Senior NDE Inspector, Ultrasonic, Second Shift

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 Materials and NDE (Non-Destructive Evaluation) team plays a central role in enabling Terran R to fly, re-fly, and scale: developing, characterizing, and inspecting materials and processes across all parts of the vehicle. From welding and additive manufacturing to advanced composites, the team works at the intersection of innovation and execution, balancing performance and reliability with cost, quality, and schedule. As we move toward first flight and beyond, the challenges become more exciting, offering opportunities to shape how we design and develop for re-use. With ownership across products, systems, and disciplines, engineers gain broad exposure and drive key decisions across design, manufacturing, and operations.

This is a second-shift position with a standard schedule of Monday through Friday, 2:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. PT. In addition to base pay, employees receive a 10% shift differential.

About the Role:

• Perform advanced Ultrasonic Testing (UT) inspections on complex aerospace hardware using applicable contact, straight-beam, angle-beam, and other approved ultrasonic techniques
• Work closely with UT Specialists, NDE Engineers, manufacturing, quality, and other technical stakeholders to resolve inspection challenges and support feasibility studies, Probability of Detection (POD) studies, and qualification activities
• Independently interpret and evaluate ultrasonic inspection data for relevant indications and determine acceptance in accordance with engineering drawings, specifications, procedures, and applicable acceptance criteria
• Develop, document, validate, and publish part-specific UT techniques for a wide variety of complex hardware and inspection configurations
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding and effective application of applicable NDE procedures, inspection plans, techniques, codes, standards, and customer requirements
• Perform equipment setup, calibration, system checks, and inspection execution, ensuring required sensitivity, repeatability, and inspection quality are maintained
• Generate clear, accurate, and comprehensive inspection documentation and reports, including detailed reporting of ultrasonic indications, inspection data, and results
• Work closely with UT Specialists, NDE Engineers, manufacturing, quality, and other technical stakeholders to resolve inspection challenges and support feasibility studies, Probability of Detection (POD) studies, and qualification activities
• Troubleshoot UT equipment, inspection setups, calibration issues, and data-quality concerns, working with appropriate teams to maintain reliable inspection capability
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Level I, Level II, and less-experienced NDE personnel in inspection execution, equipment operation, calibration, data interpretation, and inspection best practices
• Communicate inspection results, technical concerns, and potential inspection solutions effectively with engineering, quality, manufacturing, and other stakeholders
• Support continuous improvement of UT inspection processes, including opportunities to improve inspection reliability, repeatability, throughput, and quality

About You:

• 5+ years of relevant aerospace UT experience
• Proof of formal NDE classroom training in Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
• Previous Level II certification in Ultrasonic Testing (UT) in accordance with NAS 410, SNT-TC-1A, or an equivalent industry standard, with verifiable training, experience, and certification records. Be prepared to provide supporting documentation prior to the onsite interview
• Extensive and verifiable experience performing and evaluating Ultrasonic Testing inspections on complex aerospace or high-reliability hardware
• Strong working knowledge of ultrasonic inspection principles, including sound propagation, attenuation, reflection/refraction, mode conversion, near/far field, resolution, sensitivity, and discontinuity characterization
• Demonstrated experience performing UT equipment setup, calibration, inspection, signal interpretation, and evaluation in accordance with approved techniques and acceptance criteria
• Experience performing contact ultrasonic inspections, including straight-beam and angle-beam techniques, on a variety of materials and geometries
• Experience interpreting A-scan data and evaluating relevant indications against applicable acceptance criteria
• Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, work instructions, inspection plans, and acceptance criteria
• Demonstrated ability to independently execute established UT techniques, accurately document inspection results, and produce clear and comprehensive inspection reports
• Strong computer skills and proficiency with applications used for inspection acquisition, analysis, documentation, data management, and reporting
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted and stand or work in inspection environments for extended periods
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 10–25%, as required

Nice to haves, but not required:

• Previous certification, training, or experience in additional NDE methods such as RT, ET, PT, and/or VT
• Experience performing UT inspections in an aerospace, spaceflight, defense, or other high-reliability manufacturing environment
• Experience inspecting additively manufactured materials/components using Ultrasonic Testing
• Experience with advanced ultrasonic techniques, including Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT), encoded scanning, immersion UT, and/or automated UT systems
• Experience performing UT Thickness Testing (UTT), straight-beam (UTSW), and angle-beam/shear-wave inspections
• Experience developing, optimizing, or qualifying part-specific UT techniques and inspection procedures for complex hardware
• Experience with immersion inspection systems, including setup, calibration, scanning, and evaluation of metallic components
• Experience with squirter, pitch-catch, through-transmission, or other automated ultrasonic inspection configurations, as applicable
• Experience performing UT on welds, forgings, plate, machined components, bonded structures, and/or additively manufactured hardware
• Knowledge and practical application of relevant industry standards and specifications, including NAS 410, ASTM, AWS, ASME, AMS, and applicable customer requirements
• Experience supporting NDE feasibility studies, technique demonstrations, qualification activities, and Probability of Detection (POD) studies
• Experience using CAD models and engineering drawings to support inspection planning and development of part-specific UT techniques
• Experience auditing or providing technical oversight of third-party NDE vendors/suppliers
• Experience with QA/QC, Lean Manufacturing, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous-improvement concepts.

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:

$35.20—$52.80 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.

Please note: Relativity Space does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate profiles, or referrals from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited submission - via email, our website, social media, or directly to an employee - will be deemed the property of Relativity Space, and no fee will be owed absent a current, fully executed agreement with Talent Acquisition that specifically authorizes submissions for the applicable role.