Senior Automotive Shop Technician – Aluminum Welding & Fabrication

About the role

Ricardo - Pushing Boundaries: A World leader in propulsion engineering from concept to production

Ricardo is a trusted engineering partner specialising in complex propulsion, driveline, and energy systems. We work with customers globally to deliver end-to-end solutions from initial design through to full production. For over 110 years, we have been at the forefront of world changing engineering innovation, partnering with many of the world's most ambitious organisations to improve performance, push boundaries, and accelerate progress. Headquartered in Shoreham by Sea (UK), Ricardo brings together more than 1,000 experts and delivers in excess of 200 major programmes globally at any given time.

Contract Type: Contractor
Location: Taylor, MI

A Senior Automotive Shop Technician specializing in aluminium fabrication must possess 5 to 10+ years of advanced experience building complex automotive assemblies, prototypes, or custom chassis elements. At this level, candidates transition from basic production execution to autonomous problem-solving, quality assurance, and fixture design.

Working Here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

Next steps

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.

Responsibilities

• Building complex automotive assemblies, prototypes, or custom chassis elements.
• Mentorship: Training and supervising junior welders to ensure strict aesthetic and structural compliance.
• Process Optimization: Identifying production bottlenecks and suggesting design-for-manufacturability revisions to automotive engineers.
• Strict Quality Auditing: Standardizing the shop's non-destructive testing (NDT) procedures, including dye penetrant testing for aluminium weld integrity.

Requirements

• Mastery of Automotive Aluminium Welding:
  • Advanced TIG/MIG Expert: Flawless cosmetic and structural execution on structural frames, suspension brackets, and thin body panels down to 0.040".
  • Critical Heat Management: Proven ability to manage aluminium's high thermal conductivity to prevent distortion, warpage, and structural degradation.
  • Industry Certification: Active AWS D1.2 (Structural Aluminium) or AWS D17.1 (Aerospace/Automotive high-spec) qualifications.
• Senior Fabrication & Jigs:
  • Custom Fixture Design: Experience in engineering and building custom shop fixtures and hold-down jigs to ensure repeatable, high-precision fitment.
  • Heavy Machinery Mastery: Expert-level operation of programmable press brakes, automated shears, tube benders, and CNC plasma/waterjet tables.
• Layout, Prints, & Inspection:
  • Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T): Mastery of complex automotive blueprints containing tight GD&T tolerances (often within ±0.005").
  • Advanced Metrology & Layout: Expert use of surface plates, height gauges, digital calipers, micrometers, etc.
  • First-Article Inspection: Direct experience conducting/reviewing and documenting detailed layout dimensional inspections prior to full production runs.

Benefits

Work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health.