Certified Welding Inspector

About the role

This position oversees all welding practices and is responsible for implementing Burger’s welder qualification program, weld inspections, and associated corrective action program. It also develops and updates existing welding procedures (while strictly following the guidance of paragraph 3 below) to ensure quality and productivity targets are achieved. The position assists in budgeting and provides regular shop-floor weld mentoring and leadership. It reports directly to the Director of Manufacturing and has no direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead the welder qualification program: prospective new hire qualification review and skill evaluations; welder training and work instruction mentoring and enforcement; ongoing welder qualification process tracking and mentoring to achieve improved individual performance.
• Lead all weld department quality assurance activities: coordinate and schedule required repairs or welding rework based on observations and feedback from quality department personnel and the Metals Manager; validate repairs are completed accurately, promptly, efficiently and meet production schedule(s); provide support to quality department personnel; coordinate all inspections with regulatory bodies.
• Drive continuous improvement, use lean techniques, and research new methods and processes to shorten production duration while maintaining Burger’s quality standards; any new standards must be written as a proposed new procedure and delivered for prior approval/rejection to the Metals Manager, Director of Manufacturing, and Director of Engineering; all must agree before implementation.
• Monitor production plan execution, identify performance gaps between budgeted and actual hours, and propose solutions to achieve overall project budgets.
• Provide daily feedback to the Metals Manager on associate performance related to quality, productivity, mentoring for improvements, and use during probationary periods and annual reviews.
• Assist in developing budgetary estimates for new build and rework/refit projects.
• Ensure all safety and environmental policies and procedures are learned and followed by self and associates, including PPE assessments, confined space identification and management, fall protection applications, hot work permitting.
• Demonstrate ability to locate, retrieve, and disseminate information from blueprints, computer files, and other engineering drawings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Three (3) to five (5) years of supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of aluminum and steel welding processes and procedures, especially aluminum and its unique characteristics.
• Five years plus experience in metal fabrication and production involving constructing and repairing metal structures.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements related to industrial welding operations.
• Knowledge of ABS weld procedures and requirements at a minimum.
• Experience in the maritime or shipbuilding industry preferred.
• Certified Welding Inspector Certificate required.
• Ability to work in a shipyard manufacturing environment, routinely use PPE, tools, machinery, and products used in the welding department.
• Regular visits to the production floor requiring climbing stairs and inspecting items in tight spaces.
• Frequent exposure to weld gases, arcs, sparks, flashes, paints, chemicals, fumes, airborne particles, moving mechanical parts, and other production operations; noisy work environment.
• Specific vision abilities: viewing welds through weld shields, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Skills

• Excellent administrative judgment and decision‑making within organizational policies, procedures, and schedules.
• Ability to lead meetings and write professional correspondence effectively; excellent verbal and written communication skills, including listening, talking, and teaching.
• All‑pervasive positive attitude.
• Humility, openness to others’ ideas, sincere appreciation for associates; belief in working for the team.
• Great mentoring and team‑building skills to ensure a culture of positivity, innovation, results, and regular learning.
• Ability to make timely, well‑formed, rational decisions and problem‑solving.