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Salary: USD 124,000 - 186,000 / annual
Relativity Space is building rockets to serve today's needs and tomorrow's breakthroughs. The Terran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting growing demand for launch capacity. The Materials and NDE (Non-Destructive Evaluation) team plays a central role in enabling Terran R to fly, re-fly, and scale by developing, characterizing, and inspecting materials and processes across all vehicle parts. From welding and additive manufacturing to advanced composites, the team works at the intersection of innovation and execution, balancing performance and reliability with cost, quality, and schedule.
As Senior Weld Engineer, you will lead cross-functional collaboration with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to develop, qualify, and optimize advanced fusion welding processes and equipment/tools for the Terran-R launch vehicle. You will own weld process development and qualification, including authoring and approving weld procedure specifications and qualifications (WPS/PQR) in accordance with AWS D17.1 and related aerospace standards. You will provide expert technical support to manufacturing operations—troubleshoot complex welding challenges, perform root cause analysis, and drive sustainable corrective actions. You will establish and maintain process controls, quality documentation, and inspection criteria to ensure compliance with aerospace standards and production goals. You will mentor and guide junior weld engineers and technicians, supporting technical development and promoting best practices in welding process control and manufacturing efficiency. You will identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives to advance welding automation, throughput, and reliability across production systems.
This role offers broad exposure across products, systems, and disciplines, with ownership that drives key decisions across design, manufacturing, and operations. You'll work in a fast-paced environment where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level—solving problems that haven't been solved before and seeing your work come to life in record time.
**Requirements:**
- Bachelor's degree in Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (Master's degree preferred)
- 5+ years of experience in fusion welding process development, qualification, and production support within aerospace, space, or high-reliability manufacturing environments
- Extensive knowledge of fusion welding processes (GTAW, GMAW, laser, and orbital tube welding) and related equipment setup, programming, and parameter optimization
- Demonstrated experience with aerospace materials such as stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, and titanium alloys
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional problem-solving, communicate and drive technical decision-making to implement robust welding solutions in fast-paced production settings
**Nice to haves:**
- Welding Engineering B.S., M.S.
- Hands-on experience with manual/semi-automatic GTAW, orbital tube welding, and laser welding systems
- Deep familiarity with AWS D17.1 and related aerospace welding codes, standards, and inspection requirements
- Experience with automation integration, robotic welding, or weld data analytics for process monitoring
