Production Engineering Manager (SMT/ PCBA)

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