Production Engineering Manager (SMT/ PCBA)

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 Avionics team is responsible for all aspects of the electrical design on the rocket, from electronics, interconnects, associated mechanical design, testing and initial production. This team's scope includes the flight computers, power systems, RF systems, PCB design, autonomous flight safety systems, and telemetry. This team works on complex electrical systems that require modularity and flexibility, and are critical to the successful launch of Terran R, and beyond!
About the Role:
As the SMT/PCBA Production Engineering Manager, you will play a critical role in leading Relativity’s SMT and PCBA production operations in support of Terran R development and production
You will oversee day-to-day execution across automated SMT manufacturing, PCB assembly operations, and PCBA rework activities, ensuring production readiness, manufacturing efficiency, and high-quality output for launch-critical avionics hardware
In this role, you will lead a growing team of production engineers, technical specialists, and PCBA rework technicians responsible for supporting both development builds and production hardware
You will work closely with Avionics Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Production teams to drive manufacturing execution across new product introduction (NPI), prototype development, and production-rate builds
Your expertise in SMT manufacturing processes, PCB assembly operations, and production engineering will be essential in identifying process gaps, improving line efficiency, and implementing scalable manufacturing systems and controls
You will be responsible for driving continuous improvement initiatives across, pick-and-place, reflow, coating, inspection, rework, and process validation activities while ensuring safe, repeatable, and reliable manufacturing execution. Your leadership will directly contribute to avionics production scalability, hardware quality, and launch readiness for Terran R
About You:
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field
6+ years of experience in SMT manufacturing, PCB assembly operations, or electronics production environments, including prior leadership or management experience
Strong technical understanding of SMT line operations, including pick-and-place programming, reflow processes, AOI inspection, and PCB assembly workflows
Experience supporting PCBA development builds, new product introduction (NPI), and production-rate manufacturing environments
Background leading technical teams within fast-paced electronics manufacturing environments, including engineers, technical specialists, and production technicians
Experience supporting PCBA troubleshooting, failure analysis, and rework operations for complex electronic assemblies
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, capable of working closely with design engineering, quality, supply chain, and production teams
Experience driving manufacturing process improvements, throughput optimization, yield improvement, and operational scalability
Nice to haves but not required:
Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or high-reliability electronics manufacturing environments
Familiarity with IPC standards including IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and electronics workmanship requirements
Experience with MES systems, production data tracking, and manufacturing process controls
Understanding of ESD controls, controlled manufacturing environments, and AS9100 quality systems Experience supporting low-volume/high-mix manufacturing environments transitioning into higher-rate production
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:
$152,000—$209,000 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.
If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at accommodations@relativityspace.com.