Principal Welding Engineer

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Principal Welding Engineer to oversee welding operations for large, fabricated vessels and structures, primarily made of austenitic stainless steel, for our Hermes iterative development program. Daily responsibilities will include monitoring & driving fabrication progress, managing WPS and PQRs, monitor welder performance, and performing inspections of weldments to support manufacturing and assembly operations. A Senior Certified Welding Inspector (SCWI) certification from AWS is required for this position.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate within manufacturing and engineering to develop welding specifications and procedures adhering to applicable codes and standards.
• Advise engineering teams, welding teams and vendors on welding methods and the interpretation of weld symbols.
• Lead the Design for Manufacturing (DfM) and Design for Inspectability (DfI) reviews of proposed engineering designs of weldments. Provide feedback to design engineers to improve designs towards reduced fabrication cost and improved in-service inspectability where needed.
• Provide feedback from welding team to design engineers regarding recommendations for improved manufacturability.Review engineering drawings and documentation to ensure the correct materials are used and specifications met.
• Ensure compliance with welding specifications of all welding activities taking place at our Albuquerque, NM facility.
• Provide quality assurance supervision over welding and non-destructive testing (NDT) vendors.
• Identify and troubleshoot potential issues in our welding processes.
• Coordinate across the company and vendors to successfully deliver projects.
• Review, validate, and manage WPS & PQRs, as well as inspection outcomes and material test reports from vendors.
• Coordinate and conduct in-process inspections of weldments according to internal and industry specifications (ASME Section III, V, VIII, IX, AWS D1.1, D1.6, B31.1, 31.3)
• Work with design engineers to define scope and intent of development projects to align with design teams’ expectations and protect feasibilities of fabrication team while managing to avoid scope creep and cost overruns
• Oversee training of technicians and welders in the use of welding equipment including mechanized weld equipment.
• Identify, procure, and commission new weld equipment including mechanized or automated hardware.
• Duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in weld engineering, or related field
• AWS SCWI certification + 10 years experience in welding operations, weld inspection and fabrication of large assemblies
• Welding/inspection experience of austenitic stainless steels and other high alloyed steels
• Experience in petrochemical, nuclear, power generation, or aerospace manufacturing environment preferred
• NDT certifications preferred but not required.
• Radiographic film interpretation
• Dedication to safety to mitigate industrial hazards
• Experience working in a dynamic research and development (R&D) environment
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work with highly collaborative team
• Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently
• Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others
• Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge
• Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges, and issues

Physical Conditions 

• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like
• Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders)
• Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
• Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 50 pounds in all directions
• Communicating with others to exchange information
• Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
• Use hand tools
• Repetitive assembly operations of manufacturing test fixtures and test setups in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams 

Environmental Conditions 

• General office environment
• Low temperatures
• High temperatures
• Outdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind 
• Noisy environments
• Small and/or enclosed spaces
• Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
• Evaluated heights
• Accessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
• High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE 

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes

Travel 

• Some travel may be required 20%

Additional Requirements 

• Occasionally requires overtime
• Seldom requires working weekends
• Occasionally requires schedule flexibility
• Seldom requires non-standard work-week hours 
• Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

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