Sr. / Principal Welding Process Engineer

Dixon Valve

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Hydrasearch is looking for a Senior / Principal Welding Process Engineer to join our team in Stevensville, MD. In this role you will be a senior technical contributor responsible for developing welding and joining capabilities that support Hydrasearch's aerospace, naval, and defense programs. This role focuses on solving complex manufacturing capability gaps and establishing the technical infrastructure required for growth in regulated markets. This is a hands-on engineering capability development role centered on process development, qualification, and technical problem solving. You will work within a small, highly capable technical team executing rapid cycles of development, validation, and production transition. The successful candidate must balance the speed of a "builder" environment with the technical rigor required to maintain compliance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field.
10+ years or equivalent experience in welding engineering or welding process development within compliance-driven manufacturing environments.
Deep knowledge of welding metallurgy, various welding processes, and inspection methods (VT, PT, RT, UT).
Extensive experience qualifying welding procedures and developing welder certification programs.
Thorough understanding of AS9100 special process requirements.
A "builder" mindset with a bias toward execution over discussion and the ability to work effectively in small, fast-paced teams.
Travel may be required, both domestically and internationally.

Nice To Haves

Experience with defense or naval welding standards, specifically NAVSEA Tech Pub 248/278.
Certified Welding Engineer (CWE) 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 and solve manufacturing capability gaps limiting growth and develop internal welding knowledge and standards.
Drive rapid cycles of 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 ensure manufacturability and prevent late-stage rework.
Support the development of joining processes including welding, brazing, and tube joining.
Support "make vs. partner" decisions and ensure the clean transition of qualified processes into production.