Sr Materials Characterization Technician

Sr Materials Characterization Technician

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 Materials and NDE (Non-Destructive Evaluation) team plays a central role in enabling Terran R to fly, re-fly, and scale: developing, characterizing, and inspecting materials and processes across all parts of the vehicle. From welding and additive manufacturing to advanced composites, the team works at the intersection of innovation and execution, balancing performance and reliability with cost, quality, and schedule. As we move toward first flight and beyond, the challenges become more exciting, offering opportunities to shape how we design and develop for re-use. With ownership across products, systems, and disciplines, engineers gain broad exposure and drive key decisions across design, manufacturing, and operations.

About the Role

1. Operate hydraulic test frames for tensile, fatigue, and fracture testing in accordance with safety, industry and project-specific requirements
2. Perform thermal, chemical and powder materials analysis with variety of testing equipment including (LFA, XRF, TGA, DSC, FTIR, LGA, etc.)
3. Collect, analyze, and document test data, ensuring reports comply with industry and internal quality standards
4. Perform routine maintenance and calibrations on testing equipment to ensure operational reliability and accurate measurements
5. Collaborate with engineering teams and internal stakeholders to understand testing requirements and communicate results effectively
6. Troubleshoot equipment issues, implement corrective actions, and contribute to continuous process improvement initiatives for test operations

About You

• 5+ year experience with operating and maintaining materials lab instrumentation (e.g. tensile/fatigue test frames, hardness testers, DSC, TGA, FTIR, LGA or similar tools)
• Familiar with ASTM, ISO or AMS testing standards for materials characterization
• Basic knowledge of machining and sample preparation for mechanical testing and/or metallography (machining, cutting, polishing, etc.)
• Proficiency with standard software tools (Excel, data acquisition systems, or LIMS) for recording and reporting results
• Strong attention to detail with ability to follow test methods, document results accurately and maintain lab records

Nice to Haves But Not Required

• Associate's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or related field; or equivalent hands-on laboratory/industry experience
• Familiarity with testing aerospace materials including high strength aluminum, nickel, copper, and titanium alloys
• Hands-on experience with MTS and Instron test frames including sample preparation, selecting grips/fixtures/extensometers, performing calibration/alignment checks, running tests and analyzing results

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! Hiring Range: $33.15 - $42.90 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.