--- title: 'Senior Avionics Hardware Engineer, RF at Relativity Space' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-avionics-hardware-engineer-rf-relativity-space-long-beach-zbmx4w0ctsgr' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-13' --- # Senior Avionics Hardware Engineer, RF at Relativity Space - **Company:** Relativity Space - **Location:** Long Beach, CA - **Compensation:** $148k–$222k - **Posted:** 2026-10-12 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/relativity/jobs/8884195002?gh_jid=8884195002 ## Job 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 Avionics team is responsible for the full lifecycle of Terran R’s nervous system, designing, building, testing, installing, and operating the hardware that connects and controls every major electrical system on the vehicle and ground. The team leverages close partnership between avionics design, manufacturing, and test to enable rapid iteration and feedback loops. Engineers are deeply embedded into other functions within Relativity, working closely with propulsion, GNC, fluids, and stage engineering teams to ensure seamless integration and operation. Now is a unique time to join: you’ll get to help shape Terran R's fundamental avionics architecture and be given a high degree of ownership on components that will fly. About the Role: In this role you will be responsible for owning the development, test and integration of GPS-based navigation system avionics used within the Terran R launch vehicle. You will work with cross-functional partner teams across the company, conducting architectural trades, developing acceptance and qualification test plans, while being responsible for critical sensory infrastructure allowing for the landing, recovery, and reuse of the vehicle booster stage. Furthermore, you'll help to provide technical guidance across the vehicle's RF architecture - including telemetry downlinks, command uplinks, and antenna system deployment. You'll mentor hardware engineers on RF design fundamentals, review design analyses, and support architectural trades. This cross-system collaboration ensuring that our RF systems work cohesively from design through operations. About You: - Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field - 5+ years of experience in electronics designed for harsh environments and mission-critical applications such as launch vehicles, spacecraft, aircraft, or robotics - Experience with hardware bring-up, validation, debugging, and data analysis - Experience working with highly cross-functional teams (GNC, mechanical, electrical, software, etc.) to develop integrated electronics solutions - Deep understanding of RF system fundamentals including: - Impedance matching and transmission line theory - Link budget analysis and RF propagation effects - Antenna theory (gain, beamwidth, polarization, radiation patterns) Nice to haves: - In-depth knowledge of GNSS receiver systems including PVT calculation, satellite tracking/acquisition, error sources, and RF front-end architecture - Understanding of RF communication systems including modulation schemes (FSK, PSK, OQPSK, SOQPSK), channel coding, and bit error rate analysis - Experience in combining data from various navigation sensors (GPS, IMU, magnetometers, altimeters, LiDAR, etc.) to achieve robust and accurate navigation solutions - Experience with high-speed serial interfaces (SPI, PCIe, Ethernet, etc.); memory interfaces; design for SoCs, microcontrollers, and microprocessors 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.](https://px.sequoia.com/relativityspace) Hiring Range: $148,000—$222,000 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 accommodations@relativityspace.com. 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. ## About Relativity Space ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Relativity Space builds reusable, 3D‑printed rockets to make space access more reliable, routine, and accessible. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series‑funded; latest leadership change in 2025). - **Headquarters**: Long Beach, California, USA - **Founded**: 2015 (publicly active since 2016) - **Founders**: Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Aerospace – launch vehicles, additive manufacturing, interplanetary exploration. - **Target customers**: B2B – blue‑chip companies, telecommunications operators, government agencies, and science/exploration organisations. - **Mission**: “To better connect humanity to space and to the universe beyond our planet … make space more accessible, reliable, and sustainable.” ## Products & Services - **[Terran R](https://www.relativityspace.com/)**: Reusable medium‑to‑heavy‑lift launch vehicle. Configurations deliver up to 33,500 kg to LEO (expendable) and 23,500 kg to LEO (downrange landing). Designed for efficiency, scalability, and rapid market entry. - **[Aeon R & Aeon V Engines](https://www.relativityspace.com/locations)**: In‑house, 3D‑printed methane‑fuelled engines produced at the Long Beach HQ using powder‑bed fusion and CNC machining. - **Additive Manufacturing Platform**: Proprietary 3D‑printing technology (Stargate printers) that enables rapid prototyping, reduced part count, and faster iteration cycles. