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July 16, 2026

Buyer

Mid • On-site

El Segundo, CA

A New Paradigm For Space Operations.

Who We Are

Space Kinetic is a cleared, venture-backed startup focused on addressing urgent national security priorities. Our goal is to deliver a suite of asymmetric capabilities for space superiority and missile defense leveraging our proprietary electromechanical deployment system, which enables the rapid deployment of low-cost payloads through space without firing a thruster. Space Kinetic is currently assembling its TRL-5 prototype. Our goal is to leverage this platform to provide the United States with a new tool for securing the space domain and catalyzing the emerging space economy.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building first-of-their-kind aerospace systems, requiring urgency, ownership, and a commitment to solving challenging technical problems.

What You'll Do

As a Buyer, you will support engineering and manufacturing by procuring the materials, components, and services required to rapidly develop and build next-generation aerospace hardware. You will work closely with engineers to source technically complex components, manage supplier relationships, negotiate pricing and lead times, and ensure critical hardware arrives on schedule.

Success in this role requires excellent communication, strong organizational skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced engineering environment where priorities can change quickly.

Responsibilities

Procurement & Purchasing

  • Purchase aerospace components, raw materials, machined parts, electronics, and engineering services
  • Create and manage purchase orders while ensuring timely delivery
  • Request quotations (RFQs), evaluate supplier proposals, and negotiate pricing and lead times
  • Expedite critical materials to support engineering and manufacturing schedules
  • Resolve supplier delivery and quality issues

Engineering Support

  • Work directly with engineering teams to understand technical purchasing requirements
  • Source prototype and production hardware for development programs
  • Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and design revisions affecting purchased parts
  • Identify alternate suppliers when schedule or technical risks arise

Supplier Management

  • Develop and maintain relationships with domestic and international suppliers
  • Evaluate supplier performance regarding quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost
  • Support onboarding of new suppliers
  • Maintain accurate supplier information and procurement records

Inventory & Material Coordination

  • Coordinate with Manufacturing and Supply Chain to ensure material availability
  • Monitor inventory levels of critical engineering components
  • Support receiving and verification of purchased materials
  • Assist with inventory accuracy and ERP transactions

Continuous Improvement

  • Help improve purchasing processes and procurement workflows
  • Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality or schedule
  • Support implementation of procurement best practices and supplier development initiatives

What It Takes

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 3+ years of purchasing or procurement experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or high-technology industries
  • Experience purchasing technical or engineered components
  • Ability to read engineering drawings and Bills of Materials (BOMs) is preferred
  • Experience with ERP/MRP systems (NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, or similar)
  • Strong negotiation, organizational, and communication skills
  • Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment
  • U.S. Citizen or lawful permanent resident

What We'd Love

  • Aerospace or spacecraft manufacturing experience
  • Experience purchasing machined components, electronics, composites, or electromechanical assemblies
  • Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, and ITAR requirements
  • Experience supporting prototype and low-volume manufacturing
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Experience working directly with engineering teams
  • Passion for the commercial and national security space industry

Where You'll Be

The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo.

What We Offer

  • Equity opportunity
  • Annual discretionary bonus
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Opportunity to help build revolutionary aerospace technology from prototype through production

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required U.S. Government authorizations.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on interviews and assessment of factors unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities, and internal equity.

Pay Range: $90,000—$105,000 USD

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Responsibilities: - Lead the design and development of flight software architecture, including guidance, navigation, control (GNC), telemetry, command, and fault management systems. - Define software requirements, interfaces, and verification strategies in coordination with systems, electrical, and mission engineering teams. - Develop robust, real-time, and fault-tolerant software using C/C++ and/or Rust in embedded or RTOS environments. - Perform software design reviews, code reviews, and verification activities to ensure safety, reliability, and performance compliance with space flight standards. - Mentor and guide software engineers through technical leadership, code quality enforcement, and system-level integration. - Support spacecraft-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and flight simulation testing environments. - Contribute to continuous improvement of software development processes, tools, and best practices across the engineering organization. - Participate in mission readiness reviews, anomaly resolution, and on-orbit software updates and maintenance. - Experience with simulation environments and ground software integration. - Excellent leadership, collaboration, and communication skills across multidisciplinary teams. - Strong problem-solving ability and technical judgment under mission-critical constraints. - Passion for advancing space technologies and contributing to successful missions. What It Takes: - Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Engineering. - 5 - 10 years of experience developing embedded or real-time software for space, aerospace, robotics, or mission-critical systems. - Proven experience leading software development through all phases of the system lifecycle—from requirements through flight operations. - Strong proficiency in C/C++, with working knowledge of Python or scripting languages for automation and testing. - Familiarity with RTOS, bare-metal programming, or Linux-based embedded systems. - Deep understanding of software reliability, deterministic timing, concurrency, and resource management in constrained environments. - Applicant must meet U.S. Government export regulation requirements. - Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance. What We'd Love: - Experience with flight software frameworks (e.g., NASA cFS, F' FPrime, or custom architectures). - Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and interface control documentation. - Knowledge of space communication protocols (CCSDS, SpaceWire, MIL-STD-1553, etc.). Where You'll Be: The position is onsite at headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year). What We Offer: - Equity-Based Compensation - Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar - Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage - Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure - Health and Wellness Stipend - Commuter Benefits Equal Employment Opportunity: Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. Pay Range: $220,000—$275,000 USD

