Production Manager, Structures Fabrication and Machining

Posted 7 Hours Ago
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Long Beach, CA, USA
In-Office
130K-194K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Building reusable rockets to empower science and exploration.
The Role
Lead a multi-shift production team building large primary structures for Terran R. Own fabrication and machining processes, drive safety, quality, schedule, and scale production from low-volume development to high-volume manufacturing while developing processes, tools, metrics, and mentoring staff.
Summary Generated by Built In

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 Stage Manufacturing team turns design into reality, owning the build of Terran R’s primary structures. This isn’t about turning the same bolt every day; it’s about building the systems to build the rocket. Engineers and technicians work side by side, with deep collaboration and real-time feedback, to shape how we build better and faster. With a manifest and a launch date, it’s up to the team to deliver on Terran R: solving challenges in real time, optimizing for scale, and constantly improving processes. As the vehicle evolves, so will the factory, with opportunities to apply automation, machine learning, and advanced technologies. What we build here sets the blueprint for the future of scaled launch.

About the Role:

As the Production Manager, Structures Fabrication and Machining, you will lead technician team delivering large structures assemblies, ready for final assembly or circumferential welds. This scope spans multiple processes including machining, forming, friction stir welding, drill & trim, and assembly. Your reporting structure will include multiple supervisors (1st and 2nd shift) covering discrete work cells. Key responsibilities will include:

  • Accountable for leading and managing a diversely skilled production organization across 2 shifts to build Terran-R 
  • Ensure a culture of safety, quality, and excellence is communicated and upheld by driving quality metrics to continuously improve product output of the manufacturing team
  • Defining the strategy to transition team from low-volume development environment to high-volume production environment on short time-frame; responsible for communicating a clear, actionable plan to set team up for success
  • Standing up a scalable production program. Building the necessary tools, schedules, reports, and reviews to ensure a data-backed story on Terran-R’s hardware health is presented and understood by the cross-disciplinary team and leadership
  • Developing and mentoring production staff to meet team and company goals

About You:

  • 5+ years of experience in a technical or operations role, preferably Aerospace, automotive or similar
  • 3+ years of experience formally leading or managing a Production team
  • Extensive experience developing scalable business processes
  • Highly collaborative, strong communication skills, and ability to navigate diverse backgrounds (engineering, technician, executive, etc.)
  • Relentless pursuit of production excellence—safety, quality, and schedule at forefront
  • Comfortable with constructive conflict and difficult conversations, so long as it moves the business forward
  • High degree of self-awareness and self-starting abilities; able to influence others in and outside of your organization

Nice to haves but not required:  

  • Bachelors Degree in Engineering
  • Previous experience leading leaders
  • Knowledge of Smartsheet, SQL, and Excel
  • Extensive Production scaling experience (i.e., hiring 10’s to 100’s over short time-frames)
  • Expert experience in PLM, ERP, and MES systems
  • Direct experience in NPI-to-Production environments
  • LEAN 6-sigma credentials or demonstrated experience

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:
$130,000$194,000 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].


Skills Required

  • 5+ years of experience in a technical or operations role (preferably aerospace, automotive, or similar)
  • 3+ years formally leading or managing a production team
  • Experience developing scalable business processes for production
  • Proven focus on safety, quality, and schedule in a production environment
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills across engineers, technicians, and leadership
  • Ability to define and execute transition strategy from low-volume development to high-volume production
  • Demonstrated ability to develop staff, mentor teams, and influence cross-functional stakeholders
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The Company
HQ: Long Beach, CA
2,200 Employees
Year Founded: 2016

What We Do

Relativity Space is on a mission to better connect humanity to space and the universe beyond our planet. Our medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, Terran R, 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.

Why Work With Us

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.

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Relativity Space Offices

OnSite Workspace

At Relativity Space, we are an office-first company. We believe our best work happens in person—where collaboration is faster, problem-solving is sharper, and ideas flow more freely.

Typical time on-site: None
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HQThe Wormhole
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Launch Complex 16
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NASA Stennis Space Center
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Kent, WA
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Washington, DC
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