Relativity Space

Tooling Engineer Interview Experience - Long Beach, California

March 20, 2026

Positive ExperienceNo Offer

Process

I applied online. The process took four weeks.

It was a very typical interview process, with a member of the team getting to know me through an initial screening phone interview. The second interview was a technical interview where I was asked approximately five different questions pertaining to tooling design rationales and engineering stress and strains.

Questions

How would you design a tool to transfer and move a tube portion of a booster tank, and in what orientation? Why?

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Interview Statistics

The following metrics were computed from 2 interview experiences for the Relativity Space Tooling Engineer role in Long Beach, California.

Success Rate

0%

Pass Rate

Relativity Space's interview process for their Tooling Engineer roles in Long Beach, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.

Experience Rating

Positive100%

Neutral0%

Negative0%

Candidates reported having very good feelings for Relativity Space's Tooling Engineer interview process in Long Beach, California.

Relativity Space Work Experiences

Great company on the way up

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

February 14, 2023

Pros: Real challenges available to help push 3D manufacturing forward

Cons: Must be comfortable with taking big risks.

Great company on the way up

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

February 14, 2023

Pros: Real challenges available to help push 3D manufacturing forward

Cons: Must be comfortable with taking big risks.

understaffing leads to employees consuming each other

Engineer • Current Employee

October 26, 2024

Pros: You will work with some of the most talented rising stars in your industry, along with a few veteran staff from other places. When you can sit down and have a conversation, you will learn so much from what you share.

Cons: The staffing levels don't match the company's dream for itself. In order to meet schedule, employees have to extract as much value from each other, to the point where a decent percentage are substantially drained. You sacrifice so much to this job that you remain accountable and maintain performance, but when you look in the mirror, you're left with a husk of yourself.

understaffing leads to employees consuming each other

Engineer • Current Employee

October 26, 2024

Pros: You will work with some of the most talented rising stars in your industry, along with a few veteran staff from other places. When you can sit down and have a conversation, you will learn so much from what you share.

Cons: The staffing levels don't match the company's dream for itself. In order to meet schedule, employees have to extract as much value from each other, to the point where a decent percentage are substantially drained. You sacrifice so much to this job that you remain accountable and maintain performance, but when you look in the mirror, you're left with a husk of yourself.

Great learning opportunities but poor work-life balance and upper management steamrolls

Lead Manufacturing Engineer • Current Employee

September 21, 2026

Pros: Lots of great learning opportunities and independence if you get your work done. If you have any ideas, it is very easy to get them approved or implemented because there is lots of room for improvement at a startup. Great relationships with coworkers and fun ERGs. This may be changing, but some upper leadership is still very involved in those ERGs. Also, good snacks, a nice facility, and you get a $10 daily lunch stipend that delivers food to the facility so you do not have to leave or panic about whether or not you have time to eat that day.

Cons: Terrible work-life balance consideration. Everything is about the next urgent delivery, and there is no breathing space between deadlines, and you are shamed for not dedicating your life and free time to this company. There is a big push to be "like SpaceX" yet very little realistic knowledge of how to get to that point and too many people who idolize SpaceX. Original company values were very much the opposite. This is a startup, so everything has a chaotic feel, but at least you used to feel like you had control and influence over the solution. Now you just feel like a cog in a chaotic machine. Lots of turnover starting to happen because of this, and there is no leadership response. Also a bad taste in the mouth due to what happened to former employees' ISOs when there was a reverse stock split that rendered their ISOs worthless.

Great learning opportunities but poor work-life balance and upper management steamrolls

Lead Manufacturing Engineer • Current Employee

September 21, 2026

Pros: Lots of great learning opportunities and independence if you get your work done. If you have any ideas, it is very easy to get them approved or implemented because there is lots of room for improvement at a startup. Great relationships with coworkers and fun ERGs. This may be changing, but some upper leadership is still very involved in those ERGs. Also, good snacks, a nice facility, and you get a $10 daily lunch stipend that delivers food to the facility so you do not have to leave or panic about whether or not you have time to eat that day.