Technology

Space Kinetic

Senior Electrical Hardware Design Engineer

Mid

On-site

Los Angeles, CA

120,000 - 159,996 USD/yr

🏢 Summary: Opportunity for an Electrical Hardware Design Engineer to lead the end-to-end design and development of circuit cards and electronics hardware for spacecraft and mission-critical aerospace systems. The role involves hands-on schematic capture, PCB layout, bring-up, testing, and integration of analog, digital, mixed-signal, and power electronics in demanding space environments. This is a highly technical, on-site position requiring ownership of flight hardware from concept through production. 🗂️ Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field, 3+ years of professional electrical engineering experience, Experience designing circuit cards, schematics, and PCBs for spacecraft, aerospace, defense, or high-reliability applications, Experience with spacecraft hardware or spacecraft electrical systems, Experience with flight systems, avionics, or mission-critical electrical hardware, Strong knowledge of analog and digital circuit design, Experience with schematic capture and PCB design using Altium Designer, Experience owning board-level hardware through design, layout, bring-up, debugging, and testing, Experience with component selection and technical documentation, U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency (ITAR compliance), Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance 📃 Skills: Altium, PCB, Analog, Digital, Mixed-signal, Power, EMI, EMC, Avionics, Embedded, Signal-integrity, Thermal, Vibration, Vacuum, ITAR 🏢 Description: A New Paradigm For Space Operations. Who We Are: Drones have fundamentally changed the nature of conflict and maneuver. The next theater to be changed by drone technology is space. Space Kinetic is a space technology startup company building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of drone technology to space missions without relying on consumable fuel. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week.Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, anda high levelof commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space. Position Overview: As a Senior Electrical Hardware Design Engineer you will own the design, development, integration, and testing of circuit cards and related electronics hardware for spacecraft and other advanced aerospace and defense systems. You will work closely with mechanical, software, systems, manufacturing, and test engineers to develop space rated flight hardware that performs reliably in demanding environments. What You'll Do: Design, develop, and validate schematics, PCB layouts, circuit cards, electrical interfaces, and supporting electronics hardware. Own circuit card design from concept through schematic capture, PCB layout, bring-up, debugging, testing, and release. Develop analog, digital, mixed-signal, and power electronics designs for embedded systems, sensors, actuators, controllers, and related flight hardware. Perform component selection, circuit analysis, worst-case analysis, derating reviews, and design trade studies. Support PCB stack-up definition, grounding strategies, signal integrity considerations, power integrity considerations, and EMI/EMC design practices. Work closely with mechanical and thermal teams to support electronics packaging, board-level thermal management, heat dissipation strategies, and environmental constraints. Develop and execute electrical test plans for circuit cards, subsystems, and integrated hardware. Collaborate with firmware, software, and controls teams to integrate electronics hardware with embedded processors, sensors, communication interfaces, and control systems. Support design for manufacturability, design for test, prototype builds, supplier coordination, and transition from engineering development to repeatable production. Drive rapid design iterations in a hands-on development environment where hardware is designed, built, tested, and improved quickly. What It Takes: Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related engineering discipline. 7+ years of professional electrical engineering experience. Experience designing electrical hardware, circuit cards, schematics, and PCBs for spacecraft, satellites, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability applications. Experience working on spacecraft hardware or spacecraft electrical systems. Experience with flight systems, flight electronics, avionics, or other mission-critical electrical hardware. Strong understanding of analog and digital circuit design. Experience with schematic capture and PCB design using Altium Designer. Experience owning board-level hardware through design, layout, bring-up, debugging, and testing. Experience selecting components and working with datasheets, reference designs, and supplier documentation. Strong engineering fundamentals and ability to make sound design decisions with incomplete information. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field. 9+ years of experience designing electronics for spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, missile systems, aircraft, defense systems, or other mission-critical hardware. Experience with flight-qualified or flight-intent hardware development. Experience with mixed-signal PCB design, power electronics, motor controllers, sensor interfaces, battery-powered systems, or embedded control hardware. Experience with board-level thermal management, electronics packaging, heat sinking, thermal interfaces, and thermal testing. Experience with high-density PCB design, impedance-controlled routing, grounding strategies, stack-up definition, and signal integrity best practices. Knowledge of EMI/EMC design practices and qualification testing. Experience with environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal, and vacuum testing. Experience working with PCB fabricators, contract manufacturers, component suppliers, and external test labs. Familiarity with aerospace standards, high-reliability design practices, and configuration-controlled hardware development. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder). Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance. What You'll Bring Strong technical judgment and engineering fundamentals. A hands-on approach to electrical design, debugging, and problem solving. Deep interest in circuit card design and the details that make electronics reliable in real-world environments. Ability to work across electrical, mechanical, thermal, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering disciplines. Comfort operating in an environment with ambitious schedules, evolving requirements, and challenging technical goals. A practical understanding of how design choices affect manufacturability, testability, reliability, and performance. A desire to see hardware through the full lifecycle — from concept and schematic design to PCB layout, bring-up, qualification, integration, and fielded operation. *Our vision is unique, and so is the team we're building. If you're driven to succeed in this role, even if your background doesn't fully align with every qualification, we want your application. Where You'll Be: The position will be on site at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. What We Offer: Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based Compensation Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure ITAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here Equal Employment Opportunity: Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades aredeterminedby role, level, location, and alignment with market data.Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. Pay Range $120,000 – $160,000The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. Pay Range$120,000—$160,000 USD

