Senior Machinist

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 Launch team operates at the intersection of every major aspect of Terran R, including stages, payloads, ground systems, launch, landing, and refurbishment. The Cape is where these systems come together, providing broad exposure to launch operations and the opportunity to contribute across the program.

The team supports Terran R through key milestones, from first launch through reuse and high-cadence operations. Team members work across disciplines to develop and improve the processes, hardware, and systems required to support reliable space launch operations.

About the Role:  

As a Senior Machinist, you will manufacture critical hardware using CNC and manual machining equipment. You will take ownership of machine setup, tooling selection, machining processes, and the production of precision components from engineering drawings through completed parts. You will also support the installation and commissioning of machining equipment and develop repeatable manufacturing processes for new and existing hardware.

In this role, you will:

• Set up and operate CNC and manual machining equipment to manufacture precision components in accordance with engineering drawings, GD&T, dimensions, tolerances, and manufacturing specifications.
• Develop and prove out machining processes for new parts, including selecting tooling and workholding, establishing offsets, determining speeds and feeds, and supporting first-piece inspection.
• Troubleshoot and resolve machining, dimensional, tooling, programming, and equipment issues while coordinating with engineering, quality, manufacturing, and other machining personnel.
• Inspect and verify machined components using appropriate precision measurement and inspection equipment to ensure parts meet documented engineering and quality requirements.
• Support the installation, setup, and commissioning of new CNC and manual machining equipment and help establish safe, repeatable production processes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to machinists and operators while maintaining established standards for safety, quality, workmanship, and operational discipline.

About You:   

• 5+ years of professional machining experience operating and setting up CNC and/or manual machining equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, dimensions, tolerances, and manufacturing specifications.
• Demonstrated experience performing machine setup, including tooling selection, workholding, offsets, speeds and feeds, and cutting-tool selection.
• Experience independently developing or proving out machining setups and processes for new or modified parts.
• Experience using precision measurement and inspection equipment to verify components against documented requirements.
• Experience troubleshooting machining, tooling, dimensional, programming, or equipment issues in a manufacturing environment.

Nice to haves but not required:   

• Experience programming CNC equipment, editing G-code, or optimizing CNC machining processes.
• Experience machining complex, tight-tolerance, prototype, or low-volume hardware in aerospace, space, defense, automotive, semiconductor, or another precision manufacturing environment.
• Experience installing, commissioning, or integrating CNC machinery or other manufacturing equipment.
• Experience providing technical leadership or mentorship to machinists or manufacturing personnel.

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:

$41.73—$62.60 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.