo

Relativity Space

Lead Engineer, Avionics Battery Test

Posted One Month Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Easy Apply
In-Office
Long Beach, CA
151K-227K Annually
Mid level
Easy Apply
In-Office
Long Beach, CA
151K-227K Annually
Mid level
Lead the build-out and management of high-voltage battery test capabilities: define test strategy, establish lab infrastructure and safety/processes, run pack- and cell-level performance, abuse, and destructive tests, oversee failure analysis and data systems, and hire/develop a test engineering team to provide rapid feedback to design groups.
The summary above was generated by AI

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 Avionics team is responsible for the full lifecycle of Terran R's nervous system, designing, building, testing, installing, and operating the hardware that connects and controls every major electrical system on the vehicle and ground. The team leverages close partnership between avionics design, manufacturing, and test to enable rapid iteration and feedback loops. Engineers are deeply embedded into other functions within Relativity, working closely with propulsion, GNC, fluids, and stage engineering teams to ensure seamless integration and operation. Now is a unique time to join: you'll get to help shape Terran R's fundamental avionics architecture and be given a high degree of ownership on components that will fly.

About the Role:

As the Lead of Avionics Battery Test Engineering, you will build and lead the team responsible for all high-voltage battery testing at Relativity, spanning performance, electrical, abuse, and destructive test programs at both the pack and cell level. You will stand up this capability from the ground up: defining the test strategy, building out lab and test infrastructure, establishing safety and procedural standards, and hiring and developing a team that includes electrical/performance test engineers and abuse/destructive test engineers, as well as cell-science expertise. You will oversee HV battery bring-up, pack- and cell-level testing, structured failure analysis, and the data systems that turn test results into rapid, high-quality feedback for design teams. This role requires a strong technical foundation in battery testing and energetics, hands-on lab expertise, and experience managing test teams in fast-paced development environments.

About You:

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical, chemical, aerospace, or related field)
  • Extensive experience in battery testing, validation, or energetics system evaluation, including hands-on execution of test programs
  • Strong understanding of battery physics, safety behavior, failure modes, and HV system fundamentals
  • Experience defining and executing performance, durability, abuse, and destructive test programs
  • Hands-on experience with battery test equipment, cyclers, chambers, DAQ systems, and instrumentation hardware
  • Experience with HV battery bring-up, sensor instrumentation, test fixture design, and test setup design
  • 3+ years leading test engineering teams, including development of engineers' technical and leadership skills
  • Strong safety mindset and comfort overseeing high-energy, high-consequence test operations
  • Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills

Nice to haves but not required:  

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical, chemical, aerospace, or related field)
  • Extensive experience in battery testing, validation, or energetics system evaluation, including hands-on execution of test programs
  • Strong understanding of battery physics, safety behavior, failure modes, and HV system fundamentals
  • Experience defining and executing performance, durability, abuse, and destructive test programs
  • Hands-on experience with battery test equipment, cyclers, chambers, DAQ systems, and instrumentation hardware
  • Experience with HV battery bring-up, sensor instrumentation, test fixture design, and test setup design
  • 3+ years leading test engineering teams, including development of engineers' technical and leadership skills
  • Strong safety mindset and comfort overseeing high-energy, high-consequence test operations
  • Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills

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:
$151,000—$227,000 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 [email protected].

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.

Similar Jobs at Relativity Space

Yesterday
Easy Apply
In-Office
Easy Apply
50-76 Annually
Senior level
50-76 Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Performs precision laser-tracker measurement, geometric data collection, inspection, and analysis for large rocket structures. Uses Verisurf X, GD&T, and inspection equipment to establish reference systems, interpret blueprints, locate machining and welding details, and guide fabrication operations. Supports manufacturing from concept through completion while integrating process monitoring, evaluating results, and solving complex spatial and mechanical challenges in changing production environments.
Top Skills: Coordinate Measuring Machines (Cmm)Dial IndicatorsGauge BlocksGd&THeight GaugesLaser TrackersMicrometersModel-Based Manufacturing SoftwareOptical ComparatorsProfilometersVerisurf X
2 Days Ago
Easy Apply
In-Office
Easy Apply
100K-149K Annually
Senior level
100K-149K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Manage Relativity Space’s metrology and calibration program for electrical, mechanical, optical, RF, and precision test equipment. Lead technicians, quality engineers, operations teams, and vendors; develop calibration strategy and evaluate in-house capabilities. Ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 17025, ANSI/NCSL Z540.3, AS9100, and NASA requirements. Review calibration records, maintain equipment tracking databases, provide technical guidance on measurement integrity, and support aerospace manufacturing and reliability objectives.
Top Skills: Ansi/Ncsl Z540.3As9100Dimensional Metrology ToolsErpIndysoftIso/Iec 17025MesMultimetersNist TraceabilityOscilloscopesPlmPressure And Temperature GaugesRf/Microwave Measurement Equipment
2 Days Ago
Easy Apply
In-Office
Easy Apply
148K-222K Annually
Senior level
148K-222K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Leads the design and implementation of optical beam pointing and control algorithms for a Mars orbiter mission. Integrates optical sensors, gyroscopes, spacecraft attitude control, sensor fusion, state estimation, and fast steering mirrors. Owns requirements, modeling, simulation, verification, flight software interfaces, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and on-orbit performance support across the mission lifecycle.
Top Skills: C++Fast Steering MirrorsHardware-In-The-Loop TestingKalman FilteringMatlabPythonRustSensor FusionSimulinkSpacecraft Attitude Control Systems

What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene

San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.

Key Facts About San Francisco Tech

  • Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
  • Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
  • Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
  • Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
  • Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
  • Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account