Staff Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT) Engineer

Relativity Space•Long Beach, CA

6d•$164,000 - $246,000•Onsite

About The Position

Relativity Space is developing a privately funded science mission to Mars targeted for 2028 as part of its Interplanetary Sciences Program. This mission aims to map shallow subsurface ice and geology, characterize Martian weather, enable next-generation onboard processing and communication, and demonstrate a new philanthropic public-private partnership model for space science. The program's goal is to make planetary research faster, more affordable, and more capable by rethinking mission design, build, and operation. The Staff Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T) Engineer will be responsible for owning the integration and test campaigns for the Mars orbiter, defining how the spacecraft and its payloads are assembled, verified, and prepared for launch, and leading this work hands-on with the engineering team. This is a full-time position based at Relativity Space HQ in Long Beach, California.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or a related engineering field
7+ years of hands-on experience integrating and testing spacecraft or similarly complex flight hardware
Experience leading spacecraft or payload integration and environmental test campaigns, including thermal vacuum and vibration testing
Ability to write and execute test plans and procedures, assess test data, and close verification requirements
Strong hardware troubleshooting skills and the judgment to make sound technical decisions under schedule pressure
Experience working across hardware, software, and systems engineering teams to take a flight system from development through delivery

Nice To Haves

Spacecraft-level AI&T ownership on a deep-space or other one-of-a-kind mission
Optical communications, precision pointing, or other tightly coupled payload integration
Electrical ground support equipment, automated test systems, and hardware-in-the-loop testing
Cleanroom operations, ESD controls, and flight hardware handling
Launch site integration or launch campaign support

Responsibilities

Own the spacecraft integration flow and test campaigns, from component and subsystem testing through vehicle-level environmental testing and launch preparation.
Develop assembly and integration procedures, test plans, acceptance criteria, and verification approaches with systems and discipline leads.
Plan and lead any system level thermal, vibration, EMI/EMC, functional, and end-to-end integrated spacecraft payload tests.
Design the mechanical and electrical ground support equipment, tooling, and test setups needed for the campaign.
Identify and establish the required infrastructure for the integration campaign, from test assets to cleanrooms.
Lead test readiness reviews, execute tests, assess results, resolve discrepancies, and drive failures to root cause and closure.
Shape the spacecraft design while it is still evolving by identifying assembly, access, handling, and testability risks early.
Maintain clear hardware configuration, assembly and test records, and verification evidence through delivery and launch.