Weld Engineer - Launch Vehicle Structures

LEAP • Broomfield, CO

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Weld Engineer to join our team and play a crucial role in the development, qualification, and maintenance of welding procedures for our launch vehicle structures, specifically focusing on propellant tanks and pressure vessels. This role involves close collaboration with design and structures teams to define weld joint designs, fit-up requirements, and sequencing, ensuring structural integrity and enabling high-quality production. You will establish process windows, parameter control, and acceptance criteria to minimize variability and defects. Additionally, you will support tooling and fixture development, troubleshoot weld issues, and provide daily support to fabrication and assembly operations to ensure flight-quality standards are met in a fast-paced startup environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience developing and qualifying weld processes for aerospace or high-performance pressure vessels.
• Strong understanding of weld setup, joint design, fixturing, and distortion control.
• Strong understanding of weld metallurgy, defects, and NDE methods.
• Ability to work directly on the shop floor in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Experience operating under aggressive schedules with flight-critical hardware.

Nice To Haves

• Prior work on launch vehicles, spacecraft, or flight pressure vessels.
• Experience working to AWS D17.1 and AIAA S-080 standards.
• Experience working in handheld laser and robotic laser weld cells.
• Experience with laser welding of thin-wall aerospace structures.
• Background working in startup or rapid-development environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and maintain welding procedures (WPS/PQR) for propellant tanks and pressure vessels, ensuring weld processes are certified, repeatable, and compliant with structural, fracture-control, and pressure-vessel requirements for flight hardware.
• Define weld joint designs, fit-up requirements, and weld sequencing in collaboration with design and structures teams, ensuring load paths, distortion control, and structural margins are maintained while enabling repeatable, high-quality production welds.
• Establish process windows, parameter control, and acceptance criteria, resulting in reduced variability, fewer weld defects, and improved first-pass inspection acceptance.
• Support tooling design and fixture development to control alignment and distortion, ensuring dimensional accuracy, structural integrity, and repeatable weld quality across production hardware.
• Troubleshoot weld defects, distortion, and variability to maintain qualified welding processes and consistent production performance.
• Provide daily support to tank fabrication and assembly operations, ensuring welding processes are executed correctly, issues are resolved in real time, and production progresses safely, efficiently, and to flight-quality standards.

Benefits

• Equity Program: Equity plan participation is available to all employees following an initial 90-day employment period and is performance-based.
• Retirement Planning: Save for the future with a 401(k) plan that includes competitive company matching.
• Growth Opportunities: Take advantage of a professional development stipend to advance your skills and expertise.
• Flexible Time Off: Unlimited PTO, generous holiday breaks, two week-long company winter shutdowns, and paid leave for family care, parental bonding, or personal health needs.
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage at minimal to no cost for employees. Coverage for dependents and HSA are also available.
• Insurance Coverage: Basic life and long-term disability insurance, with options to add extra coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior