RAFAEL GONZALEZ
SpaceX
Brownsville
2
Languages
1
Certification
20
years of professional experience
Results-driven manufacturing leader and Lead Sheet Metal Technician with extensive experience supervising production teams, driving safety excellence, and delivering on-time build milestones in high-stakes aerospace environments. Proven ability to remove production blockers, mentor technicians, enforce best practices, and escalate risks effectively at SpaceX. Seeking a Supervisor role to leverage strong leadership, training, root-cause problem solving, and safety program expertise to optimize operations, develop high-performing teams, and support continuous improvement.
Work History
Sheet Metal Technician
- Operated and maintained laser cutters, press brakes, roller machinery, and resistance welders.
- Assembled flight hardware including torquing fasteners; fabricated complex, tight-tolerance parts from steel, aluminum, and specialty materials.
- Read blueprints to meet engineering specifications; used calipers, micrometers, thread gauges, and radius gauges for quality verification.
Lead Sheet Metal Technician
5 Years- Lead daily production execution and technician supervision for sheet metal fabrication of flight hardware.
- Assign technicians to high-priority tasks, remove production blockers (issue disposition, planning releases, tooling/parts availability), and look ahead multiple days to align staffing, tooling, parts, and paperwork for target milestones.
- Supervise clock-in compliance and ensure all technicians perform value-added work; conduct regular check-ins to confirm understanding of procedures, best practices, and work instructions.
- Participate in shift handovers to transfer complete, accurate information; escalate immediately when build targets are at risk.
- Solve floor-level issues with technicians and engineers involving unclear instructions, tooling problems, root-cause analysis, and data collection.
- Gauge daily technician performance and provide timely praise, feedback, counseling, and coaching; recommend development plan improvements to supervisors.
- Deliver hands-on on-the-job and off-job training; balance company objectives with individual development plans and report training status.
- Enforce clean-as-you-go policies, report internal conflicts promptly, and promote a strong safety culture to prevent mishaps.
Water Treatment Specialist / Supervisor
19 Years- Supervised water purification, distribution, and equipment maintenance operations while training and mentoring soldiers.
- Led water purification and distribution activities; performed quality analysis, reconnaissance, site preparation, and equipment operation/maintenance (TWDS, reverse osmosis, pumps, heaters, generators).
- Conducted PMCS on tactical systems and vehicles; trained soldiers on mission operations, drivers training, risk management (RM), and safety procedures.
- Performed counseling for performance and corrective action; maintained and repaired electrical, fuel, decontamination, laundry, and special-purpose equipment.
- Operated and maintained military vehicles and heavy equipment (10k forklift, Humvee, LMTV, PLS, excavator, air compressors, etc.).
Scaffold QC/Inspector & Safety Roles
2 Years- Conducted quality and safety inspections of scaffolding systems per industrial standards and plant procedures; monitored erection/dismantling and ensured component integrity.
- Served as consultant to supervisors on scaffold safety, pricing, and accountability; performed random inspections and hazard interventions.
- As Safety Tech: Inspected workplaces and equipment for regulatory compliance; anticipated and corrected hazards; implemented and monitored safety programs.
- As Timekeeper: Tracked attendance/hours, calculated man-hours and rates, maintained training records and employee files.
Builder/Carpenter & Equipment Operator
4 Years- Built, modified, and inspected scaffolding systems; completed JSAs/permits, mitigated hazards, briefed teams on safety, and executed work safely.
- Operated excavators, backhoes, forklifts, mulchers, and other heavy equipment for pipeline right-of-way clearing, component placement, and site preparation.
- Performed daily PMCS, safety briefs, blueprint verification, and progress reporting while maintaining equipment and preventing incidents.
Detention Officer
1 Year- Maintained security, conducted counts/searches, enforced procedures, and documented activities in a high-discipline environment.
Education
High School Diploma
Skills
Team Leadership & Supervision
Production Planning & Execution
Safety Program Implementation & Mentoring
Training
Coaching & Performance Management
Root Cause Analysis & Issue Resolution
Blueprint Reading & Quality Inspection
Equipment Operation & Maintenance (Laser cutters
press brakes
welders
heavy equipment)
Process Improvement & Blocker Removal
Shift Handover & Cross-Functional Coordination
OSHA Compliance & Clean-as-You-Go Standards
Certification
- Certifications: Construction Site Safety Supervisor | Construction Site Safety Technician | OSHA 30
- NCCER Verification #: 17321564
LANGUAGES
English (Fluent – Read, Write, Speak)
Spanish (Fluent – Read, Write, Speak)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
References available upon request. Strong track record of safety focus, team development, and delivering results under pressure.
Timeline
Lead Sheet Metal Technician
SpaceX
08.2021 - CurrentRead More
Scaffold QC/Inspector & Safety Roles
Wood Group Duval LLC, PMI Inc., and related contractors
01.2018 - 01.2020Read More
Builder/Carpenter & Equipment Operator
Multiple contractors (Brock Group, Fluor, ISI, Longhorn, Oryx Oil Field Services, etc.)
01.2014 - 01.2018Read More
Detention Officer
Starr County
01.2013 - 01.2014Read More
Water Treatment Specialist / Supervisor
U.S. Army
01.2007 - 01.2026Read More
Sheet Metal Technician
SpaceX
Read More
Scottsbluff High School
High School Diploma
Read More