Technology

Space Kinetic

Senior Electrical Engineer, Power Electronics & Embedded Systems

Senior

On-site

Los Angeles, CA

140,004 - 180,000 USD/yr

🏢 Summary: Senior Mixed Signal Electrical Engineer role focused on designing and maturing advanced electrical prototypes for space systems, including custom motor controllers, embedded systems, and power electronics for flight-ready applications. The position involves analog and digital circuit design, PCB development, testing, debugging, and cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced aerospace startup environment. 🗂️ Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related STEM field, 7+ years of hands-on electrical engineering experience, Experience developing hardware for aerospace, defense, robotics, or similar industries, Experience designing analog circuitry, Experience designing digital circuitry and output drivers, Experience working with embedded systems, Proficiency in circuit design, schematic creation, and component selection, Experience with schematic and PCB design tools, Experience building and testing electrical systems or prototypes, Strong understanding of electronics fundamentals and system integration, Ability to troubleshoot circuits and debug hardware, Hands-on experience with lab equipment, Experience collaborating with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors, Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment, U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or eligibility under ITAR regulations, Ability to obtain or maintain Government Security Clearance 📃 Skills: Altium, PCB, Embedded, C, Microcontrollers, Sensors, Electronics, Oscilloscopes, Multimeters, Power, Schematics, ICDs, BOMs, Debugging, Testing, Circuitry 🏢 Description: A New Paradigm For Space Operations. Who We Are: Drones have fundamentally changed the nature of conflict and maneuver. The next theater to be changed by drone technology is space. Space Kinetic is a space technology startup company building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of drone technology to space missions without relying on consumable fuel. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week.Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, anda high levelof commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space. Position Overview: The Senior Electrical Engineer, Power Electronics & Embedded Systems (Mixed Signal) will play a critical role in designing, building, and maturing prototypes for Space Kinetic's core technology. You will design systems that process both analog and digital signals and bridge the gap between real-world physical inputs like pressure and temperature sensors and the processor in an embedded system. With your knowledge of analog electronics, you will design signal conditioning circuitry and with additional knowledge of discrete electronic components and integrated circuits, you will help design actuator controllers like the driver circuitry required in a motor controller and the interfaces to power electronics. You will support the team in refining the electrical architecture of the current prototype and driving the system closer to a flight-ready configuration with each iteration.Your first project will involve a custom motor controller with power levels never before implemented in space and an electromechanical system with novel energy recycling functions. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys taking concepts from schematic to hardware, solving complex electrical challenges, and working closely with mechanical and manufacturing teams to bring cutting-edge space hardware to life. What You'll Do: Design, develop, and build electrical prototypes for Space Kinetic's core technology. Refine and finalize the current prototype's electrical design to support all phases of prototype maturation. Undertake and complete circuit design tasks, generate detailed schematics, and perform component selection aligned with environmental and system requirements. Apply detailed tolerancing, design-for-manufacture principles, and thorough documentation across all electrical prototype phases. Support PCB layout design and coordinate with external vendors for fabrication and assembly of PCB components. Collaborate closely with the Space Kinetic manufacturing and engineering team to integrate electrical systems into mechanical assemblies. Verify and validate your electrical designs through testing, troubleshooting, debugging, and iteration to improve system reliability and performance. Actively participate in design reviews, contribute to system-level engineering discussions, and ensure the electrical subsystem progresses toward flight-readiness. Support the creation and maintenance of electrical documentation, including BOMs, wiring diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), and test procedures. Ensure each design iteration moves the system closer to a flight-ready prototype aligned with Space Kinetic's 2-year flight demonstration goal. What It Takes: Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic) field. Experience developing hardware for aerospace, defense, robotics, or similarly rigorous applications. A minimum of 7 years of hands-on electrical engineering experience, ideally involving prototype development. Experience designing analog circuitry such as signal conditioning circuitry. Experience designing digital circuitry and output drivers such as gate drivers and motor drivers. Experience working with embedded systems. Proficiency in circuit design, schematic creation, and component selection. Experience working with Schematic / PCB design tools (e.g., Altium). Demonstrated experience building and testing electrical systems or prototypes. Strong understanding of electronics fundamentals, wiring practices, and system integration. Ability to troubleshoot circuits, debug hardware, and iterate rapidly. Hands-on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, logic analyzers). Experience collaborating with vendors for PCB fabrication and assembly. Excellent documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving requirements. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder). Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance. Preferred Qualifications A minimum of 9 years of hands-on electrical engineering experience. Experience in developing embedded systems. Experience in developing power electronics. Experience with the C programming language. Knowledge of field-oriented controls, microcontrollers, sensors, and power electronics. Experience with environmental or functional testing of electrical systems. *Our vision is unique, and so is the team we're building. If you're driven to succeed in this role, even if your background doesn't fully align with every qualification, we want your application. Where You'll Be: The position will be on site at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. What We Offer: Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based Compensation Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure ITAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here Equal Employment Opportunity: Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades aredeterminedby role, level, location, and alignment with market data.Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. Pay Range $140,000 – $180,000The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. Pay Range$140,000—$180,000 USD

