The Shop Welding Engineer is the technical authority for welding process, quality, and productivity in H+M's pipe fabrication shop. This role owns the welding process end-to-end — procedures, qualifications, and troubleshooting — and serves as the primary technical liaison between welders, the Fab Shop Manager, and the Fab Shop Superintendent. The role also leads evaluation and implementation of welding automation and new fabrication technology, and provides day-to-day support to shop leadership on production performance, RFIs, and budget/schedule tracking
Welding Process Leadership (Primary Focus)
• Serve as the technical expert and first point of contact for welders on process, procedure, and troubleshooting questions.
• Own and maintain Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), Procedure Qualification Records (PQR), and Welder Performance Qualifications (WPQ) in accordance with applicable codes (ASME Section IX, API 1104, AWS D1.1 as applicable to scope).
• Lead root-cause investigation and corrective action on weld defects, rework, and NDE rejections; track and report trends to shop leadership.
• Partner with QA/QC on weld inspection criteria, NDE coordination, and disposition of nonconformances.
• Support welder qualification testing and coordinate with training/certification programs to build bench strength on the welding team.
• Drive continuous improvement in weld quality, first-pass yield, and productivity through process standardization and best-practice documentation.
Welding Automation & New Technology
• Lead evaluation, justification, and implementation of welding automation and new fabrication equipment (e.g., orbital welding, mechanized/automated welding systems, new consumables or process technology).
• Develop and deliver training for shop personnel on new welding equipment and technology as it is introduced.
• Build the technical and productivity case (cost, cycle time, quality impact) to support capital equipment requests.
Shop Operations Support
• Support the Fab Shop Manager and Superintendent with day-to-day shop operations, standing in as needed on production and technical matters.
• Prepare and present project status updates, including execution performance vs. plan and production efficiency metrics for shop leadership and, as needed, project teams.
• Draft and respond to RFIs involving welding, fabrication process, or shop technical questions.
• Provide input and assistance on shop budget and schedule review, including flagging variances tied to welding productivity, rework, or equipment downtime.
• Assist with resource and workload planning for welding crews across concurrent shop projects.
Safety & Quality
• Model and reinforce H+M's “Take It Personal” safety culture on the shop floor at all times.
• Ensure welding operations comply with H+M safety standards and applicable OSHA, ASME, API, and AWS code requirements.
• Support incident investigation and corrective action related to welding operations as needed.
Required
• Bachelor's degree in Welding Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or related field; OR equivalent combination of technical training and hands-on pipe fabrication/welding experience.
• Working knowledge of welding processes (SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, FCAW, SAW) and pipe fabrication shop operations.
• Familiarity with welding codes and standards applicable to industrial pipe fabrication (ASME Section IX, B31.3, API 1104, AWS D1.1 as applicable).
• Ability to read and interpret isometrics, spool drawings, and welding symbols.
• Strong communication skills — able to work effectively with welders on the floor and report clearly to shop and project leadership.
• Proficiency with standard office/reporting tools (Excel, project tracking systems).
Preferred
• CWI (Certified Welding Inspector) or actively pursuing CWI certification.
• Direct experience with welding automation or mechanized welding equipment implementation.
• Prior experience in a self-perform industrial fabrication shop environment.
• Exposure to project cost/schedule tracking, RFIs, or production reporting in a construction or fabrication setting.
• Career interest in progressing toward shop leadership (Pipe Fab Shop Manager).
• Primarily shop-floor based with regular exposure to fabrication operations; standard PPE required. • Some office-based work for reporting, documentation, and coordination with project teams. • Occasional travel to project sites or vendor facilities for equipment evaluation or training may be required.