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Lead Welder, Pipe (Starship Launch Fabrication)

SpaceX · Starbase, TX

Posted Nov 3, 2026

Est. total comp~$80K–$116K

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From the posting

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

LEAD WELDER, PIPE (STARSHIP LAUNCH FABRICATION)

SpaceX is seeking a Lead Welder for its Starbase facility in South Texas. This role demands proven leadership of welding teams of varying sizes, expertise in stainless steel pipe welding, and the capacity to oversee multiple projects. The Lead Welder will primarily coordinate daily work scopes while delivering quality oversight for SpaceX welders and contractors.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide daily leadership and hands-on support to the welding team

Assist the supervisor with coaching, mentoring, and training team members

Communicate status updates and issues to leadership and customers

Support leadership in conflict de-escalation, adherence to company policies, and maintaining high standards for quality and throughput

Coordinate activities with support groups including materials management, fabrication technicians, quality control, and engineering customers

Partner with the welding supervisor and quality control to verify the correct weld procedure, material type, and rod size for each project

Review engineering drawings and specifications to plan welding operations when procedural details are not provided …

Excerpt from SpaceX's public job board. Read the full posting.

Job inventory

Required 5 items

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

Experience: 3+ years of experience in pipe welding, 1+ year of experience in structural welding

Skills and tools: Welding

Clearance and work authorization: US person (ITAR)

Preferred 3 items

Experience: 5+ years of experience in metal fabrication

Skills and tools: Metallurgy, Troubleshooting

Also in the posting: Monday - Friday 6:00 am - 4:30 pm; Overtime and weekend work required; Work in extreme outdoor conditions; Valid driver’s license; Physical requirements including lifting up to 50 lbs and pushing/pulling up to 75 lbs; Work at heights up to 500ft; Work in confined spaces

Get ready for this role

Crew department: Surface Ops

Skills SpaceX names in this posting:

Welding
Reading drawings
Quality assurance
Customer-facing work
Team leadership

Train for it: the Surface Ops Track: Site Work, Heavy Equipment and Hauling. 5 short modules, a quiz after each one and a final test. Pass it and you get the Mars Mining Certificate in Surface Operations Fundamentals, with its own public page you can link from your resume.

Join the crew and train for this role About Surface Ops

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I can do Welding on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Reading drawings on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Quality assurance on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Customer-facing work on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Team leadership on the job, or have used it in a class or project I have a project or work sample I could show an interviewer My resume is tailored to this kind of role I've practiced answering interview questions for this kind of job

Free. The department comes from the job title and can be off. A Mars Mining certificate shows you studied and passed our test; it isn't a license or academic credit.

About this listing. Pulled automatically from SpaceX's public job board and refreshed daily; closed roles are removed. Mars Mining Co. is not the employer, does not take applications and does not screen candidates. Field and level labels come from the job title and can be wrong.

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