Bit Welder- Hardfacing (Nights)

About the role

National Oilwell Varco is a leading supplier of drilling products worldwide, a Fortune 500 company with a global HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) program and a strong commitment to employee safety. Products are used by major energy and service companies to drill and complete oil & gas wells globally.

Location: 500 Conroe Park West Dr, Conroe, TX 77303.

The Conroe facility produces downhole products for North American drilling activities, operating 24/7 in a 300,000 sq. ft. air-conditioned fabrication facility equipped with new CNC machines (Mazak, Mori Seiki, DMG Mori, Weiler, etc.) and a strong safety program.

Team culture emphasizes collaboration, respect, integrity, and accountability, with a focus on building strong work relationships and ensuring employees feel appreciated.

Responsibilities

• Use a variety of equipment and welding processes, including but not limited to Arc, Hardfacing, Brazing, and Tacking.
• Weld and hardface components on weld positioner.
• Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
• Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces to ensure conformance with specifications.
• Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
• Weld separately or in combination, using hardfacing powders, rods, and other alloys.
• Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux according to specifications.
• Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.
• Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure to obtain desired flames.
• Determine required equipment, welding methods, and welding techniques.
• Monitor fitting, burning, and welding processes to avoid overheating, warping, shrinking, distortion, or expansion of material.
• Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
• Chip or grind off excess hardfacing using hand grinders or other equipment.
• Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
• Position and secure workpieces using hoists, cranes, or hand tools.
• Preheat workpieces prior to welding using torches or heating furnaces.
• Guide and direct flames or electrodes on or across workpieces to melt or build up metal.
• Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
• Clean or degrease parts using wire brushes, portable grinders, or degreaser.
• Analyze engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and operations.
• Perform repair work as needed, such as repairing bits with minor hardfacing.

Requirements

• Ability to work 12-hour shifts on your feet (with lunch and two breaks).
• 2+ years of experience in a machine shop or manufacturing facility preferred.
• Experience reading part drawings/blueprints preferred.
• Know proper use and care of manufacturing equipment.
• High school diploma (minimum requirement).
• Experience with hardfacing operations a plus.
• Be able to follow engineering prints and specifications.
• Be able to use a computer as necessary to obtain specifications and prints.
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, or abilities in: production and processing, quality control analysis, reading comprehension, control precision, manual dexterity, near vision, problem sensitivity, teamwork & collaboration, reliability & adaptability, problem solving, communication, integrity, initiative, stress tolerance/resilience.

Skills

• Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
• Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
• Hardfacing with powders, rods, and alloys
• Brazing and tacking
• Blueprint and engineering drawing interpretation
• Use of hoists, cranes, and positioning equipment
• Operation of hand and power tools (grinders, wire brushes, degreasers)
• Preheating with torches or furnaces
• Inspection and measurement for conformance
• Computer literacy for accessing specifications and prints

Benefits

• Competitive wages
• Opportunities for professional and personal growth and learning
• Great health and wellness benefits
• Vacation, sick, and holiday pay