Coatings Inspector III (AMPP CIP Level 3) — Arlington, VA

Construction Material Testing; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Construction Material Testing is seeking a Coatings Inspector III to lead coatings quality across projects, writing specifications and inspection plans, and guiding owners and engineers on system selections. The role requires AMPP (NACE) CIP Level 3 certification, 8+ years in coatings inspection including supervision, and experience with failure investigations and audits of applicators.

A PCS credential is preferred; expect travel to sites, coordination with lab work, and daily collaboration

Qualifications

• AMPP (NACE) CIP Level 3 certification required and in good standing; 8+ years in coatings inspection including supervision.
• Experience in coating failure investigations.
• AMPP PCS preferred; broad coating experience across industrial, water/wastewater, marine, infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Review and write coating specifications, inspection and test plans, and quality requirements.
• Investigate coating failures with field evaluation, sampling, lab coordination, and written findings.
• Audit applicators and coating suppliers; supervise Level 1 and 2 inspectors.
• Advise owners and engineers on coating system selection, service life, and maintenance.

Skills

Coatings inspection

Supervision

Failure investigation

Coatings specifications

Industry standards AMPP/NACE

Education

AMPP (NACE) CIP Level 3 certification

AMPP Protective Coatings Specialist (PCS) preferred

Job description

A Coatings Inspector III is the senior authority on protective coatings across projects: reviewing and writing coating specifications and inspection and test plans, investigating coating failures, auditing applicators and coating suppliers, supervising Level 1 and 2 inspectors, and advising owners and engineers on coating system selection and quality requirements. AMPP (NACE) CIP Level 3 is required; failure analysis experience and a Protective Coatings Specialist credential are strong pluses.

Responsibilities: Review and write coating specifications, inspection and test plans, and quality requirements; Investigate coating failures: field evaluation, sampling, laboratory coordination, and the written finding; Audit applicators and coating suppliers; qualify inspection subcontractors; Supervise and develop Level 1 and 2 inspectors across projects; calibrate their acceptance standards; Advise owners and engineers on coating system selection, service life, and maintenance planning.

Qualifications: AMPP (NACE) CIP Level 3 certification, current, with 8+ years of coatings inspection including supervision; Coating failure investigation experience; AMPP Protective Coatings Specialist (PCS) preferred; Broad experience across industrial, water/wastewater, marine, and infrastructure coatings; Writes specifications and findings that hold up with owners, applicators, and manufacturers.

What a week in this job looks like:

Less gauge work, more judgment: a failure investigation on a tank lining that blistered after two years, an applicator audit before a bridge repainting package is awarded, a specification review where the engineer picked a system that will not survive the service, and a Level 2 inspector's report that needs a second look before it goes to the owner. You still get in the tank when the question demands it. You are also the practice's coatings reference — the systems that work in Gulf Coast humidity, the applicators that hold profile, and the specifications that keep failing for the same reason.

Certifications, training, and where this leads:

Coatings Inspector III is a senior technical seat. The path from here is leading the coatings inspection practice, or coatings quality management embedded with an industrial or municipal owner.

Pay, schedule, and travel:

Pay runs $55 to $75 an hour depending on certifications held, verified experience, and the program you are assigned to. Coating schedules follow the weather and the outage calendar: early starts to catch the dew point window, night shifts on some industrial turnarounds, and extended days when a tank has to go back in service. 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:

Coatings inspection is performed to the project specification and the SSPC/NACE and AMPP standards it references, and reported under our documented AASHTO R18 quality system. Readings are reported as taken; a hold point is not released on a promise. The safety side includes confined-space entry, respiratory protection around blasting and solvents, and work at height; the training is provided and the requirements are not optional.

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.