Technology

Relativity

Director, Supplier Industrialization Engineering

Senior

On-site

Long Beach, CA

16,250 - 22,375 USD/yr

🏢 Summary: Leadership role responsible for building and scaling the Supplier Development Engineering function to ensure supplier quality, reliability, and compliance for Terran R production and launch. The position drives supplier performance, quality systems implementation, and cross-functional alignment across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain. Focused on establishing robust processes, managing supplier risk, and ensuring high-reliability aerospace standards are met. 🗂️ Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial or related), 10+ years in Supplier Industrialization, Supplier Development, or Manufacturing Engineering, 5+ years of engineering team management experience, Expert knowledge of AS9100 and ISO 9001 quality systems, Hands-on experience with APQP, PPAP, FAIR, PFMEA, Control Plans, Experience building and deploying quality processes across teams, Ability to travel up to 50% 📃 Skills: AS9100, ISO9001, APQP, PPAP, FAIR, PFMEA, ControlPlans, Lean, SixSigma, 8D, DFM, DFA, SQMS, PLM, ERP, MES, DataAnalysis 🏢 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 Reliability team at Relativity Space ensures quality is built into every stage of the Terran R design and production process, embedding reliability from the very beginning. The team works directly with design, manufacturing, test, and launch teams to stay close to the hardware, understand constraints, and proactively shape decisions. As the program moves from development into production and scaled operations, this is the time to establish the right processes, controls, and inspections without slowing progress. The team plays a key role in balancing risk, fostering a culture of ownership, and making sure speed never comes at the cost of reliability. Success means creating a quality system that scales with the Terran R program and Relativity as a whole. About the Role: Develop and lead a high-performing Supplier Development Engineering team, fostering ownership, technical rigor, and data-driven decision-making. Set and execute the supplier development strategy, reliability roadmap, and SQMS processes to meet Terran R production, launch, and compliance requirements (AS9100/ISO 9001). Drive supplier performance management, establishing key metrics and scorecards to improve PPM, yield, PPAP timing, and overall supplier capability. Own major supplier risk escalation and resolution, guiding disciplined problem solving (e.g., 8D) and ensuring rapid recovery on quality or capacity issues. Lead cross-functional alignment with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain on supplier qualification, technical requirements, and NPI execution. Oversee technical and operational execution, including supplier qualification, APQP/DFM/DFA, PPAP/FAIR approvals, and CI initiatives (Lean/Six Sigma) to ensure robust manufacturing and protect build schedules. About You: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or a related technical field) 10+ years of experience in Supplier Industrialization, Supplier Development, or Manufacturing Engineering, ideally within the aerospace or a high-reliability/safety-critical industry. 5+ years of direct people management experience, including coaching, mentorship, and performance management of an engineering team Expert knowledge of quality systems (AS9100/ISO 9001) and core quality tools (APQP, PPAP, FAIRs, PFMEA, Control Plans), with a proven ability to influence the implementation and compliance of key quality initiatives. Demonstrated capability to build processes from the ground up and successfully deploy them across diverse teams. Willingness to travel up to 50% of the work week when needed. Nice to haves but not required: Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or a related technical field). Professional certification such as Six Sigma Black Belt, ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), or PMP. Familiarity with high-volume inspection methods and data-driven acceptance methods. Strong knowledge of enterprise applications (i.e., PLM, ERP, MES) and proficient in data analysis. 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:$195,000—$268,500 USDWe 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.

