Sr. / Principal Welding Process Engineer

The Dixon Group•Stevensville, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Hydrasearch, an affiliate of The Dixon Group, is seeking a senior technical contributor to develop welding and joining capabilities supporting aerospace, naval, and defense programs. The role addresses complex manufacturing capability gaps and establishes technical infrastructure for growth in regulated markets. It is a hands-on engineering capability-development position focused on process development, qualification, and technical problem solving. The engineer will work within a small, highly capable team through rapid cycles of development, validation, and production transition, balancing execution speed with the technical rigor needed to maintain compliance. Hydrasearch is a U.S. manufacturer of fluid-transfer and control systems for maritime, aerospace, and defense applications. Founded in 1962, the company develops hose assemblies, valve fittings, and customer-machined parts, often to MIL-SPEC and naval standards. Work authorization sponsorship is not provided. Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field.
10+ years of experience, or equivalent experience, in welding engineering or welding process development within compliance-driven manufacturing environments.
Deep knowledge of welding metallurgy, welding processes, and inspection methods including VT, PT, RT, and UT.
Extensive experience qualifying welding procedures and developing welder certification programs.
Thorough understanding of AS9100 special-process requirements.
Builder mindset, bias toward execution, and ability to work effectively in small, fast-paced teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with defense or naval welding standards, particularly NAVSEA Tech Pub 248/278.
Certified Welding Engineer (CWE) certification or relevant AWS credentials.
Experience preparing for and supporting NADCAP welding process audits.
Working knowledge of AWS D17.1 and D17.2 for aerospace welder qualification.
Exposure to brazing and tube-joining processes in high-mix, low-volume environments.

Responsibilities

Identify manufacturing capability gaps that limit growth and develop internal welding knowledge and standards.
Drive welding procedure development (WPS), procedure qualifications (PQR), and personnel qualifications (WPQ).
Interpret and apply AWS, ASME, NAVSEA, and customer-specific welding requirements.
Provide early technical input to development teams to support manufacturability and prevent late-stage rework.
Support development of joining processes, including welding, brazing, and tube joining.
Support make-versus-partner decisions and ensure qualified processes transition cleanly into production.
Travel domestically and internationally as required.