Structural Steel Welder

Frontera Space; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

AWS Certified Welder

Equity participation

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Frontera Space in North Austin, TX, is seeking an experienced Structural Steel Welder to join the Fabrication Department in our Production Division. You will weld structural steel components and assemble frames, tooling, and ground-support equipment for aerospace development and production.

You will read engineering drawings, follow approved procedures, and work across multiple positions with a strong emphasis on dimensional accuracy, distortion control, and safe, high-quality welds.

Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent technical education.
• 3+ years of structural steel welding and fabrication experience, journeyman experience, or demonstrated equivalent skill.
• Strong proficiency with SMAW/stick welding on carbon and structural steel.
• Experience with structural layout, fit-up, tacking, welding, and finishing.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, fabrication drawings, and welding symbols.
• Ability to perform accurate measurements using tape measures, squares, levels, calipers, and other common fabrication and inspection tools.
• Ability to weld in multiple positions, including flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead.
• Ability to maintain dimensional accuracy and control distortion during fabrication and welding.
• Working knowledge of joint preparation, weld sequencing, penetration, heat input, and structural weld quality.
• Ability to visually inspect completed welds and identify common defects.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and hands‑on problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to safely operate welding machines, grinders, saws, cutting equipment, and common fabrication tools.
• Ability to follow written procedures, weld instructions, and detailed manufacturing documentation.
• Strong attention to safety, workmanship, quality, and production schedule.

Responsibilities

• Perform SMAW/stick welding and MIG/GMAW on carbon and structural steel in accordance with approved weld procedures, drawings, and production requirements.
• Fabricate and weld structural steel assemblies, frames, supports, platforms, fixtures, tooling, test infrastructure, ground-support equipment, and other welded components.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, fabrication drawings, weld symbols, specifications, travelers, and manufacturing work instructions.
• Perform material layout, cutting, preparation, fit-up, alignment, tacking, welding, and post-weld finishing.
• Set up and operate welding machines, cutting equipment, grinders, saws, fixtures, positioners, clamps, and other fabrication tools.
• Perform structural welds in multiple positions, including flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead, as required.
• Verify material type, dimensions, joint preparation, root gaps, fit-up, alignment, and weld parameters before and during fabrication.
• Maintain dimensional accuracy and control weld distortion during fabrication of large and small structural assemblies.
• Produce welds that meet applicable structural workmanship standards, engineering requirements, and approved welding procedures.
• Inspect completed work for weld defects, dimensional accuracy, alignment, distortion, and overall workmanship.
• Perform grinding, blending, repair welding, and rework as required to bring fabricated assemblies into compliance.
• Support weld inspection and non-destructive inspection activities and correct fabrication discrepancies as directed.
• Maintain accurate production documentation, inspection records, and material traceability where required.
• Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Design Engineering, and Production personnel to resolve fabrication and fit-up issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve fabrication methods, fixtures, tooling, welding sequence, safety, quality, and production efficiency.
• Maintain welding equipment, fabrication tools, fixtures, and work areas in a safe and serviceable condition.
• Follow all company safety procedures, hot-work requirements, PPE requirements, hazardous-material controls, and manufacturing practices.
• Support prototype, development, test, facility, ground-support, and production fabrication activities as required.

Skills

SMAW / Stick Welding

Weld in multiple positions

Structural layout & fit-up

Reading drawings & weld symbols

GMAW / MIG welding

Safety awareness

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Welding equipment

Job description

Frontera Space, an aerospace-focused startup, is seeking a Structural Steel Welder to join the Fabrication Department within our Production Division. Founded by Firefly Aerospace founder Tom Markusic, Frontera Space is developing next-generation aircraft and spacecraft and building the manufacturing capability required to bring those systems from concept to flight.

The Structural Steel Welder will perform structural welding, fabrication, fit-up, and assembly of steel hardware, tooling, fixtures, support structures, and production infrastructure used across aerospace development and manufacturing programs.

This role is intended for an experienced welder with strong SMAW/stick welding and structural steel fabrication skills. Candidates may come from a journeyman background or have equivalent experience gained through industrial, manufacturing, construction, aerospace, or similar environments.

The Welder will work from engineering drawings, weld symbols, procedures, and work instructions to lay out, fit, tack, and weld structural steel assemblies while maintaining dimensional accuracy, controlling distortion, and producing consistent, high-quality welds.

This is a full-time, in-person position reporting to the Director of Fabrication at Frontera Space’s North Austin, TX facility.

