Technical Program Manager, Afss

About the Team:

Relativity Space is on a mission to better connect humanity to space and the universe beyond our planet. With decades of experience scaling world-class technology organizations like Google, CEO Eric Schmidt is guiding Relativity into its next phase: advancing Terran R toward launch and building the foundation for long-term impact.

The Vehicle Software team develops the safety-critical software that runs on Terran R. The work spans a distributed, real-time control system operating under extreme conditions like Mach 5 atmospheric flight, with a deployment pace that allows you to see your code run on rocket engines daily. The team is building new system architecture from the ground up and just as importantly, testing, releasing, and deploying it. You don't need an aerospace background: what matters is experience with high-reliability software for complex systems. This is a rare opportunity to shape the foundation of Terran R's software stack while directly influencing performance, reliability, and flight success.

About the Role:

• Define and drive the roadmap for AFSS software certification and release, working cross-functionally with internal teams and external stakeholders including the FAA, Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) teams, and Range Safety (Space Force).
• Align agile software delivery with broader vehicle program timelines, ensuring certification activities, test milestones, and final software integration are met on time.
• Identify, track, and manage dependencies across software, systems engineering, hardware, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful delivery.
• Coordinate related hardware activities such as avionics hardware qualification, HITL testing, and integration activities as part of a holistic AFSS certification approach.
• Proactively identify risks related to certification schedules, technical execution, and regulatory compliance, and drive to resolution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for program status, updates, and escalations for AFSS software certification to both internal leadership and external certification bodies.

About You:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
• 3+ years of experience working on a complex technical software project as a program manager and/or software engineer, ideally in safety-critical or regulated domains
• Experience with tools such as Atlassian (JIRA, Confluence), Git/GitLab, CI/CD pipelines, and project tracking software (e.g., Smartsheet, MS Project)
• Comfortable working in highly cross-functional teams with external government and private stakeholders
• Strong communication skills with experience navigating both technical and regulatory environments

Nice to haves but not required:

• Experience working on launch vehicles, spacecraft, or flight-critical systems
• Prior experience delivering certified software under regulatory or safety-critical standards
• Familiarity with AFSS or similar aerospace safety systems
• Familiarity with IV&V processes, including coordination of audits, artifact submission, and issue resolution
• Background working with or managing relationships with FAA, USAF, IV&V, or other certification authorities
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in fast-paced startup or agile environments