🚀 GNC Performance Engineer I - Relativity Space

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: GNC Performance Engineer I
Company: Relativity Space
Location: Long Beach, California
Job Type: On-site
Category: Engineering
Date Posted: 2025-07-25
Experience Level: Entry-level to 2 years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Relativity Space is revolutionizing the aerospace industry by building rockets to serve today's needs and tomorrow's breakthroughs. As a GNC Performance Engineer I, you will play a crucial role in driving interdisciplinary mission and vehicle design decisions across Relativity's Integrated Performance teams. You will work closely with key design teams to integrate their latest design data into full simulations of customer missions, develop software tooling for optimizing launch and orbital trajectories, lead interdisciplinary design trade analyses, and define high-level vehicle and trajectory design requirements.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Design Trade Analysis: Carry out analysis for engineering design trades and drive design decisions based on the results.
Software Development: Implement, maintain, and improve software tooling in a variety of languages, ranging from core simulation capabilities to peripheral analysis utilities.
Collaboration: Maintain, establish, and sometimes lead cross-functional collaboration with key teams across Vehicle Engineering.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A bachelor's, master's, or PhD degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related field.

Experience: Previous experience working on projects that required operating in multi-disciplinary teams and utilizing numerical techniques such as ODEs and optimization routines.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in high-level programming languages (e.g., Python, Julia, MATLAB)
Demonstrated critical thinking skills and ability to solve problems from first principles
Familiarity with launch vehicles and trajectory design (nice to have)

Preferred Skills:

Experience working in a startup or agile development environment
Demonstrated experience in taking complex analysis results and clearly communicating conclusions and recommendations to decision-makers
Experience working with advanced software development practices such as Docker, CI/CD, and dependency management

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

While not explicitly stated, a strong portfolio demonstrating your problem-solving skills, experience with numerical techniques, and proficiency in relevant programming languages would be beneficial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $119,000 - $150,700 USD per year

Benefits:

Competitive salary and equity
Generous PTO and sick leave policy
Parental leave
Annual learning and development stipend
Additional benefits and perks view here

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture: Relativity Space values autonomy, ownership, and impact 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.

Team Structure: The Integrated Performance team spans multiple technical domains and embeds directly with partner teams to solve the hardest multi-disciplinary problems. The team operates with a rare scale: large enough to support complex development, yet small enough that individual contributors have meaningful impact.

Development Methodology: Relativity Space operates with agile methodologies, focusing on iterative development, continuous improvement, and rapid prototyping.

Company Website: relativityspace.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Relativity Space is a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you'll have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology and make a significant impact on the company's success.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: As a GNC Performance Engineer I, you will be at the entry-level to 2 years of experience in your career. This role provides an excellent opportunity to gain experience working on complex, multi-disciplinary projects and develop your skills in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Manager of Integrated Performance.

Technical Impact: In this role, you will have the opportunity to influence key design decisions that impact the performance, reliability, and safety of Relativity's rockets.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: You will have the opportunity to learn and develop your skills in GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) systems, trajectory design, and software development.
Career Progression: As Relativity Space continues to grow, there will be opportunities for career progression into senior engineering roles, team leadership positions, or other areas of the business.
Emerging Technology Adoption: Relativity Space is at the forefront of the aerospace industry, and you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and contribute to the company's success.

📝 Enhancement Note: Relativity Space's unique organizational structure and flat hierarchy provide ample opportunities for growth and career progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Relativity Space's office is a collaborative, innovative workspace designed to foster creativity and technical rigor.

Office Location(s): Long Beach, California

Workspace Context:

Collaboration: The office encourages cross-functional interaction between teams, promoting knowledge sharing and continuous learning.
Development Tools: Relativity Space provides state-of-the-art development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices to support your work.
Work-Life Balance: Relativity Space offers a flexible work schedule with a focus on work-life balance.

