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Job Description

Overview

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, is seeking a motivated, entry-level Furnace Operator I to join their Carbon Operations team in Santa Fe Springs, CA. The role involves operating industrial high-temperature furnaces for the production of carbon-carbon composite brake components for the aerospace industry.

Responsibilities

  • Observe and follow all environmental, health, and safety procedures.
  • Follow all engineering instructions and departmental procedures for loading and unloading furnaces.
  • Operate furnaces using the Distributive Control System.
  • Operate support equipment such as cranes, forklifts, and power tools.
  • Learn and perform equipment preventative maintenance.
  • Support operation of facilities equipment and complete department training.
  • Assist other departments as necessary with management approval.
  • Participate in continuous improvement activities.
  • Maintain a clean and organized work area.

Requirements

  • Typically requires a high school diploma or GED.
  • Experience using hand tools.
  • Manufacturing or similar industry-related experience preferred.
  • Experience with inventory control preferred.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks under changing conditions.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • Onsite position in Santa Fe Springs, CA.
  • Rotating shift structure of 4-on/4-off with 12-hour swing shifts.
  • Active and existing security clearance required after day 1.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k
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How this job compares in Santa Fe Springs, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $22/hr, this posting comes in about 33% below the $33/hr median for welding jobs across California, where the middle half runs $27–$41/hr across 470 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 8% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Santa Fe Springs, CA

Santa Fe Springs, CA currently has 5 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 5 employers. 2 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 596 other active welding openings from 294 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Santa Fe Springs, or widen the search to California.

Collins Aerospace currently has 1 other opening 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 (34), Aerotek (16), 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 Redondo Beach at $65/hr, Long Beach at $49/hr, and Santa Ana at $48/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Santa Fe Springs, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Furnace Operator 1 figures were last recalculated when this page was built.