Staff Additive Simulation Engineer, Structural Optimization

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 Additive Technology team operates at the frontier of research and development, where creativity meets capability. This is an R&D-driven environment where problems are open-ended and solutions are yours to define. 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 additive manufacturing.

About the Role:

• Develop, refine, and implement digital workflows for optimization-driven part design in additive manufacturing. This includes simulation, optimization, and manufacturability verification to ensure innovative and efficient solutions tailored to the unique capabilities of additive processes
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to define design requirements and translate them into simulation-driven workflows supporting manufacturable geometries
• Perform structural analysis and optimization of metal components for additive manufacturing - ensuring efficient material usage and compliance with mechanical requirements
• Lead design exploration studies to generate and assess high-performance design alternatives and iteratively refine designs using advanced digital tools and collaborative workflows for optimal manufacturing readiness
• Leverage AI/machine learning for modeling and simulation workflow optimization: identify, develop and deploy algorithms to drive faster design and simulation cycles
• Document and present technical findings to engineers, managers, and stakeholders
• Evaluate new technologies and software relevant to metal AM simulation and structural optimization
• Work cross-functionally to implement cost reduction, methods and product improvements, and support prototype and production build activities

About You:

• Proficiency in finite element analysis (FEA), computational modeling, and optimization algorithms for structural evaluation and design automation
• Strong programming or scripting skills (e.g., Python, C#, Grasshopper, C/C++) for workflow automation and advanced simulation setup
• Experience with modeling and simulation software (e.g., Siemens NX, Rhino, Abaqus, ANSYS, Nastran, OptiStruct, Tosca) with a proven track record in topology optimization and/or generative design for AM
• In-depth understanding of metal additive manufacturing processes and their impact on design constraints, material behavior, and post-processing needs
• Solid interpersonal skills and motivated self-starter who can manage personal workload and execution to tight schedule

Nice to haves but not required:

• Experience with multi-disciplinary or multi-physics optimization
• Experience interfacing with engineering, testing, and manufacturing groups to understand system designs and the associated constraints
• Excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

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:

$155,000-$197,000 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.