Cons: Terrible work-life balance consideration. Everything is about the next urgent delivery, and there is no breathing space between deadlines, and you are shamed for not dedicating your life and free time to this company. There is a big push to be "like SpaceX" yet very little realistic knowledge of how to get to that point and too many people who idolize SpaceX. Original company values were very much the opposite. This is a startup, so everything has a chaotic feel, but at least you used to feel like you had control and influence over the solution. Now you just feel like a cog in a chaotic machine. Lots of turnover starting to happen because of this, and there is no leadership response. Also a bad taste in the mouth due to what happened to former employees' ISOs when there was a reverse stock split that rendered their ISOs worthless.

Great company on the way up

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

February 14, 2023

Pros: Real challenges available to help push 3D manufacturing forward

Cons: Must be comfortable with taking big risks.

4.0
Great company on the way up
Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee
February 14, 2023
Pros: Real challenges available to help push 3D manufacturing forward
Cons: Must be comfortable with taking big risks.

understaffing leads to employees consuming each other

Engineer • Current Employee

October 26, 2024

Pros: You will work with some of the most talented rising stars in your industry, along with a few veteran staff from other places. When you can sit down and have a conversation, you will learn so much from what you share.

Cons: The staffing levels don't match the company's dream for itself. In order to meet schedule, employees have to extract as much value from each other, to the point where a decent percentage are substantially drained. You sacrifice so much to this job that you remain accountable and maintain performance, but when you look in the mirror, you're left with a husk of yourself.

1.0
understaffing leads to employees consuming each other
Engineer • Current Employee
October 26, 2024
Pros: You will work with some of the most talented rising stars in your industry, along with a few veteran staff from other places. When you can sit down and have a conversation, you will learn so much from what you share.
Cons: The staffing levels don't match the company's dream for itself. In order to meet schedule, employees have to extract as much value from each other, to the point where a decent percentage are substantially drained. You sacrifice so much to this job that you remain accountable and maintain performance, but when you look in the mirror, you're left with a husk of yourself.

Great learning opportunities but poor work-life balance and upper management steamrolls

Lead Manufacturing Engineer • Current Employee

September 21, 2026

Pros: Lots of great learning opportunities and independence if you get your work done. If you have any ideas, it is very easy to get them approved or implemented because there is lots of room for improvement at a startup. Great relationships with coworkers and fun ERGs. This may be changing, but some upper leadership is still very involved in those ERGs. Also, good snacks, a nice facility, and you get a $10 daily lunch stipend that delivers food to the facility so you do not have to leave or panic about whether or not you have time to eat that day.

Cons: Terrible work-life balance consideration. Everything is about the next urgent delivery, and there is no breathing space between deadlines, and you are shamed for not dedicating your life and free time to this company. There is a big push to be "like SpaceX" yet very little realistic knowledge of how to get to that point and too many people who idolize SpaceX. Original company values were very much the opposite. This is a startup, so everything has a chaotic feel, but at least you used to feel like you had control and influence over the solution. Now you just feel like a cog in a chaotic machine. Lots of turnover starting to happen because of this, and there is no leadership response. Also a bad taste in the mouth due to what happened to former employees' ISOs when there was a reverse stock split that rendered their ISOs worthless.

3.0
Great learning opportunities but poor work-life balance and upper management steamrolls
Lead Manufacturing Engineer • Current Employee
Long Beach, CA
September 21, 2026
Pros: Lots of great learning opportunities and independence if you get your work done. If you have any ideas, it is very easy to get them approved or implemented because there is lots of room for improvement at a startup. Great relationships with coworkers and fun ERGs. This may be changing, but some upper leadership is still very involved in those ERGs. Also, good snacks, a nice facility, and you get a $10 daily lunch stipend that delivers food to the facility so you do not have to leave or panic about whether or not you have time to eat that day.
Cons: Terrible work-life balance consideration. Everything is about the next urgent delivery, and there is no breathing space between deadlines, and you are shamed for not dedicating your life and free time to this company. There is a big push to be "like SpaceX" yet very little realistic knowledge of how to get to that point and too many people who idolize SpaceX. Original company values were very much the opposite. This is a startup, so everything has a chaotic feel, but at least you used to feel like you had control and influence over the solution. Now you just feel like a cog in a chaotic machine. Lots of turnover starting to happen because of this, and there is no leadership response. Also a bad taste in the mouth due to what happened to former employees' ISOs when there was a reverse stock split that rendered their ISOs worthless.

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