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed. - **Key Metric**: **$3B+** in pre‑sold launch contracts across more than a dozen customers, including blue‑chip companies and government entities [relativityspace.com](https://www.relativityspace.com/about). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO) became chairman/leader in 2025, bringing technology and national‑security expertise. A diverse customer base includes telecommunications, government, and commercial satellite operators. - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount grown to **~2,000 employees** across 5 US locations (California, Mississippi, Florida, Washington D.C., Seattle) [relativityspace.com](https://www.relativityspace.com/about). - Headquarters in Long Beach is a **1‑million‑square‑foot** facility designed for high‑rate production [relativityspace.com](https://www.relativityspace.com/locations). - Expansion into interplanetary research labs and next‑generation manufacturing. ## Competitive Advantages - **Proven 3D‑printed rockets**: Relativity is the first company to fly a nearly entirely 3D‑printed rocket (Terran 1) and now applies that learning to the larger, reusable Terran R. - **“First‑principles thinking” + aerospace experience**: Rapid iteration, low‑cost prototyping, and additive manufacturing reduce design‑to‑flight timelines. - **New leadership under Eric Schmidt**: Brings deep technology and national‑security networks, accelerating scaling and government contracts. - **$3B+ backlog**: Strong revenue visibility and customer trust before full commercial operations. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale production** of Terran R at the Long Beach HQ to meet demand from commercial and government customers. - **Expand beyond launch** into interplanetary exploration, advanced manufacturing tools, and science‑enabling technologies. - **Increase launch cadence and reusability** to drive down per‑mission cost and open new market segments. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Values of **Audacity, Wonder, Humanity, and Relentlessness** – emphasising bold thinking, curiosity, and meaningful results [relativityspace.com/careers](https://www.relativityspace.com/careers). - **Work model**: In‑person collaboration – “best work happens side by side… solving problems together” – with teams co‑located at five US sites. - **Engineering focus**: Deep expertise in aerospace, propulsion, software, and manufacturing; hands‑on work with cutting‑edge hardware and iterative testing. - **Perks & growth**: Comprehensive benefits (details on careers page); opportunity to work on rockets, engines, and additive manufacturing at scale; direct impact on a fast‑moving company aiming to make space accessible. ## Sources 1. [Relativity Space About Page](https://www.relativityspace.com/about) 2. [Relativity Space Home Page](https://www.relativityspace.com/) 3. [Careers Page](https://www.relativityspace.com/careers) 4. [Locations Page](https://www.relativityspace.com/locations) ## Other roles at Relativity Space - [Construction Project Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/construction-project-manager-relativity-space-long-beach-tcfdg4ebr4r2) — Long Beach, CA - [Senior Construction Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-construction-design-engineer-relativity-space-long-beach-fes8gggw7bnk) — Long Beach, CA - [Avionics Development Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-development-technician-relativity-space-long-beach-ca703mq2fy57) — Long Beach, CA - [Design and Construction Laborer](https://feeny.ai/job/design-and-construction-laborer-relativity-space-long-beach-b3kadapdc65t) — Long Beach, CA - [Senior Avionics Hardware Engineer, Power](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-avionics-hardware-engineer-power-relativity-space-long-beach-dw9k4stwnq9k) — Long Beach, CA - [Senior Avionics Test Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-avionics-test-engineer-relativity-space-long-beach-mnmbjf53pxqq) — Long Beach, CA - [Senior Avionics Systems Test Engineer, Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-avionics-systems-test-engineer-operations-relativity-space-long-beach-t2r1vr0571r9) — Long Beach, CA - [Lead Engineer, Avionics Battery Test](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-engineer-avionics-battery-test-relativity-space-long-beach-4xrff33p4081) — Long Beach, CA - [Lead Avionics Test Systems Engineer, Ground Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-avionics-test-systems-engineer-ground-systems-relativity-space-long-beach-wkw9f3nwkpz4) — Long Beach, CA - [Senior Weld Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-weld-engineer-relativity-space-long-beach-qhes0maakxyd) — Long Beach, CA