Recovery Engineer II - Rocket Transport and Recovery

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 Offshore Recovery team is responsible for designing, building and operating the maritime vessels used to land and recover the Terran R launch vehicle. This isn’t your standard desk job. We are a lean, fast-moving team who cover the full project lifecycle – beginning with system requirements definition and design, hands-on with build and activation in the shipyard, all the way through supporting critical offshore recovery missions at sea. We collaborate with teams across the company, including Terran R designers, launch pad builders and rocket engine testers!

About the Role:

• Lead the design, integration, checkout, and operation of recovery subsystems in preparation for and during Terran R flight campaigns.

• Develop and maintain operational procedures for the Terran R recovery vessel to support safe, reliable, and effective recovery operations.

• Collaborate with Terran R and recovery vessel engineering teams to identify system improvements, resolve technical challenges, and optimize recovery operations.

• Plan and execute activation and checkout testing for barge subsystems, including high-pressure fluid and high-voltage systems, using established safety procedures and risk mitigation controls.

• Analyze system performance, troubleshoot technical issues, and coordinate corrective actions to support operational readiness.

• Support recovery operations in dynamic environments, including offshore settings and extended-duration flight campaign activities.

About You:

• You have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related engineering discipline, along with at least two years of relevant professional experience.

• You can analyze complex systems, apply engineering fundamentals, and develop practical solutions to technical challenges.

• You have experience supporting or leading hazardous aerospace testing or technical operations, including identifying hazards and implementing appropriate safety controls.

• You can independently manage technical tasks, identify problems, and adapt to changing priorities in time-sensitive operational environments.

• You are able to travel for extended work assignments, including offshore operations and environments with limited infrastructure or resources.

• You communicate technical information clearly and collaborate effectively with stakeholders across engineering, operations, and other functional teams.

Nice to haves but not required:

• Experience supporting aerospace testing, flight operations, or recovery operations in control-room or offshore environments.

• Familiarity with applicable U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) or NASA regulations, requirements, and personnel.

• Experience programming or troubleshooting programmable logic controllers (PLCs), electronic instrumentation, or hardware systems.

• Experience designing, integrating, testing, or maintaining ground fluid or avionics systems for launch facilities or engine test environments.

Successful candidates must clear a background check administered by the US government to obtain clearance for on-site work at our government partner location in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 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: $104,000—$156,000 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.