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Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. The Welding Supervisor for the Hawthorne Aft Thermal Protection System production team will oversee welders and technicians in building a new welding workcenter for the Starship rocket, ensuring high-quality standards and safety.

Responsibilities

  • Manage an hourly workforce of welders and technicians.
  • Deliver daily work assignments and oversee personnel development.
  • Create and maintain a tight production schedule.
  • Recruit and develop new welders and technicians.
  • Provide technical mentorship and support to the team.
  • Track shop floor metrics and partner with engineering.
  • Collaborate with management and engineering teams to streamline work processes.
  • Lead by setting an example and motivating the organization.
  • Drive a culture of continuous improvement and maintain 5S protocols.
  • Ensure employee safety through regular assessments and training.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree or associate degree or 5+ years of experience in a welding role.
  • 2+ years of experience in a leadership role.
  • Knowledge of AWS D1.1, D1.6, and D1.2.
  • General welding, cutting, and fabrication equipment knowledge.
  • Experience building and leading cohesive teams.
  • Organized and self-driven, capable of working independently.
  • Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings and engineering documents.
  • Experience effectively communicating with production and engineering teams.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • 1st shift (Monday-Friday): 5:00AM – 2:30PM
  • Willing to work overtime and weekends when necessary.
  • Must be able to lift a minimum of 25lbs unassisted.
  • Must be able to stoop, bend, crawl and maneuver in tight spaces.
  • Must be able to stand for extended periods of time – 8 hours min.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Hawthorne, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $60/hr, this posting sits about 67% above the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Hawthorne, CA — toward the top of a $31–$60/hr middle band drawn from 24 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 75% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Hawthorne, CA

We're tracking 24 other active welding openings in Hawthorne, CA right now, from 4 different employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 399 other active welding openings from 208 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Hawthorne, or widen the search to California.

SpaceX currently has 19 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (19), Aerotek (17), and Volt (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Santa Ana at $48/hr, Los Angeles at $38/hr, and Hawthorne at $36/hr. Hawthorne is among them.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • AWS D1.1 — the American Welding Society's Structural Welding Code for steel. It governs almost all building and structural steel work in the US, so a D1.1 qualification is the baseline credential for construction and ironworking.

Read straight from this posting's text. Confirm the exact qualification the employer wants before you test — requirements vary by shop even under the same code.

Similar openings near Hawthorne, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Welding Supervisor (Super Heavy Booster) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.