Senior Project Engineer - Weld

Vermeer Corporation • Pella, IA

9h • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Project Engineer - Weld leads and develops welding technicians and engineers and advances welding processes across Vermeer products and manufacturing areas. The role leads complex welding, department-improvement, and capital projects, setting scope, evaluating alternatives, justifying investments, and coordinating resources to achieve quality, cost, and timing goals.

Working with engineering, operations, and plant leadership, this position improves weld quality, productivity, and lead time through lean principles, cell layout, equipment utilization, and appropriately scaled automation, including weld robotics. The role also leads research, testing, and implementation of advanced welding methods, materials, and equipment, assessing feasibility and manufacturing readiness.

The position develops welding guidelines, instructions, quality requirements, standards, and training, and resolves complex application questions with quality and safety specialists. It guides weld-joint design, design for automation, fatigue life, manufacturability, and distortion analysis, and leads root-cause and failure analysis across engineering, production, service, and warranty, coordinating testing and corrective actions.

Requirements

• Four-year degree in Welding, Materials Joining, Manufacturing or Metallurgical Engineering and 10 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced knowledge of GMAW, FCAW, SAW, and GTAW processes, welding metallurgy, material science, CAD, and technical drawings.
• Experience resolving complex weld-design, manufacturability, and failure-analysis challenges.
• Experience developing welding quality systems, interpreting standards and acceptance criteria, and training others to apply requirements consistently across products or manufacturing areas.
• Strong project-management, root-cause-analysis, and communication skills.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and justifying and implementing capital projects.
• Experience managing and developing direct reports as a shepherd leader.
• Ability to influence engineering and operations partners and align team priorities with department goals.
• Experience evaluating and implementing advanced welding methods, materials, equipment, or automation, including feasibility and manufacturing readiness.
• AWS Certified Welding Inspector or equivalent, or ability to obtain it within the first year in the position.
• Occasional travel is expected.

Nice To Haves

• Senior Certified Welding Inspector certification.
• Certified Welding Supervisor certification.
• Certified Welding Engineer certification.
• Professional Engineer certification.
• Other relevant certifications.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop assigned welding technicians and engineers, model Vermeer’s culture, and align team priorities with department goals.
• Lead complex welding, department-improvement, and capital projects across products or manufacturing areas; define scope, evaluate alternatives, justify investments, and coordinate resources to meet quality, cost, and timing goals.
• Partner with engineering, operations, and plant leadership to improve weld quality, productivity, and lead time using lean principles, cell layout, equipment utilization, and right-sized automation, including weld robotics.
• Lead research, testing, and implementation of advanced welding methods, materials, and equipment, including robotic welding systems; assess feasibility and manufacturing readiness and recommend technology priorities.
• Develop welding guidelines, instructions, quality requirements, standards, and training, and resolve complex application questions with quality and safety specialists to support compliance.
• Guide weld-joint design, design for automation, fatigue life, manufacturability, and distortion analysis.
• Lead root-cause and failure analysis for engineering, production, service, and warranty, coordinating testing and corrective actions to improve designs, processes, and guidelines.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior