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Salary: USD 164,000 - 246,000 / annual
Relativity Space is developing a privately funded science mission to Mars targeted for 2028 as part of its Interplanetary Sciences Program. The mission will map shallow subsurface ice and geology, characterize Martian weather, enable next-generation onboard processing and communication, and demonstrate a new philanthropic public-private partnership model for space science.
As the Staff Spacecraft Responsible Engineer, you will own the end-to-end definition, integration, and delivery of the spacecraft bus and its interaction with mission payloads. You will serve as the technical and programmatic focal point ensuring that spacecraft-level requirements, interfaces, and performance budgets (power, mass, thermal, communications, etc.) are properly defined, tracked, and met throughout the mission lifecycle.
You will collaborate across internal teams and with external spacecraft bus providers to ensure mission success, from design and procurement through integration, test, launch, and operations. This position blends systems engineering, vendor management, and hands-on mission execution, offering a high degree of ownership and impact. You'll be responsible for managing complex systems across multiple vendors and customers, leading cross-functional teams through integration and test phases, launch campaigns, and mission operations.
Relativity Space emphasizes autonomy, ownership, and impact at every level. You'll be solving problems that haven't been solved before and helping develop a rocket, factory, and business from the ground up. The company values creativity and technical rigor, and your voice will help define the culture and direction.
**Requirements:**
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 7+ years of experience in spacecraft or satellite systems engineering, integration, or mission design
- Proven ability to manage complex systems across multiple vendors and customers
- Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems (power, thermal, comms, ADCS, propulsion, etc.) and their interdependencies
- Experience leading cross-functional teams through integration and test, launch campaigns, or mission operations
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills with ability to interface across technical and programmatic boundaries
**Nice to haves:**
- Experience with end-to-end mission development, including payload-to-spacecraft integration
- Familiarity with NASA or commercial spacecraft systems engineering processes in an applied/New-Space manner
- Experience supporting launch and early operations of spacecraft missions
- Prior work with deep-space or interplanetary spacecraft systems
