Welding Automation Engineer — Raptor Chamber & Nozzle

United States Digital Space LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term incentives

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC seeks a Welding Automation Engineer to design and scale automated welding systems for the Raptor engine’s combustion chambers and nozzles. The role emphasizes multidisciplinary integration across propulsion, weld engineering, and real-time process control to enable rapid design iteration and high-volume production.

You will lead development of welded components using GTAW, laser, and plasma processes, with a focus on high-temperature alloys and complex geometries,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of experience with welding processes for complex metallic components.

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

Robotic welding systems

PLC

Real-time controllers

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

Welding robots

GTAW

Laser welding

Welding simulation software

Job description

United States Digital Space LLC seeks a Welding Automation Engineer to design and scale automated welding systems for the Raptor engine’s combustion chambers and nozzles. The role emphasizes multidisciplinary integration across propulsion, weld engineering, and real-time process control to enable rapid design iteration and high-volume production.

You will lead development of welded components using GTAW, laser, and plasma processes, with a focus on high-temperature alloys and complex geometries,