Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

PRINCIPAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST - STAFF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST - Pressure Vessel, Structural Welding

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) • $100K — $130K *
San Antonio, TX 78228In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
11 - 15 years of experience
Reposted Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Welding Technology, Welding Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or related field; or 25+ years of relevant experience and high school diploma/alternative education.
  • Certified Welding Inspector certification required.
  • 15+ years of expertise in developing and applying welding procedures per AWS, ASME, and customer standards, with extensive hands-on experience across welding processes and materials.
  • 15+ years of independent technical judgment in weld process selection and non-conformance resolution.
  • 10+ years of experience in training, mentoring, and evaluating welders as a subject matter expert.
  • 15+ years of proficiency in inspection planning and quality evidence generation, ensuring compliance and readiness.

Responsibilities

  • Act as the primary technical authority for welding execution to ensure manufacturability and quality of welded assemblies.
  • Oversee and evaluate welding activities, implementing corrective actions as needed and verifying procedural compliance.
  • Assess and communicate technical risks and readiness concerning welding and fabrication tasks.
  • Contribute technical insights for cost, schedule, and feasibility assessments on proposals, based on execution experience.
  • Develop and maintain welding procedures and records, ensuring compliance with internal and external quality standards.

Benefits

  • Great opportunity for professional growth by collaborating across teams with engineering and project stakeholders.
  • Engage in innovative projects involving complex pressure vessel and structural assembly technologies.
  • Play a key role in mentoring and developing the next generation of welding professionals.
Full Job Description
  • Apply advanced principles, theories and concepts to welding and fabrication execution, leading project fabrication efforts by translating design intent into qualified, repeatable welding processes for large pressure vessels and structural assemblies.
  • Ensure conformance of welded assemblies to approved procedures, dimensional requirements, and pressure-boundary quality standards.
  • Lead fabrication efforts involving complex or critical welds with internal teams and external customers including weld qualification and risk mitigation.
  • Develop, refine, and standardize welder training and qualification programs for high-strength steels, stainless alloys, nickel alloys, and other specialty materials used in pressure and structural applications.
  • Develop workforce planning, mentoring, and skill development strategies to ensure execution readiness for current and future programs.

  • Serve as subject matter expert for welding execution; lead collaboration between design and fabrication teams to ensure manufacturability, compliance, and quality of welded assemblies.
  • Using Certified Welding Inspector expertise, lead weld team quality improvement activities including development of corrective action and confirmation of procedural compliance.
  • Independently assess and communicate technical risk, readiness, and execution status related to complex or critical welding and fabrication activities.
  • Lead fabrication proposal efforts, evaluating cost, schedule, and feasibility assessments, leveraging execution experience.
  • Develop, qualify, revise, and maintain welding procedures, records, and objective quality evidence, ensuring compliance with internal quality programs and external standards.

  • Requires a Bachelors degree in Welding Technology, Welding Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology or related Technology degree. In lieu of a Bachelors degree, 25+ years of related experience a high school education or equivalent and continued education/certifications are required.
  • Must be a Certified Welding Inspector.
  • 15+ years: Demonstrated expertise in the development, qualification, interpretation, and application of welding procedures in accordance with AWS, ASME, and customer-specific codes and standards. Extensive hands-on experience across multiple welding processes and materials, with emphasis
  • 15+ years: Recognized ability to exercise independent technical judgment in weld process selection, acceptance criteria interpretation, and resolution of non-conformances.
  • 10+ years: Proven capability to train, mentor, and technically evaluate welders, serving as a subject matter expert rather than line supervision.
  • 15+ years: Advanced proficiency in inspection planning, CWI-level evaluation, and objective quality evidence generation, ensuring traceability and audit readiness.
  • A valid/clear driver's license is required.

About Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is a non-profit research and development organization headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The institute was founded in 1947 and has since grown to employ over 3,000 people across multiple locations in the United States. SwRI provides research and development services to a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, and energy. The institute's research areas include automation and data systems, chemistry and chemical engineering, and space science and engineering. SwRI has a long history of working with government agencies, including NASA and the Department of Defense, as well as private companies.
Learn more about Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
* Ladders Estimates

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