Welding Automation Engineer for Aerospace Propulsion

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Vision Dental

Stock options

401(k) plan

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Welding Automation Engineer for Chamber and Nozzle (Raptor) to design, implement and scale automated welding systems for regenerative cooling chambers and nozzles, enabling high-volume production.

You will work across propulsion engineering, weld engineering, and data-driven quality systems, with responsibilities including process control, data pipelines, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive manufacturability and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of experience with welding processes for complex metallic components.
• Experience with automated welding and production environments is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy and iteratively improve automated welding systems for Raptor combustion chambers and nozzles, including manual and automated arc and beam welding processes
• Design and optimize automated weld paths, parameters, and sequences for complex geometries in regenerative cooling channels and nozzle structures
• Implement weld process control with real-time monitoring of arc characteristics, temperature, seam tracking, and penetration using advanced sensors
• Build and maintain data pipelines that capture manufacturing telemetry to enable statistical process control, predictive analytics, and machine learning models for defect reduction and process optimization
• Develop fixture and material handling solutions that support high-precision welding in a wide variety of forms and materials
• Drive continuous improvement of welding automation through scripting (Python), PLC logic, and advanced process modeling to reduce cycle time and scrap rates
• Partner closely with propulsion design, materials, production, and supply chain teams to convert new designs into robust, scalable processes, resolve nonconformances, and drive design changes that improve manufacturability, reliability, and performance

Skills

Python programming

Data-driven quality

Strong communication

Fast-paced ownership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

Robot welding systems

PLC programming

Weld simulation software

Welding cells integration

Job description

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Welding Automation Engineer for Chamber and Nozzle (Raptor) to design, implement and scale automated welding systems for regenerative cooling chambers and nozzles, enabling high-volume production.

You will work across propulsion engineering, weld engineering, and data-driven quality systems, with responsibilities including process control, data pipelines, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive manufacturability and reliability.