Specialist, Material Process Engineer (Weld Engineer)
L3Harris · Canoga Park, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Process
- Base pay
- $89k–$165k
- Travel
- 25%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 17 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level process role at L3Harris (aerospace & defense) in Canoga Park, CA. Develop, qualify, and optimize welding processes for aerospace metallic components including titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, stainless steels, and high-strength steels in accordance with applicable specifications and program requirements.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Welding
- Base pay
- $89k–$165k
- Day to day
- about 25% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Process Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $116k–$171k. This one lists $89k–$165k.
Median of the low and high ends of 67 live postings that list pay, out of 112 process engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 111 other live process postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 12% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (4+ vs 5+)
Typical $116k–$171k, from 64 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 46%
- SPC 28%
- DOE 26%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 24%
- ✓ Team leadership 22%
- ✓ New product launch 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Welding, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at L3Harris
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- The posting says about 25% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: L3Harris in Canoga Park
10 other open roles at this site.
- Sr. Specialist, Quality Process Engineer - Precision Measurement · Quality · Senior
- Sr. Associate, Manufacturing Quality Engineer · Quality · Senior
- Sr. Specialist, Quality Engineer · Quality · Senior
- Senior Associate, Material Process Engineer · Process · Senior
- Senior Specialist, Manufacturing Engineer (NC Programmer) · Manufacturing · Senior
- Lead, Continuous Improvement (Business Resiliency, Site Communications, & Engagement) · Lean / CI · Manager
Full description from L3HarrisAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Essential Functions
- ◆Develop, qualify, and optimize welding processes for aerospace metallic components including titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, stainless steels, and high-strength steels in accordance with applicable specifications and program
requirements
- ✓Support production welding operations by troubleshooting process issues, implementing corrective actions, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to ensure hardware quality and schedule compliance
- ✓Author and maintain welding process specifications, work instructions, weld procedure specifications (WPS), and procedure qualification records (PQR) in compliance with applicable standards such as AWS, AMS, and MIL-SPEC
- ✓Support brazing process development and qualification activities for metallic components, including process parameter development, joint design review, and documentation in accordance with applicable specifications
- ✓Assist in heat treatment process planning and oversight for welded and brazed metallic assemblies, ensuring compliance with applicable material and process specifications
- ✓Support additive manufacturing process development and integration activities for metallic components, applying knowledge of metal additive processes to production and design support efforts
- ✓Conduct failure analysis and root cause investigations on non-conforming weld hardware, supporting disposition of non-conformance reports (NCRs) with practical engineering solutions
- ✓Interface with suppliers to support welding and special process approvals, source qualification activities, and resolution of hardware quality issues
- ✓Work with cross-functional teams including design engineering, stress analysis, manufacturing, and quality to ensure welding and joining process solutions meet program and customer
requirements
- ✓Prepare technical reports, data packages, process documentation, and engineering dispositions in support of missile program welding and joining activities
- ✓Travel up to 25% to supplier facilities and other company locations as required
- ✓Ability to obtain a US Secret security clearance.
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor's Degree with a minimum of 4 years of prior related material process engineering experience. Graduate Degree or equivalent with 0 to 2 years of related material process engineering experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 8 years of prior related material process engineering experience.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.
L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.
Job Title: Specialist, Material Process Engineer (Weld Engineer)
Job Location: Canoga Park, CA
Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off
Job Description
L3Harris is an industry-recognized leader in propulsion systems for space, missile defense, tactical missile and armament customers. Seventy years of L3Harris proven products continue to drive success for a wide variety of launch vehicles, missile defense systems, and strategic operations for the defense and advancement of our nation.
The Missile Solutions segment at the L3Harris Canoga Park, CA site is seeking Specialist, Materials Process Engineer to join the engineering materials process team.
We are seeing an experienced welding engineer with proficient knowledge of aerospace welding processes, manufacturing operations, and materials joining technologies. Works under general supervision to support welding process development, qualification, and production activities for metallic components across missile system programs. Applies practical knowledge of welding, brazing, heat treatment, and emerging manufacturing technologies to solve engineering problems and drive process improvements in support of program requirements.
Preferred Additional Skills
- +Bachelor’s or Graduate Degree in Welding Engineering, Materials Science or Metallurgical Engineering, is preferred.
- +Prior experience in aerospace or defense welding engineering with hands-on knowledge of welding process qualification and production support is preferred
- +Experience with fusion welding processes such as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), electron beam welding (EBW), plasma arc welding (PAW), or laser beam welding (LBW) on aerospace metallic materials is preferred
- +Familiarity with brazing process development and qualification in accordance with AWS C3.6 or AMS 2675 is preferred
- +Experience with heat treatment processes for aerospace metallic materials including solution treatment, aging, stress relief, and annealing in accordance with applicable AMS specifications is preferred
- +Experience with metal additive manufacturing processes such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) or directed energy deposition (DED) and their application to aerospace components is preferred
- +Familiarity with NADCAP special process accreditation
for welding, brazing, and heat treatment is preferred
- +AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWE) or Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification is preferred.