Terran R rocket render
Relativity Space Logo

Relativity Space

NDE Engineer I

Posted 40 Minutes Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Easy Apply
In-Office
Long Beach, CA
90K-136K Annually
Entry level
Easy Apply
In-Office
Long Beach, CA
90K-136K Annually
Entry level
Develops and owns nondestructive evaluation methods for additively manufactured rocket hardware. The role covers feasibility studies, probability-of-detection and qualification plans, drawing requirements, inspection process improvement, and cross-functional integration with additive manufacturing, materials, machining, supply chain, factory automation, and leadership teams.
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 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.

Hiring Range:
$90,000—$136,000 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

2 Hours Ago
Easy Apply
In-Office
Easy Apply
104K-156K Annually
Mid level
104K-156K Annually
Mid level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Owns reliability and quality processes across rocket design, manufacturing, testing, and launch operations. Responsibilities include design standardization, DFM, configuration control, work instruction reviews, in-process build verification, nonconformance management, as-built verification, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, inspection initiatives, and process development. The role collaborates closely with engineering, additive manufacturing, production, test, and launch teams to establish scalable quality systems for the Terran R launch vehicle.
Top Skills: Advanced Product Quality Planning (Apqp)As9100ErpFailure Modes And Effects Analysis (Fmea)Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing (Gd&T)Iso 9001MesPlmProduction Process Verification (Ppv)QmsStatistical Process Control (Spc)
Yesterday
Easy Apply
In-Office
Easy Apply
106K-160K Annually
Entry level
106K-160K Annually
Entry level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Performs engineering trade studies and analysis for Terran R flight performance, develops and maintains simulation and analysis software, and collaborates cross-functionally across Vehicle Engineering. The role involves launch vehicle and space systems analysis, trajectory design and optimization, communicating technical recommendations, and improving software tooling using languages such as Python, Julia, Rust, and C++.
Top Skills: C++Ci/CdDockerJuliaPythonRust
Yesterday
Easy Apply
In-Office
Easy Apply
175K-263K Annually
Senior level
175K-263K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Lead the end-to-end engineering of a wideband UHF radar sounder and radiometer for a Mars orbiter. Own system design, performance and power budgets, waveform and signal-processing implementations, hardware development, calibration, testing, spacecraft integration, licensing, and commissioning. Coordinate RF, digital, power, mechanical, firmware, software, and science teams while personally executing design and analysis.
Top Skills: Amd/Xilinx RfsocAntenna SystemsDigital PcbsFpgaGpuLow-Noise AmplifiersMicrowave RadiometryMixed-Signal PcbsPolarimetric RadarPower AmplifiersRadar TransceiversRf CircuitsRf FiltersSignal ProcessingSoftware-Defined RadioZynq Ultrascale+

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