What You’ll Do

• Perform SMAW/stick welding and MIG/GMAW on carbon and structural steel in accordance with approved weld procedures, drawings, and production requirements.
• Fabricate and weld structural steel assemblies, frames, supports, platforms, fixtures, tooling, test infrastructure, ground-support equipment, and other welded components.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, fabrication drawings, weld symbols, specifications, travelers, and manufacturing work instructions.
• Perform material layout, cutting, preparation, fit-up, alignment, tacking, welding, and post-weld finishing.
• Set up and operate welding machines, cutting equipment, grinders, saws, fixtures, positioners, clamps, and other fabrication tools.
• Perform structural welds in multiple positions, including flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead, as required.
• Verify material type, dimensions, joint preparation, root gaps, fit-up, alignment, and weld parameters before and during fabrication.
• Maintain dimensional accuracy and control weld distortion during fabrication of large and small structural assemblies.
• Produce welds that meet applicable structural workmanship standards, engineering requirements, and approved welding procedures.
• Inspect completed work for weld defects, dimensional accuracy, alignment, distortion, and overall workmanship.
• Perform grinding, blending, repair welding, and rework as required to bring fabricated assemblies into compliance.
• Support weld inspection and non-destructive inspection activities and correct fabrication discrepancies as directed.
• Maintain accurate production documentation, inspection records, and material traceability where required.
• Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Design Engineering, and Production personnel to resolve fabrication and fit-up issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve fabrication methods, fixtures, tooling, welding sequence, safety, quality, and production efficiency.
• Maintain welding equipment, fabrication tools, fixtures, and work areas in a safe and serviceable condition.
• Follow all company safety procedures, hot-work requirements, PPE requirements, hazardous-material controls, and manufacturing practices.
• Support prototype, development, test, facility, ground-support, and production fabrication activities as required.

What Success Looks Like

Success as a Structural Steel Welder means consistently producing strong, accurate, and repeatable weldments while working safely and efficiently. The ideal candidate can interpret drawings, perform layout and fit-up, complete welding with limited supervision, maintain dimensional accuracy, control distortion, and identify fabrication issues before they affect downstream assembly, testing, or operations.

This role is suited for an experienced Welder II or equivalent, including candidates with journeyman‑level backgrounds, who can take a structural fabrication assignment from drawing through completed welded assembly with limited direction.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For (Requirements)

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent technical education.
• 3+ years of structural steel welding and fabrication experience, journeyman experience, or demonstrated equivalent skill.
• Strong proficiency with SMAW/stick welding on carbon and structural steel.
• Experience with structural layout, fit-up, tacking, welding, and finishing.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, fabrication drawings, and welding symbols.
• Ability to perform accurate measurements using tape measures, squares, levels, calipers, and other common fabrication and inspection tools.
• Ability to weld in multiple positions, including flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead.
• Ability to maintain dimensional accuracy and control distortion during fabrication and welding.
• Working knowledge of joint preparation, weld sequencing, penetration, heat input, and structural weld quality.
• Ability to visually inspect completed welds and identify common defects.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and hands‑on problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to safely operate welding machines, grinders, saws, cutting equipment, and common fabrication tools.
• Ability to follow written procedures, weld instructions, and detailed manufacturing documentation.
• Strong attention to safety, workmanship, quality, and production schedule.

Bonus Points (Preferred)

• AWS Certified Welder, recognized apprenticeship, journeyman background, or equivalent welding certification.
• Experience welding to AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel or similar structural requirements.
• Experience with MIG/GMAW structural welding in addition to SMAW.
• Experience welding structural tubing, plate, beams, channels, frames, platforms, or large fabricated assemblies.
• Experience with oxy‑fuel cutting, plasma cutting, carbon arc gouging, or similar fabrication processes.
• Experience with weld fixtures, jigs, precision fit‑up, and distortion‑control techniques.
• Experience performing weld repairs or rework based on inspection findings.
• Familiarity with weld inspection and non‑destructive testing processes.
• Experience in aerospace, industrial manufacturing, heavy fabrication, construction, test infrastructure, or ground‑support equipment.
• Experience in a high‑mix, low‑volume, prototype, or rapid‑development fabrication environment.
• Experience working directly with engineers to fabricate or modify one‑off structural assemblies.

Core Competencies

• SMAW / Stick Welding
• Structural Fit‑Up & Fabrication
• Drawing & Weld Symbol Interpretation
• Weld Quality & Workmanship
• Dimensional Accuracy & Distortion Control
• Mechanical Aptitude
• Safety Mindset
• Quality Ownership
• Problem Solving

Working Conditions

• Ability to stand, bend, reach, kneel, and work in fabrication and production environments for extended periods.
• Ability to safely lift and handle production materials and tooling within applicable company limits.
• Ability to wear required PPE, including welding helmet, gloves, protective clothing, eye/face protection, hearing protection, and respiratory protection when required.
• Work may involve exposure to heat, welding fumes, noise, sparks, gases, chemicals, and industrial equipment.
• May require occasional work outside normal business hours, including overtime, weekends, or shift work, to support production schedules and vehicle development milestones.

Certain positions supported by this role may involve work subject to U.S. export‑control laws and regulations. Candidates for those roles may be required to meet applicable U.S. export‑control eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Frontera Space is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information

Why Join Us?

Join Frontera Space at an early stage and help create a transformational aerospace platform designed to change how high‑speed aircraft and access‑to‑space systems are developed, manufactured, and operated.

You will have the opportunity to influence the vehicle architecture, solve foundational technical challenges, and see your work move rapidly from analysis and design into hardware, testing, and flight.

As an early team member, you will take on broad ownership, help establish the engineering culture, and directly shape both the product and the company.

Frontera Space offers meaningful equity participation and the chance to create lasting value while working on technology with the potential to redefine aerospace performance, affordability, and operational capability. This is an opportunity to do more than contribute to an established program—it is a chance to help build the vehicle, the team, and the company from the ground up.