Senior Propulsion Thermal Analyst

Sorry, this job was removed at 08:13 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, Sep 11, 2025
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Long Beach, CA, USA
Hybrid
142K-182K Annually
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software • Manufacturing
Building reusable rockets to empower science and exploration.
The Role

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 propulsion team at Relativity is responsible for the successful development of the engines that will power the Terran R vehicle. We own their design from concept through to launch and reuse. Our team partners heavily with manufacturing, test, launch, and integration teams, striving to develop our engines in record time and to support Terran R's first launch in 2026. As part of this team, you will help build, test, and iterate on the full product lifecycle of our Aeon-R engine systems, seeing them mature and eventually bring Terran R into space.

About the Role: 

In this role, you’ll directly contribute to the design and qualification of the Aeon-R and RVac combustion devices hardware from concept to detailed design and test. You will use your deep experience in fluid flows and analysis to aid design teams in developing high performing injectors, thrust chambers, igniters, and heat exchangers. Not just an expert in running software, you’ll utilize your expertise to identify appropriate analytical methods, anchor models to test data, and work closely with
designers to inform design paths and validate requirement compliance.

To be successful in this role, you should have a strong understanding of fundamental physics and how to apply them to new, interesting problems to resolve ambiguity and drive projects to completion. You should be self-motivated, adaptable, and able to contribute significantly to a fast-paced, integrated vehicle program. You will have the opportunity to have a significant influence on major engine hardware and to make rapid professional gains in an environment that encourages growth and risk.

About you:  

  • Bachelor's degree in a science or engineering field
  • 5+ years relevant experience conducting fluids analysis
  • Experience with CFD tools such as ANSYS Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+, or similar
  • Experience applying engineering first principles thermodynamic, heat transfer, and fluid flow first principles
  • Experience communicating and explaining complex technical information to teammates and leadership

Nice to haves, but not required:  

  • Graduate degree in a science or engineering field
  • A strong commitment to accountability, collaboration, and execution
  • An authentic, introspective, and inclusive mindset towards technical, interpersonal, and team growth & development
  • Relevant experience in a rocket engine development and/or test environment
  • Working knowledge of engine subsystems, such as combustion devices
  • Knowledge of structural failure mechanisms, and fatigue and fracture mechanics
  • Experience interfacing with manufacturing and production personnel to produce high-quality manufacturable hardware
  • Experience working with powder bed additive manufacturing and automation techniques
  • We believe varied perspectives & backgrounds strengthen our team. Prior experience in aerospace is not required

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:
$142,000$181,500 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.

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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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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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