Welding Engineer (II-Senior)

True Anomaly; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

PTO & holidays

401(k) retirement plan

Parental Leave

Lunch provided

Equity participation

Dog Fridays

Job summary

True Anomaly, Inc. is seeking a Welding Engineer to own welding processes, materials, and specifications for flight and ground hardware. You will design weld joints, qualify processes, and maintain weld procedures, working with production and design engineering to assure manufacturability and cost targets.

Level and compensation are based on experience, depth, leadership, and prior program ownership. Hybrid work near Long Beach, CA with on-site requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in welding, materials, or aerospace engineering.
• Experience in welding engineering for aerospace/defense or high-rel systems.
• Hands-on with GTAW/TIG and at least one other welding method.
• Knowledge of welding metallurgy and alloys (Al, stainless, Ni-based, Ti).
• Experience qualifying weld processes to AWS D17.1 or equivalent aerospace standards.
• Experience with non-destructive inspection and mechanical testing.
• Strong GD&T understanding.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• AS9100 experience or exposure.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the welding technical contact for welding.
• Develop, optimize, and qualify welding processes and parameters.
• Write and maintain weld specs and work instructions.
• Select base metals and filler materials for welded hardware.
• Define inspection plans with QA (NDE, UT, RT, CT).
• Lead equipment selection, installation, qualification, and maintenance.
• Drive technical reviews with design to ensure low-cost, repeatable welds.
• Support production on the floor to address non-conformances.
• Lead new-product introduction and first-article inspections for welds.
• Drive continuous improvement and process control for rate and cost.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to welding personnel.

Skills

Welding engineering

Welding processes

GD&T

AWS D17.1

Non-destructive testing

Metallurgy

AS9100

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in welding or related engineering

Master's degree in welding engineering

Tools

PLM

ERP

MES

NDE equipment

Job description

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.

OUR MISSION

True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.

OUR VALUES

• Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.
• What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.
• It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.

BENEFITS & PERKS*

• Best-in-class healthcare: 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA/HRA options
• Generous time off: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, plus 12 paid holidays; Parental Leave; Sick Leave
• Fuel for your day: Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees
• And more: 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, and Dog Fridays
• Equity participation: Equity is included as part of our total compensation package, giving you an opportunity to share in the company’s success.
• Do not apply to fixed term and temporary roles

YOUR MISSION

We are revolutionizing spacecraft systems and are searching for candidates passionate about hands‑on engineering and advancing new technologies in space. As a Welding Engineer, you will be the technical authority for welding at True Anomaly, owning both the weld processes and the weld materials and specifications for flight and ground hardware. Your work includes weld joint design, weld qualification test campaigns, maintaining weld procedures and welder qualifications, supporting production on the floor, and partnering with design engineering to ensure welded parts are manufacturable to rate and cost requirements.

Level and compensation will be determined based on experience, technical depth, leadership capability, and scope of prior manufacturing programs owned.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical point of contact for welding
• Develop, optimize, and qualify welding processes and parameters, including planning weld qualification test campaigns and interpreting mechanical test and NDE results
• Write and maintain weld specifications and work instructions
• Select base metals and filler materials for welded flight and ground hardware
• Partner with Quality to define inspection plans (visual, penetrant, radiographic/CT, ultrasonic, leak, and proof testing)
• Lead equipment selection, installation, qualification, and maintenance activities
• Drive technical reviews with design engineering on weld joint design to ensure low-cost and repeatable welds
• Directly support production on the floor to ensure non-conformances are addressed
• Lead new-product introduction, participate in first-time builds, coordinate first-article inspections for welded assemblies
• Drive continuous improvement and process control to improve rate, quality, and cost
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to welding personnel and engineers

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in welding, materials, metallurgical, mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering, or a related field
• Experience in welding engineering or welded hardware fabrication, manufacturing, or testing for aerospace, defense, or high-reliability systems commensurate with the level of responsibility
• Hands‑on experience with Gas Tungsten Arc Welding/Tungsten Inert Gas (manual and/or orbital) and at least one of laser, electron beam, Gas Metal Arc Welding/Metal Inert Gas, or resistance welding
• Knowledge of welding metallurgy and the weldability of aluminum, stainless steel, nickel-based, and titanium alloys
• Experience developing and qualifying weld processes and welders to AWS D17.1 or equivalent aerospace welding standards
• Experience with non‑destructive inspection methods, mechanical testing, weld defect characterization, and acceptance criteria
• Strong understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with demonstrated ability to influence design decisions, drive cross‑functional alignment, and present technical information to diverse audiences
• Experience working to AS9100 processes and standards

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Master's degree in welding engineering, materials science, or a related field
• AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) or Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
• Experience welding propulsion and fluid system hardware such as tubing, manifolds, baffles, valves, regulators, and pressure vessels
• Expert‑level skill in a welding method such as orbital tube, electron beam, laser, friction stir, or plasma arc welding
• Experience with test methods such as fractography, metallography, hardness, chemical analysis, and mechanical testing
• Knowledge of damage tolerance, fatigue, corrosion, fracture control, and weld design allowables
• CNC or robot programming experience for automated welding
• Background in environmental or qualification testing of welded flight hardware
• Experience in high-rate or highly automated manufacturing lines
• Experience with PLM, ERP, MES, configuration and data management systemsExperience building and producing classified hardware in SCIFs or SAP facilities

Compensation

Base Salary:

• Welding Engineer II: $95,000-$135,000
• Welding Engineer III: $120,000-$160,000
• Senior Welding Engineer: $150,000-$200,000

Equity + Benefits

including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Additional Requirements

• Work Location—Successful candidates will be located near Long Beach, CA. While we observe a hybrid work environment, some work must be done on site.
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.

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