Pipeline Lead Quality Inspector

WHC Energy Services; Port Arthur (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

WHC LLC (A Surerus Murphy Company) (WHC) is seeking a Pipeline Lead Quality Inspector to lead field quality activities across pipeline construction. The role ensures work aligns with drawings, specifications, codes, and the project QMS, serving as the primary field quality contact.

The candidate will oversee inspectors, coordinate coverage, monitor progress, and support turnover and final documentation, including NDE, coating, and hydrostatic testing workflows.

Qualifications

• Substantial hands-on experience with pipeline construction and inspection activities.
• Experience as Pipeline Lead Inspector, Chief Inspector, Quality Lead, or similar field leadership position.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, alignment sheets, welding procedures, specifications, MTRs, NDE reports, and redlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate daily pipeline inspection and quality activities across multiple construction crews and work fronts.
• Coordinate inspection coverage for multiple crews, including welding, coating, lowering-in, tie-ins, testing, and other critical construction activities.
• Perform daily review of inspection reports for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timely submission.
• Maintain daily production and quality tracking, including weld counts, NDE status, repairs, coating activities, lowering-in, testing, and other progress.

Skills

Leadership

Inspection coordination

Quality documentation

Reading drawings

Education

API 1169

AWS CWI

AMPP/NACE coating credentials

NDE certifications

OSHA training

Job description

WHC LLC (A Surerus Murphy Company) (WHC), is seeking to recruit a Pipeline Lead Quality Inspector. The Pipeline Lead Quality Inspector is responsible for leading and coordinating field quality activities throughout pipeline construction, ensuring work is performed in accordance with approved drawings, project specifications, applicable codes and standards, contractual requirements, and the project Quality Management System.

This position serves as the primary field quality point of contact and provides technical oversight of inspectors assigned to pipeline construction activities. The Pipeline Lead will coordinate inspection coverage, monitor construction and inspection progress, maintain quality documentation, identify and track deficiencies and repairs, and support turnover and final project documentation.

The successful candidate must possess strong pipeline construction knowledge and be capable of evaluating work from material receipt through installation, welding, NDE, coating, lowering-in, backfill, hydrostatic testing, restoration, and final as-built documentation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Preconstruction and Project Setup

• Review project specifications, IFC drawings, procedures, ITPs, client requirements, and applicable codes and standards to establish field compliance requirements.
• Participate in project kickoff and preconstruction meetings, including review of scope, schedule, work fronts, and quality requirements.
• Confirm hold points, witness points, and client notification requirements identified in the ITP are communicated to Construction, subcontractors, and client representatives prior to the start of work.
• Review welding procedures and supporting PQRs for applicability to project materials, diameters, wall thicknesses, and positions; coordinate welder qualification testing as required.
• Review NDE subcontractor procedures, personnel certifications, and equipment qualifications prior to the start of examination activities.
• Confirm inspection staffing and coverage plan against the construction schedule and work fronts; orient assigned inspectors to project specifications, ITPs, reporting requirements, and documentation expectations.
• Establish and maintain the project Quality shared drive and folder structure so inspection records are complete, properly organized, traceable, and available for turnover.
• Verify calibration status of inspection, testing, measurement, and recording equipment prior to use and throughout the project.

Material Receipt, Handling, and Traceability

• Perform or oversee receiving inspection of pipe, fittings, valves, flanges, and coated materials, including verification of quantities, markings, dimensional conformance, coating condition, and transit or handling damage.
• Verify pipe joint numbers, heat numbers, material grades, wall thicknesses, fittings, valves, flanges, and other components against approved documentation and MTRs.
• Maintain material tracking and traceability from receipt through installation, including MTR verification and heat-number tracking.
• Monitor material storage and handling in the pipe yard and along the right-of-way, including stacking, padding, end protectors, and coating protection.
• Monitor stringing operations to verify correct material, grade, and wall thickness are distributed to the appropriate stationing and crossing locations.
• Inspect and document pipe bending operations, including bend location, orientation, degree of bend, bend radius, dimensional requirements, ovality, wrinkles and buckling, coating condition, and identification and traceability.
• Perform or oversee welder verification, including confirmation of welder qualifications, continuity, applicable welding procedures, processes, positions, diameters, wall thickness ranges, and assigned welder identification.
• Monitor rod and electrode control, including proper storage, handling, issuance, exposure control, and compliance with approved welding procedures.

