NC Programmer - Electron Beam Welding Operator

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Location:

Newport News, Virginia, US, 23606

Category:
Craft and Skilled Technicians

At Jefferson Lab,you’llchampioncutting-edge science and operational excellence while shaping the future of discovery. Join us and make your mark – where excellence meets purpose, andgreat minds truly
matter.

The good-faith pay range for this role is $68,500.00 - $98,100.00 per year. Actual compensation may vary and may be above the posted range based on factors such as a candidate's skills, experience, education, certifications, and work location.

This role trains under electron beam engineering support to develop the skills needed to independently operate an e-beam welding cell, translating engineering drawings, CAD models, and customer specifications into CNC/NC programs while designing fixtures, tool paths, and weld parameters for each job. Responsibilities include managing vacuum chamber pump-down, positioning work pieces and configuring beam voltage, current, focus, and travel speed to match material and joint requirements.

The role requires first-article prove-out, real-time beam programming and calibration adjustments and process optimization to reduce weld defects. Maintaining weld logs and traceability documentation in compliance with customer, industry, and radiation safety standards is normal practice.

• Work under SRF Engineering to develop skills to operate e-beam welding cell independently.
• Program development & CAD/CAM translation — Converts engineering drawings, CAD & customer specs into CNC/NC code for electron-beam welding cell, selecting appropriate tool paths, process parameters, and weld sequences for each job.
• Tooling and fixture planning — Participates in determining fixtures and work holding setups needed to run each program efficiently and safely.
• Vacuum system operation — Manages chamber pump-down cycles, monitors vacuum levels, and troubleshoots leaks or seal failures to maintain the environment required for a stable, contamination-free electron beam.
• Weld setup, fixturing — Positions/secures work pieces in vacuum chambers & fixtures, aligns parts to precise tolerances, configures beam parameters (voltage, current, focus, travel speed) to match material type, thickness, and joint design.
• Prototype & first-article verification — Work with engineering teams on design and fab strategy of prototypes, pre-production and first articles in support of SRF operations at JLab and other nuclear research labs around the world.
• Beam programming & process control — Sets or adjusts CNC-driven beam paths and oscillation patterns, performs test welds and beam calibration checks, and fine-tunes parameters to achieve proper penetration, fusion, and minimal distortion.

• Required:
  
  9 or more years Expert level machinist and/or CNC programming background, welding experience desirable.

• Required:
  
  High School Diploma or GED

Education above the minimum may be substituted for experience.

• Experience with CAM software for generating and optimizing multi-axis toolpaths including simultaneous 5-axis strategies.
• Machining experience across mill/lathe and mill/turn, including manual setup and the ability to run/troubleshoot programs at the machine level highly desirable but not required.
• Ability to read complex part and assembly prints and translate tolerance requirements into programming strategy.
• Familiarity with CMM in-process inspection feedback loops for successful part and assembly production.
• Ability to design or specify fixturing that maintains part accessibility and rigidity across multi-axis…