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Job Description

Overview

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company focused on developing innovative thermal architecture for AI infrastructure. They are seeking a motivated Tooling Engineer to support the design and fabrication of tooling for electric heat pumps within their sCO₂ turbomachinery systems.

Responsibilities

  • Own the design, development, and implementation of tooling, fixtures, and jigs for weldment fabrication and final skid assembly.
  • Design and structurally validate lift, rigging, and transport tooling for large hardware up to 120,000+ lbs.
  • Partner with engineering teams to build DFM/DFA, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up feedback into hardware before release.
  • Generate 3D models, drawings, and fabrication packages; source and manage external fabrication vendors.
  • Design tooling and equipment layouts that integrate with the production floor as it scales.
  • Support hands-on tooling installation, commissioning, and load testing/certification of safety-critical fixtures.
  • Maintain a live tooling schedule against program milestones and flag risks early.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Experience designing tooling, jigs, or fixtures for production, assembly, or test environments.
  • Strong 3D CAD skills (NX preferred); proficiency in FEMAP/NX Nastran or ANSYS for structural analysis.
  • Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and structural sizing codes/standards for rigging equipment.
  • Familiarity with common fabrication processes and how they inform tooling design.
  • Comfortable working hands-on during tool installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
  • Strong ownership mentality and effective cross-disciplinary/vendor communication.

Additional Information

  • Able to lift up to 50 lbs.
  • Comfortable spending time on the shop floor around active fabrication, assembly, and test operations.
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How this job compares in Los Angeles, CA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Los Angeles, CA currently run a median of $44/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $36–$67/hr across 52 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Los Angeles, CA

We're tracking 87 other active welding openings in Los Angeles, CA right now, from 50 different employers. 19 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 486 other active welding openings from 234 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Los Angeles, or widen the search to California.

Karman Industries currently has 2 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 (35), Welding Shop in Los Angeles, CA (17), and Relativity Space (14). 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 Long Beach at $49/hr, El Segundo at $48/hr, and Los Angeles at $44/hr. Los Angeles is among them.

Similar openings near Los Angeles, CA

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