Craft Instructor

Acadian Contractors•Abbeville, LA

About The Position

The Craft Instructor delivers Acadian Contractors, Inc. (ACI)’s established welding and fitting curriculum through hands-on and classroom training for new hires, helpers, and developing craft personnel. The role prepares trainees to perform structural and pipe work to ACI standards across fabrication, construction, offshore, pipeline, and marine scopes. The Instructor also assists with setting up the curriculum and training program and keeping it current as codes, procedures, client requirements, and field needs change. The role combines journey-level welding and fitting expertise with an understanding of ACI’s and its clients’ construction and inspection practices. The Instructor administers welder qualification tests, evaluates trainee progress against defined competencies, and supports ABLE University and craft career pathways. The position works within Organizational Development & Training and coordinates closely with shop superintendents, foremen, and QA/QC. This is a non-exempt, hourly position. Acadian Contractors, Inc. maintains a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity, including for protected veterans. Employment decisions are based on valid job requirements. The policy covers hiring, promotions, transfers, layoffs, recalls, terminations, compensation, training selection, and recruitment.

Requirements

At least 5 years of journey-level welding and fitting experience in industrial fabrication, construction, offshore, or pipeline work.
Proficiency in SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, and GTAW, with demonstrated ability to pass structural and pipe qualification tests in all positions.
Demonstrated structural and pipe fitting ability, including layout, drawing and isometric interpretation, pipe trade math (takeoffs, offsets, and rolling offsets), and fit-up to tolerance.
Working knowledge of AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX, and ASME B31.3 requirements; WPS/PQR/WPQ documentation; weld symbols; and visual inspection acceptance criteria.
Understanding of ACI’s work and industry, including shop fabrication, field construction, offshore platforms, and client quality and inspection expectations.
Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to learners with varied experience levels.
Basic computer skills for training records, evaluations, and reporting.
Ability to work overtime and travel as required between shops, field locations, and training sites.
Commitment to following HSE policies, procedures, best practices, and client-specific site policies.

Nice To Haves

AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) or Certified Welding Educator (CWE).
NCCER Instructor Certification.
Prior experience training, mentoring, or leading craft personnel.
Experience helping build or revise training materials.
Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.
6G qualification experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Teach ACI’s established welding and fitting curriculum according to approved lesson plans, sequence, practical exercises, and competency checklists.
Deliver hands-on instruction in SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, and GTAW for structural and pipe applications, from fundamentals through all-position work.
Teach fitting skills, including layout, measuring, drawing and isometric reading, pipe trade math, fit-up techniques, and the use of fitting aids and torches.
Teach weld symbols, WPS interpretation, preheat and interpass requirements, distortion control, and visual inspection criteria.
Teach ACI shop and field practices, including material traceability, heat numbers, welder stencils, and QC hold points.
Coach trainees in booths, at fit-up stations, and on production work; demonstrate proper techniques and correct errors in real time.
Adapt instruction for new hires, helpers progressing to junior roles, and experienced craft personnel upgrading to new processes or positions.
Prepare test coupons and administer welder qualification tests in accordance with governing WPSs and ACI testing procedures.
Visually examine test welds and coordinate bend testing, radiography, or other required examinations with QA/QC and outside laboratories.
Document welder qualification results and maintain continuity records in coordination with QA/QC.
Evaluate trainee skills against competencies at each career pathway stage and recommend readiness for advancement.
Provide feedback on struggling trainees and develop remediation plans with foremen and superintendents.
Assist in setting up the curriculum and training program, including organizing modules, lesson materials, practical exercises, test plates, and competency checklists.
Assist with establishing the training area layout, equipment, and material needs required to deliver the curriculum.
Review curriculum content regularly and recommend updates when WPSs, codes, client specifications, equipment, or ACI procedures change.
Identify curriculum gaps using trainee results, QA/QC feedback, repair rates, NCR/CAR trends, and production feedback from shop and field leadership; submit recommended revisions.
Draft updated lesson materials, exercises, and checklists as assigned and route them for review and approval before use.
Maintain version control so only current, approved curriculum materials are used in the training area.
Support alignment of the curriculum with ABLE University, craft career pathways, and welding and fitting competency assessments.
Maintain the welding and fitting training area, machines, booths, ventilation, and equipment in safe working condition; report deficiencies and needs.
Manage training consumables, test material, filler metals, and gases, following filler-metal storage and issue controls.
Enforce safe work practices, PPE use, hot-work requirements, and fume control in the training area; model safe behavior.
Maintain accurate training attendance, evaluation, and qualification records and submit them to the Training Department.
Coordinate training schedules with the Training Department, superintendents, and foremen to minimize production impact.
Perform additional duties as directed by the Supervisor.
Embrace, lead, and demonstrate Acadian F.I.R.S.T. Vision & Mission Statement core values.
Demonstrate proactive safety processes, including JSA, Time Out, and TEAM BBS Observations, to support an incident-free workplace and advance the safety culture.
Follow HSE Management System policies, procedures, best practices, and client-specific site policies.
Be accountable for HSE results and support team members through coaching and mentoring to achieve goals.
Accept coaching and take ownership of improving HSE processes based on feedback and ongoing mentorship.