Work Schedule: Relativity Space operates on a standard 40-hour workweek with flexible hours to accommodate team meetings and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Relativity Space's work environment is designed to support the company's mission to build rockets and advance the aerospace industry.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen: A brief call to discuss your background, experience, and interest in the role.
On-site Interview: A full-day on-site interview consisting of technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and a team lunch.
- Technical Assessment: A hands-on project or case study to evaluate your problem-solving skills, software development proficiency, and understanding of GNC systems and trajectory design.
- Behavioral Interview: A conversation focused on your collaboration skills, communication style, and cultural fit with Relativity Space.
- Team Lunch: An opportunity to meet the team, ask questions, and discuss the role further.
Final Decision: A final decision will be made based on your performance throughout the interview process.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your problem-solving skills and experience with numerical techniques through relevant projects and case studies.
Showcase your proficiency in high-level programming languages by including code snippets, examples, or entire projects demonstrating your skills.
Tailor your portfolio to emphasize your experience working in multi-disciplinary teams and your ability to communicate complex analysis results effectively.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your knowledge of GNC systems, trajectory design, and software development best practices.
Familiarize yourself with Relativity Space's mission, values, and company culture to ensure a strong cultural fit.
Prepare questions to ask the interview team about the role, team dynamics, and career growth opportunities.

ATS Keywords: GNC, Performance Engineer, Trajectory Design, Software Development, Python, MATLAB, Julia, ODEs, Optimization, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Engineering, Aerospace, Launch Vehicles

📝 Enhancement Note: Relativity Space's interview process is designed to evaluate your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit with the company's mission and values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this GNC Performance Engineer I position at Relativity Space:

Submit your application through the Relativity Space careers page.
Tailor your resume to highlight your relevant experience, skills, and achievements in engineering, software development, and problem-solving.
Prepare a portfolio showcasing your problem-solving skills, experience with numerical techniques, and proficiency in relevant programming languages.
Research Relativity Space's mission, values, and company culture to ensure a strong cultural fit and prepare thoughtful questions for the interview team.
Practice your problem-solving skills and brush up on your knowledge of GNC systems, trajectory design, and software development best practices.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Relativity Space before making application decisions.

Content Guidelines (IMPORTANT: Do not include this in the output)

Job-Specific Focus:

Tailor the content to the GNC Performance Engineer I role, emphasizing the unique aspects of the position and the company.
Highlight the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology, drive interdisciplinary mission and vehicle design decisions, and contribute to the success of a dynamic, fast-paced organization.

Quality Standards:

Ensure no content overlap between sections; each section must contain unique information.
Include Enhancement Notes only when making significant inferences about the role, company, or industry standards.
Maintain a balance between comprehensive detail and concise, actionable information.
Strategically distribute relevant keywords throughout the description, naturally integrating them into the content.

Industry Expertise:

Include specific details about GNC systems, trajectory design, software development, and the aerospace industry.
Address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment like Relativity Space.
Provide tactical advice for portfolio development, interview preparation, and career growth within the aerospace industry.

Professional Standards:

Maintain consistent formatting, spacing, and professional tone throughout the document.
Use industry-specific terminology accurately and appropriately.
Include comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities relevant to engineering and software development professionals.
Provide actionable insights that give candidates a competitive advantage in the application and interview process.

Role-Specific Insights:

Emphasize the opportunity to work on complex, multi-disciplinary projects and develop skills in GNC systems, trajectory design, and software development.
Highlight the unique organizational structure and flat hierarchy at Relativity Space, which provides ample opportunities for growth and career progression.
Address the importance of collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills in the role and the company's interview process.

Avoid:

Generic business jargon not relevant to the GNC Performance Engineer I role or the aerospace industry.
Placeholder text or incomplete sections.
Repetitive content across different sections.
Non-technical terminology unless relevant to the specific role or industry.
Marketing language unrelated to the technical aspects of the role or the company's mission and values.

By following these guidelines, you will create a comprehensive, insightful, and valuable resource for candidates seeking to apply for the GNC Performance Engineer I position at Relativity Space.

GNC Performance Engineer I