Certified Welding Inspector II (AWS CWI) — Charleston, WV

Construction Material Testing; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Construction Material Testing seeks a Certified Welding Inspector II to oversee structural weld inspections, review WPS/PQR, witness welder qualifications, and direct NDT. The role requires current AWS CWI and 2+ years of inspection under it.

Work spans fabrication shop and field erection, including high-strength bolting. Reports and IBC Chapter 17 records are part of the position, with potential ICC certifications as a plus.

Qualifications

• Current AWS Certified Welding Inspector with 2+ years of inspection experience.
• Working knowledge of AWS D1.1 and at least one of D1.5, D1.8, ASME IX, or API 1104.
• ICC structural steel and bolting certification preferred.
• Ability to defend a rejection to a fabricator and document it for retest.

Responsibilities

• Perform and sign visual weld inspection with accept/reject authority per code.
• Review WPS, PQR, and welder qualification records.
• Witness welder qualification tests.
• Direct and interpret nondestructive testing.
• Write inspection and nonconformance reports for engineer and building official.
• Inspect fabrication shops and field erection, including high-strength bolting and base plate grouting where certified.
• Write reports per the special inspection program.
• Serve as IBC Chapter 17 record for structural steel on special inspection projects.

Skills

AWS CWI

Welding inspection

Code compliance

NDT coordination

Report writing

Education

AWS CWI Certification

ICC Structural Steel Certification

Tools

NDT equipment

UT testing

Job description

A Certified Welding Inspector II holds the accept/reject authority on structural steel, pipe, and fabricated-assembly welding: inspecting to AWS D1.1, D1.5, D1.8, ASME Section IX, or API 1104 as the project requires, witnessing welder performance qualification tests, reviewing WPS and PQR documents, directing NDT, and signing the inspection reports that the engineer of record and the building official rely on. A current AWS CWI is required; ICC structural steel and bolting certification is a strong plus.

Responsibilities: Perform and sign visual weld inspection with accept/reject authority to the governing code; Review WPS, PQR, and welder qualification records; witness welder performance qualification tests; Direct and interpret nondestructive testing; disposition indications and write repair instructions; Inspect fabrication shops and field erection, including high-strength bolting and base plate grouting where certified; Write inspection reports and nonconformance reports for the engineer of record and the building official.

Qualifications: Current AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) with 2+ years inspecting under it; Working command of AWS D1.1 and at least one of D1.5, D1.8, ASME IX, or API 1104; ICC structural steel and bolting special inspector certification preferred (sponsored if not held); Able to defend a rejection to a fabricator and document it so the retest closes.

What a week in this job looks like:

Your week moves between the fabrication shop and the erection site: witnessing a welder qualification test on Monday because the erector added a crew, inspecting complete-joint-penetration welds on moment connections and calling UT on the ones that need it, reviewing the shop's WPS package before a new joint detail starts, and writing the reports the special inspection program requires. Rejections happen; the report and the repair instruction are what make them cost a day instead of a week. On special inspection projects you are also the IBC Chapter 17 record for structural steel: what you sign goes to the building official.

Certifications, training, and where this leads:

CWI II leads to Senior Certified Welding Inspector III with the AWS SCWI credential, and into quality management on steel-heavy programs. Sponsored training covers ICC steel and bolting, additional codes, and NDT Level II in UT and MT.

Pay, schedule, and travel:

Pay runs $38 to $52 an hour depending on certifications held, verified experience, and the program you are assigned to. Welding inspection follows the erector's and the fabricator's schedule: early starts, night shifts on some industrial work, and overtime when steel is going up. Texas positions are dispatched from the Sugar Land headquarters; project-site positions elsewhere are staffed on a project basis with travel and per diem as assigned, and the listing for your city says which one it is.

Safety, quality, and the standards we work under:

Welding inspection is performed to the code the project specifies and reported under our documented AASHTO R18 quality system; on IBC special inspection projects the reports go to the building official under Chapter 17. Accept/reject decisions are made to the code, not to the schedule. The safety side is real: work at height, confined spaces, hot work, and active erection. Fall protection, confined-space, and site-specific training are provided and required.

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider every applicant without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.