Nondestructive Examination and Repairs

• Coordinate and review NDE activities, including RT, AUT, UT, MT, PT, or other applicable examination methods.
• Review NDE reports for completeness, proper weld identification, acceptance criteria, disposition, and required signatures and documentation.

Coating

• Verify coating activities including surface preparation, surface profile, environmental conditions, ambient and surface temperature, dew point, coating application, thickness, cure, adhesion, holiday testing, coating repairs, field-joint coating, and associated documentation.

Trench, Lowering-In, and Backfill

• Monitor ditch preparation, trench depth and cover, trench conditions, dewatering, and padding.
• Verify final holiday inspection of the coating prior to lowering-in and confirm repairs are completed and accepted.
• Monitor lowering-in, pipe handling, coating protection, separation requirements, support conditions, and backfill activities.
• Verify installation of warning tape or mesh, line markers, and other buried appurtenances as required by project scope.

Crossings, Tie-Ins, and Specialty Installations

• Inspect tie-ins, road crossings, bores and HDDs, foreign-line crossings, casing installations, casing insulators, end seals, vents, and other specialty pipeline construction activities.
• Coordinate inspection and NDE coverage for final tie-in and closure welds, including any welds not subject to hydrostatic test, and verify examination and documentation requirements are met.

Cathodic Protection and Appurtenances

• Verify installation of cathodic protection components, test stations, anodes, bonding, insulating components, and associated documentation when included in project scope.

Cleaning, Testing, and Commissioning Support

• Review hydrostatic test plans and packages prior to execution to confirm completeness and compliance with project requirements.
• Verify cleaning, gauging, and caliper pig runs, including gauging plate condition, acceptance, and documentation.
• Verify test boundaries, test heads and manifolds, instruments, calibration records, fill volumes, test medium, pressure requirements, stabilization periods, test duration, temperature records, pressure charts and data, leak inspections, and final test acceptance.
• Verify dewatering, drying, and test water disposal are performed and documented in accordance with project and permit requirements.

As-Built Documentation, Restoration, and Turnover

• Maintain as-built information and redlines continuously throughout construction rather than reconstructing them at project completion.
• Review redlines for changes to stationing, weld and joint locations, fittings, valves, crossings, tie-ins, bends, appurtenances, and other installed conditions.
• Inspect and document right-of-way restoration and reclamation activities, including cleanup, grading, erosion control, and permanent marker installation, when included in project scope.
• Support final reconciliation of weld maps, material records, NDE records, coating records, hydrostatic test packages, redlines, and as-built documentation.
• Assist with development and completion of turnover packages and final quality records.
• Ensure deficiencies, punch-list items, NCRs, repairs, and outstanding documentation are closed prior to final turnover.

Ongoing Throughout Construction

• Lead and coordinate daily pipeline inspection and quality activities across multiple construction crews and work fronts.
• Coordinate inspection coverage for multiple crews, including welding, coating, lowering-in, tie-ins, testing, and other critical construction activities.
• Perform daily review of inspection reports for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timely submission.
• Maintain daily production and quality tracking, including weld counts, NDE status, repairs, coating activities, lowering-in, testing, and other applicable construction progress.

Note: In addition to these duties personnel are required to carry out such other duties as may be reasonably required in order to support the objectives of the company.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications

• Preferred certifications and experience may include API 1169, AWS CWI, AMPP/NACE coating credentials, NDE certifications, OSHA training.

Experience

• Should have substantial hands-on experience with pipeline construction and inspection activities and demonstrate working knowledge of welding, NDE, coating, material control, bending, pipeline installation, hydrostatic testing, and construction documentation.
• Previous experience serving as a Pipeline Lead Inspector, Chief Inspector, Quality Lead, or similar field leadership position.

Skills and Knowledge

• Must be capable of reading and interpreting construction drawings, alignment sheets, welding procedures, specifications, MTRs, NDE reports, hydrostatic test documentation, redlines, and applicable codes and standards.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills are required, with the ability to coordinate inspection coverage across multiple crews while maintaining accurate, timely, and traceable quality documentation.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position is field based and often works within remote project locations. Travel and/or living in temporary accommodation is required. Able to work 6 days on, 1 day off shift with 10-hour shifts for the duration of project.