Software Development Engineer in Test I

Relativity Space•Long Beach, CA

About The Position

As a Software Development Engineer in Test I on the TRADE team, you will carry out well-defined testing and release tasks under the guidance of senior engineers while developing the skills to take on greater release ownership over time. You will write and maintain Python automation for release workflows, validation steps, and artifact management, beginning with smaller, well-scoped scripts and tasks and receiving mentorship from staff engineers. The role involves following established procedures to validate and help publish release candidates, supporting Run-for-Record campaigns, and coordinating on smaller-scope needs with developers, systems engineers, test operators, and integration teams. You will also assist with post-release deployment validation and basic troubleshooting, contribute to CI/CD and pre-release testing improvements, and help organize release documentation and data reviews. Relativity Space’s Vehicle Software team develops safety-critical software for the Terran R launch vehicle. The team works on a distributed, real-time control system and is building its system architecture, testing, releasing, and deployment processes. An aerospace background is not required; experience with high-reliability software for complex systems is relevant to the team’s work.

Requirements

0–1 years of professional experience; new graduates are welcome.
Basic Python scripting ability gained through coursework, personal projects, internships, or professional experience.
Basic awareness of CI/CD concepts and workflows; production hands-on experience is not required.
Eagerness to learn software release and test engineering processes and willingness to follow established procedures closely.
Strong attention to detail and documentation habits.
Good communication skills and ability to work well with guidance from senior team members.
Comfort working under deadlines while remaining precise and thorough.

Nice To Haves

Internship, co-op, or academic project experience in software, systems, or test engineering.
Exposure to aerospace, launch vehicles, or other high-reliability or safety-critical systems, including through coursework, internships, or personal projects.
Familiarity with Conda, GitLab CI/CD, Git or other version-control practices, or artifact repositories.
Exposure to hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing, simulation environments, or systems integration.
Interest in or early experience with data analysis, root-cause investigation, or quality and release audits.
Coursework or interest in electrical, systems, or software engineering as applied to physical or hardware systems.

Responsibilities

Execute assigned testing and release tasks according to documented procedures, with review from senior engineers.
Write and maintain Python scripts to automate release validation steps and artifact handling, under mentorship.
Help validate and publish release candidates from multiple software teams, including flight and embedded software, as directed.
Coordinate with developers, systems engineers, test operators, and integration teams on day-to-day release and testing needs.
Support Run-for-Record campaigns by helping prepare environments, capture results, and store test artifacts.
Assist with post-release deployment validation and basic troubleshooting.
Learn and contribute to CI/CD and pre-release testing improvements.
Help organize release documentation and support data reviews as directed.