Staff Weld Engineer

Karman Industries

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company building the backbone for giga-scale AI infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and GE, Karman is moving beyond legacy cooling with the launch of the HPU (Heat Processing Unit) - a new category of thermal architecture designed for the 100kW+ rack era.

The HPU shrinks the exterior mechanical yard by up to 80% while reducing peak energy consumption by 10%+. Unlike traditional systems, the Karman HPU provides zero-water (WUE 0) cooling that ensures high-TDP GPUs and HBM4 memory stay at optimal thermal setpoints without throttling.

Founded in 2024, we’re a fast-growing team of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of humanity. We design, build, and test real hardware, and we lead with ownership: you’ll own your work from concept to hardware and help shape how we scale. Our values are Ownership, Performance Excellence, Radical Transparency, and Customer-Centricity.

Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Staff Weld Engineer

We are seeking a skilled and hands-on Weld engineer to lead the manufacturing and assembly of cutting-edge turbomachinery that will be utilized to build Thermal01. In this role, you will own weld quality, process development, and field execution for our process piping systems ensuring every joint meets the rigorous standards our technology demands. You will work directly with our engineering team to develop and qualify weld procedures, support field operations, and uphold ASME code compliance across all fabrication and installation activities. We are a team that values first-principles thinking, hands-on problem solving, and close cross-functional collaboration to deliver cohesive, high-performance systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and optimize welding procedures (WPS/PQR) for GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes across various materials, including stainless steel, carbon steel, and high-temperature alloys.
• Partner with design engineers to review blueprints, joint designs, and weld symbols, ensuring hardware assemblies are optimized for fabrication, thermal distortion control, and non-destructive testing (NDT).
• Serve as the subject matter expert for industrial welding codes, ensuring all structural and pressure-retaining fabrications comply with ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1 standards.
• Define inspection criteria and coordinate non-destructive testing methodologies (including VT, PT, MT, and RT) to ensure zero-defect production of high-pressure hardware.
• Support and guide the weld technician team, assist with welder performance qualifications (WPQ), and troubleshoot complex fabrication challenges on the shop floor.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience as a welding engineer in an aerospace, industrial OEM, defense, or heavy equipment manufacturing environment.
• Deep working knowledge and direct experience applying ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1 standards.
• Strong understanding of metallurgy, heat-affected zones (HAZ), thermal expansion, and distortion control in welded assemblies.
• A proactive, high-agency engineer who enjoys spending time on the production floor solving practical hardware challenges alongside technicians.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) or Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) designation.
• Experience engineering fabrication processes for supercritical fluid loops, high-pressure heat exchangers, or cryogenic systems.
• Familiarity with modern non-destructive evaluation methods, including phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) or radiographic interpretation.
• Experience designing custom weld fixtures or implementing automated/orbital welding systems for repetitive high-precision piping runs.

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries 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.

Direct applicants only - we are not working with outside recruiters or agencies for this role.