Staff Robotics Hardware Engineer

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:

Relativity Space pioneered large-scale additive manufacturing with our Terran 1 rocket, the largest 3D-printed object to fly. Now a distinct business unit within Relativity, Horizon Manufacturing Technologies is advancing next-generation manufacturing for aerospace and beyond. The team operates at the frontier of manufacturing innovation, where creativity meets capability. This is an environment where cutting-edge R&D is put into production, industrializing advanced manufacturing capabilities to solve customer problems. You’ll work alongside welders, robotics engineers, data scientists, and systems engineers at the intersection of hardware and software, creating an end-to-end additive manufacturing platform that serves a wide variety of applications. From exploring new materials to unlocking faster print speeds, to designing complex, organic geometries that can’t be built any other way, it’s high-impact work that sets the foundation for the future of advanced manufacturing.

As a Staff Robotics Hardware Engineer, you will contribute to the design, development and integration for our exciting, cooperative multi-robot system. You will be paving the way for advanced autonomous manufacturing (both additive and subtractive) by creating robotic control hardware/software that will use modern robotic arms and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in exciting new ways. Your knowledge, skills and vision will be present throughout the project and your solutions will help pave the way to a more advanced industrial base across the country.

About the Role:

• Work with a dedicated team of inventive engineers building a cohesive, next-generation robotics platforms that will change the world of autonomous manufacturing

• Robotic Arm Control Systems: Working with cutting edge, Beckhoff MX PLC and TwinCAT systems to create patentable, high-end robotic platforms

• AMR Development: Lead the design and creation of a custom autonomous mobile robot that will operate and navigate factory environments under load

• WAAM and Manufacturing Collaboration: Work closely with our team of outstanding welders, manufacturing specialists and technicians to develop custom tools/systems for tackling advanced additive/subtractive manufacturing problems

• Integration and Testing: Collaborate with cross-functional teams including software engineers and system integrators to ensure seamless integration of robotic software with centralized codebase. Conduct thorough testing and validation of the software to guarantee system functionality and reliability

• Safety: Cultivate safety-critical hardware and software practices and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations

• Technical Leadership: Provide technical guidance and mentorship to a team and own project goals/deliverables

About You:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or Robotics

• 7+ years of experience in related field such as manufacturing, robotic arm control, autonomous mobile robot design, and/or robotic systems

• 3+ years of experience with TwinCAT and TwinSAFE, including the design and implementation of robotic control systems

• 3+ years programming and configuring Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), such as Beckhoffs, for industrial automation.

• Familiarity with protocols such as EtherCAT, CANbus, Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, and safety protocols (FSoE, profiSAFE) used in industrial automation.

• 2+ year of experience leading technical teams

• Capability to troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in automation systems, ensuring reliability and performance.

• Proven ability to successfully conceptualize, architect and implement complex software solutions in a team environment

• Excellent communication and organizational skills for leading a team and achieving cross-functional project goals

Nice to haves but not required:

• Experience with industrial robot arms (KUKA, ABB, Autonox, UR etc. )

• Past work with building and operating autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)

• Knowledge of motion control concepts and experience setting up motor drives

• Understanding of robotics kinematics, 3D transformations, quaternions and linear algebra

• Industrial safety certifications (TUV Safety Certification, Functional Safety ISO 13849, ISO 12100)

• Experience working with industrial machinery and manufacturing processes including but not limited to welding, grinding and milling.

• Proficiency in creating software for embedded environment in Python, C, and/or C++

• Familiarity with Robot Operating System (ROS2)

• Passion for staying updated with the latest advancements in automation and robotics technologies. Willingness to explore and experiment with new tools and methodologies to enhance system capabilities.

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:
$172,000—$236,500 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].