Welding Supervisor (Starship Mechanisms)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical, vision, dental

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Welding Supervisor for the Starship Mechanisms team. You will lead two shifts of welders and technicians, drive safety, quality, and schedule adherence, and coordinate training and process improvements on a fast-paced rocket production line.

The role requires strong leadership, hands-on welding expertise across GTAW/GMAW/laser, and a background in aerospace assembly. Extensive hours and travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Minimum leadership experience in a shop or production environment.
• Experience in aerospace or military assembly highly preferred.
• Welding experience across GTAW/GMAW/laser required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee two shifts of starship sheet metal and assembly build center.
• Lead ~30 welders and technicians with performance management.
• Monitor safety, quality, and efficiency; drive continuous improvement.
• Organize work, track deliverables, and manage tooling inventory.
• Report on metrics and implement training needs.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Communication

Lean manufacturing

Kaizen

Six Sigma

Adaptability

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline

5+ years in assembly/production in aerospace or military

Tools

GTAW welding

GMAW welding

Laser welding

AWS D1.1, D1.6, D17.1, D1.2

Job description

Hawthorne, CA

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

WELDING SUPERVISOR (STARSHIP MECHANISMS)

The Hawthorne Starship Mechanisms team is responsible for building, welding, and assembling mechanisms and subassemblies for the world’s most powerful rocket. The supervisor of this team will guide a team of technicians and welders to build out a growing work center, drive high quality and safety standards, grow welding expertise, generate creative solutions to overcome issues, and spearhead a production schedule to keep downstream integration areas fed at increasing launch rates. The supervisor is not only responsible for driving progress on hour-by-hour and day-by-day basis, but also establishing a productive, motivational, and hard-working culture on the shop floor.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee two shifts of Starship’s main sheet metal and assembly build center producing large stainless-steel structures for use on orbital and interplanetary variants of the rocket’s stages
• Recruit, retain, and lead a diverse and productive team of ~30 welders and technicians including all performance management related tasks
• Foster a collaborative, productive, safe, and fun work environment
• Monitor labor hours and overtime; implement improvement plans
• Identify training needs, and develop training programs
• Report on efficiency and utilization metrics to continually improve the output of the workforce
• Report on quality metrics. and play a leading role in finding and fixing the root cause of workmanship issues
• Implement machine maintenance schedules and back-up spares availability to ensure uptime and output performance
• Effectively organize, assign and track work/deliverables for the team by ensuring seamless progression through multi-shift work schedules
• Maintain tooling and consumable supply inventory
• Improve area safety and efficiency through regular auditing and continuous improvement

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• 2+ years of experience in a leadership position
• Bachelor's degree or 5+ years of experience in assembly or production, in aviation, aerospace, or military

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience welding in GTAW, GMAW, or laser welding
• Knowledge of AWS D1.1, D1.6, D17.1, and D1.2
• Experience with applying lean manufacturing principles, efficiency methods
• 10+ years of experience in final assembly and production in a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment
• Experience bringing teams and processes from development to production
• Familiarity with Design for Manufacturability, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and failure mode effects analysis
• Ability to effectively communicate (verbal and written) with engineering and production
• Able to adapt to constant changing work assignments and fast paced work environment
• Excellent attention to detail with outstanding work efficiency and accuracy
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to stand for extended periods – 8 hours min
• Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• Must be able to travel for short and extended trips as needed, up to 5%
• Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:

Welding Supervisor: $110,000.00 - $140,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affi­mative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out [e-mail] .