Technology

Relativity

Director, Supplier Development Engineering

Senior

On-site

Long Beach, CA

16,250 - 22,375 USD/yr

🏢 Summary: Lead and scale the Supplier Development Engineering function to ensure reliable, high-quality supplier performance for Terran R production and launch operations, driving quality systems, supplier qualification, and continuous improvement in a high-reliability aerospace environment. 🗂️ Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial or related), 10+ years in Supplier Industrialization, Supplier Development, or Manufacturing Engineering, 5+ years of direct engineering team management experience, Expert knowledge of AS9100 and ISO 9001 quality systems, Advanced proficiency in APQP, PPAP, FAIR, PFMEA, Control Plans, Experience building and deploying quality processes across teams, Willingness to travel up to 50% 📃 Skills: AS9100, ISO9001, APQP, PPAP, FAIR, PFMEA, SPC, Lean, SixSigma, 8D, DFM, DFA, PLM, ERP, MES 🏢 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 Reliability team at Relativity Space ensures quality is built into every stage of the Terran R design and production process, embedding reliability from the very beginning. The team works directly with design, manufacturing, test, and launch teams to stay close to the hardware, understand constraints, and proactively shape decisions. As the program moves from development into production and scaled operations, this is the time to establish the right processes, controls, and inspections without slowing progress. The team plays a key role in balancing risk, fostering a culture of ownership, and making sure speed never comes at the cost of reliability. Success means creating a quality system that scales with the Terran R program and Relativity as a whole. About the Role: Develop and lead a high-performing Supplier Development Engineering team, fostering ownership, technical rigor, and data-driven decision-making. Set and execute the supplier development strategy, reliability roadmap, and SQMS processes to meet Terran R production, launch, and compliance requirements (AS9100/ISO 9001). Drive supplier performance management, establishing key metrics and scorecards to improve PPM, yield, PPAP timing, and overall supplier capability. Own major supplier risk escalation and resolution, guiding disciplined problem solving (e.g., 8D) and ensuring rapid recovery on quality or capacity issues. Lead cross-functional alignment with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain on supplier qualification, technical requirements, and NPI execution. Oversee technical and operational execution, including supplier qualification, APQP/DFM/DFA, PPAP/FAIR approvals, and CI initiatives (Lean/Six Sigma) to ensure robust manufacturing and protect build schedules. About You: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or a related technical field) 10+ years of experience in Supplier Industrialization, Supplier Development, or Manufacturing Engineering, ideally within the aerospace or a high-reliability/safety-critical industry. 5+ years of direct people management experience, including coaching, mentorship, and performance management of an engineering team Expert knowledge of quality systems (AS9100/ISO 9001) and core quality tools (APQP, PPAP, FAIRs, PFMEA, Control Plans), with a proven ability to influence the implementation and compliance of key quality initiatives. Demonstrated capability to build processes from the ground up and successfully deploy them across diverse teams. Willingness to travel up to 50% of the work week when needed. Nice to haves but not required: Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or a related technical field). Professional certification such as Six Sigma Black Belt, ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), or PMP. Familiarity with high-volume inspection methods and data-driven acceptance methods. Strong knowledge of enterprise applications (i.e., PLM, ERP, MES) and proficient in data analysis. 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:$195,000—$268,500 USDWe 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.