Senior Materials and Processes Engineer, Fracture Mechanics and Life Management

Company Overview:  

A rocket company at the core, Relativity Space is on a mission to become the next great commercial launch company. Meeting the needs of a growing demand for space infrastructure, our rockets will revolutionize how we connect and communicate on Earth by getting satellites to space. We have developed a vertically integrated technology platform in which we leverage additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics to 3D print rockets. Our unique approach enables rapid product iteration, allowing us to push the boundaries of what's possible today and unlock the full potential of 3D printing for tomorrow. Join us on this extraordinary journey, as we work together to transform our vision into reality.

Team:  

At Relativity, we re-imagine the way rockets are built and flown. The Materials and Processes Engineering Team plays a crucial role in this mission by evaluating and improving the materials that make our rockets. We are searching for a Materials Engineer, Fracture Mechanics and Life Management who will serve as the Materials Engineering focal point for the understanding of fracture and fatigue behaviors of the company's critical additively-manufactured propulsion hardware.

What you'll do: 

• Serve as Materials Engineering subject matter expert for all engineering activities related to Fracture Mechanics and design for fatigue and fracture.
• Deriving material property requirements for damage tolerant design and expected life, maximum allowable flaw size based on the loading spectra for given applications.
• Facilitate characterization of fatigue and fracture properties of additively manufactured Materials and aerospace components
• Develop novel technologies for fracture and toughness materials characterization to be deployed in an additive manufacturing factory
• Work across the engineering organization to support materials selection and property development
• Facilitate technology trade studies in considering structural design for fracture tolerance and hardware life
• Find and implement innovative approaches to improve fatigue life of hardware
• Support failure analysis and non-conformance resolution activities
• Mentor other engineers in fatigue and damage tolerance best practices
• Interface with:
  • Materials engineering staff to identify, define, and fill technology gaps
  • Laboratory staff to characterize Materials and Processes
  • Designers to support materials selection, allowables development, and analysis
  • Manufacturing engineering to improve processes, troubleshoot issues and facilitate operations
  • Quality assurance to facilitate specification compliance validation
  • Product engineering to perform failure analysis and root cause and corrective action campaigns
  • Leadership to elevate risks and overcome roadblocks

What you need to know:  

• Bachelor's degree in materials science or engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience relevant to the competencies listed below
• Foundational knowledge of the material behavior, characterization techniques, and associated data analysis of fatigue and Fracture Mechanics of metallic materials
• A strong commitment to accountability, collaboration, and execution
• A desire to establish and foster strong interdisciplinary relationships across the company
• An authentic, introspective, and inclusive mindset towards technical, interpersonal, and team growth and development

Nice to haves but not required:  

• Advanced degree in material science or materials engineering, or related field, with a focus in fatigue and/or Fracture Mechanics of metallic material systems
• Experience with common propulsion and L-PBF alloy systems (Ni/Cu/Ti-based)
• Strong familiarity with aerospace fracture control requirements and standards such as NASA-STD-5009, NASA-STD-5019 and NASA-STD-5012
• Strong familiarity with fracture testing standards such as ASTM E399, E561, E647, E1820, E2472
• Decent familiarity with non-destructive test methods and probability of detection concepts for fracture control and Life Management
• Decent familiarity with corrosion, especially as it relates to fatigue and Fracture Mechanics
• Basic familiarity with NASGRO, AFGROW, BAMpF, Stress Check and other crack growth models

Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous vacation policy, an annual L&D stipend and more! 

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.