Director, Avionics Systems Integration & Test

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

Relativity Space is seeking a Director of Avionics Systems Integration & Test in Long Beach, onsite, to own the end-to-end avionics engineering and verification for Terran R. You’ll lead requirements management, verification planning, interfaces tracking, and system configuration, and you will build and operate test platforms including HITL and ground support equipment while coordinating with Vehicle Integration, Vehicle Test and Launch Operations. Travel to test and launch sites is expected. Candidates should have 10+ years in development, integration and test of complex electrical, mechanical and software systems, 7+ years leading engineering teams, and hands-on experience with environmental testing to DO-160, MIL-STD-810 or RCC standards, plus familiarity with test gear and scripting in Python or MATLAB. Nice to have: spacecraft assembly. Compensation range is $263k-$337k, plus equity and benefits. To apply, tailor your resume to show leadership in avionics integration, measurable test outcomes, cross-functional impact, and a track record of owning architecture with high autonomy.

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:

• Manage the teams owning end-to-end systems engineering and verification activities for Avionics at the component, system, and vehicle level
• Champion systems engineering best practices across the organization including requirements management, development and execution of verification test plans, tracking of component interfaces, and system configuration management
• Lead the teams responsible for the development of test platforms include component functional test systems, hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testbeds, and ground support equipment (GSE)
• Drive cross-functional collaboration between Avionics and Vehicle Integration, Vehicle Test, and Launch Operation to ensure timely delivery and successful operation of vehicle avionics hardware
• Travel to our test and launch sites to support integration and test operations, including on-console operations

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering or Computer Science
• 10+ years of experience in the development, integration, and test of complex electrical, mechanical, and software systems
• 7+ years of experience leading engineering teams
• Experience with environmental testing including thermal, vibration, shock, salt-fog, humidity, radiation, and EMC testing. Familiarity with standards such as SMC-S-016, RCC-319, RCC-324, DO-160, MIL-STD-810, or equivalents
• Deep understanding of electrical systems test and associated test equipment such as power supplies, DMMs, oscilloscopes, VNAs, electronics loads, etc.
• Experience with scripting and data analysis with programming languages such as Python or MATLAB

Nice to haves, but not required:

• Experience in spacecraft assembly, integration, and test
• Experience in electronics design engineering

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.

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].