Back to Jobs

Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is seeking a Welding Automation Engineer with deep expertise in automated welding to create the Raptor engine’s combustion chamber and nozzle, which feature complex geometries and must survive extreme thermal and pressure cycles. The role involves designing and implementing welding systems to enhance production efficiency and quality.

Responsibilities

  • Develop, deploy and iteratively improve automated welding systems for Raptor combustion chambers and nozzles.
  • Design and optimize automated weld paths, parameters, and sequences for complex geometries.
  • Implement weld process control with real-time monitoring of arc characteristics and temperature.
  • Build and maintain data pipelines for statistical process control and predictive analytics.
  • Develop fixture and material handling solutions for high-precision welding.
  • Drive continuous improvement of welding automation through scripting and advanced process modeling.
  • Collaborate with propulsion design, materials, production, and supply chain teams.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
  • 1+ years of experience with welding processes for complex metallic components.
  • Strong programming skills in Python and experience with industrial automation.
  • Demonstrated success deploying robotic welding or laser welding systems in production.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-ownership environment.
  • Ability to work well in an integrated and collaborative team environment.
  • Direct experience welding rocket engine chambers or nozzles.
  • Expertise in welding high-performance alloys using various processes.
  • Background in real-time weld monitoring and adaptive control.
  • Experience with offline robot programming and weld simulation software.
  • Familiarity with non-destructive evaluation tied to welding.
  • Knowledge of statistical process control and data-driven methods for weld quality prediction.
  • Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and communication skills.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • Must be able to stand for long durations (8 hours minimum) and work directly with hardware.
  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
  • 10% travel in support of launch and test of hardware.
  • Flexibility in working hours to production and launch cadence.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Hawthorne, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $63/hr, this posting sits about 69% above the $37/hr median for welding jobs in Hawthorne, CA — toward the top of a $31–$58/hr middle band drawn from 35 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 89% 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 35 other active welding openings in Hawthorne, CA right now, from 3 different employers. 8 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 546 other active welding openings from 251 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 33 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 (33), Honeywell Aerospace (20), and Aerotek (17). 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 $72/hr, El Segundo at $58/hr, and Torrance at $47/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

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 Automation Engineer, Chamber and Nozzle (Raptor) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.