Sr. Welding Engineer, Combustion Devices Manufacturing; Raptor

Space

X 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 Space

X is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SR. WELDING ENGINEER, COMBUSTION DEVICES MANUFACTURING (RAPTOR)

This Sr. Engineer role within Raptor Combustion Devices is focused on amplifying the welding capabilities of the Raptor program through the development, implementation and optimization of production processes for key subassemblies and components of the engine. Working in concert with other stakeholders, this individual will be responsible for various welding-related projects, with the intent to provide ongoing product sand process development support for Combustion Devices as well as other projects critical to Raptor reliability and/or production rate.

This person will partner with passionate engineers, technicians, and others to solve difficult problems and drive towards creating the most manufacturable and reliable hardware possible for one of the world’s most powerful rocket engines.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, optimize, and qualify weld processes and parameters for multiple welding processes including but not limited to: electron beam welding, laser beam welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and orbital tube welding.
• Support operation of welding machines in a fast-paced production environment for engine subassemblies, providing direction to manufacturing engineers and welders on correct techniques.
• Maintain a sense of holistic ownership over complex assets including but not limited to electron beam welders and laser welders, including providing technical oversight for maintenance for and training on these machines.
• Work closely with design, tooling, automation, and development engineers to improve welded designs for manufacturing.
• Regularly challenge each process, part, and operation while working closely with design/development engineers to create the most manufacturable and reliable engine hardware possible.
• Partner with design, manufacturing, and materials engineering on root cause analysis for weld or process-related failures, acting as a facilitator for the feedback loop between production welding processes and their performance in the field.
• Work closely with NDE personnel to interpret weld quality on development and flight hardware in addition to developing and implementing innovative state-of-the-art NDE techniques.
• Conceptualize, demonstrate, and drive to completion innovating welding technologies to support high rate production targets and consistent quality, including through automation.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience with hands-on fabrication, manufacturing, or testing experience of welded assemblies.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in welding engineering or related technical program.
• Hands-on experience with welding of nickel-based alloys, stainless steel, and copper.
• Experience with brazing, joining, and metallographic interpretation.
• Fundamental understanding of welding processes, including but not limited to electron beam, laser beam, plasma arc, resistance, friction-stir, gas tungsten arc, and gas metal arc.
• Robot programming experience for automated welding solutions.
• Tooling design experience for welded assemblies to reduce part distortion and improve part consistency.
• Understanding of weld strength testing methodologies, standards, and data acquisition systems used to make informed welding decisions (ASTM E8, E399, E740, ISO 15653, AWS D17.X, AWS C7.X, thermos-couples, strain gages, etc.).
• Experience with root cause analysis and corrective actions including, but not limited to, optical and SEM fractography/metallography, hardness, chemical analysis, and mechanical testing.
• Expertise in design for manufacturability (DFM), with demonstrable success at taking products through development, testing, and production.
• Strong ability to multi-task and communicate status and results with broad spectrum of internal and external departments.
• Highly detail oriented with excellent…