Traveling Certified Welding Inspector

JGM; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off and holidays

Travel, lodging, per diem

Job summary

JGM is seeking an experienced AWS-Certified Welding Inspector to join the Quality team as a Traveling CWI. This full-time, field-based role requires frequent travel to erection sites across the country to test welders and inspect structural steel welds, ensuring every joint meets code and project specs.

You'll collaborate with erectors, welders, project engineers, and external inspectors, prepare thorough documentation, and maintain qualification records on the road, staying compliant and ready

Qualifications

• AWS CWI certification is required.
• 3–5 years of hands-on weld inspection experience.
• Solid knowledge of AWS D1.1 and AISC standards; familiarity with ASTM specs.
• Experience reviewing WPS/PQR/WPQ documents and maintaining records.

Responsibilities

• Perform visual and dimensional weld inspections on structural steel per AWS D1.1 and project specs.
• Conduct WPQ testing and verify WPS/PQR are current and followed.
• Test and requalify welders and maintain qualification records.
• Review erection drawings and weld maps to ensure design intent.
• Coordinate with NDE/NDT technicians for advanced weld testing and review reports.

Skills

CWI Certification

Welding inspection

Blueprint reading

Travel readiness

NDE familiarity

Tools

Microsoft Office

QC Tracking Software

Job description

About The Role

JGM is looking for an experienced, AWS-Certified Welding Inspector to join our Quality team as a Traveling CWI. This is a 100% field-based, traveling role — you\'ll be on the road and on active erection sites across the country, testing welders, inspecting structural steel welds, and making sure the paperwork behind every joint holds up to code. You\'ll work directly with erectors, welders, project engineers, and outside inspection agencies at each site to keep quality on track from first pass to final sign-off, then move on to the next project.

What You\'ll Do

• Perform visual and dimensional weld inspections on structural steel members in accordance with AWS D1.1, AISC 360, and applicable project specifications.
• Conduct welder performance qualification (WPQ) testing and verify Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR) are current and being followed correctly.
• Test and requalify welders as needed, and maintain accurate, up-to-date qualification records for all welding personnel.
• Review erection drawings, weld maps, and specifications to confirm welds and fit-up meet design intent during field erection.
• Coordinate with NDE/NDT technicians (UT, MT, PT, RT) for weld testing beyond visual inspection, and review resulting reports for completeness and accuracy.
• Document all inspections, non-conformances, and corrective actions clearly and thoroughly — inspection reports, weld logs, NCRs, and daily QC reports that hold up to client and AHJ scrutiny.
• Assemble and maintain quality documentation packages (mill certs, WPS/PQR/WPQ records, NDE reports, inspection reports) for project turnover and client submittal.
• Serve as the on-site point of contact for third-party inspectors, AHJs, and client quality representatives; help resolve field and shop welding issues in real time.
• Flag discrepancies between project specifications and code minimums, and loop in the Director of Quality on anything outside your authority to resolve.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective action reporting when quality issues come up.
• Travel continuously between active job sites nationwide as project schedules require, often on short notice and for extended durations.

What You Bring

• Current AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification — required.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of hands-on weld inspection experience in structural steel fabrication and/or erection.
• Solid working knowledge of AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code and AISC fabrication/erection standards; familiarity with ASTM material specifications.
• Experience testing and qualifying welders, and reviewing/verifying WPS, PQR, and WPQ documentation.
• Comfortable reading structural drawings, weld symbols, and connection details, and catching discrepancies before they become field problems.
• Working familiarity with NDE methods (UT, MT, PT, RT) — you don\'t have to run the equipment, but you need to know what the reports are telling you.
• Strong written communication — your inspection reports and NCRs need to be clear enough that anyone downstream understands the issue and the fix.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook); comfortable picking up project documentation or QC tracking software.
• Willing and able to travel 100% of the time, including extended overnight and multi-week assignments away from home, with a valid driver\'s license.
• Able to pass a background check and drug screen; JGM is a drug-free workplace.
• Additional certifications a plus: ASNT Level II (UT/MT/PT), AISC/IAS fabricator inspection experience.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Regularly works outdoors on active construction/erection sites, in varying weather and temperatures, at a different site or region as assignments rotate.
• Ability to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and work at heights while following all fall-protection and site safety requirements.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. and remain on your feet for extended periods.
• Required to wear all applicable PPE (safety-toed footwear, gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard hat, high-visibility vest, etc.).
• Good vision (corrected or uncorrected) sufficient to detect weld defects, read gauges, and interpret drawings; ability to work in areas with dirt, dust, fumes, and noise typical of a fab shop or job site.

Why JGM

JGM is an AISC-certified structural steel fabricator and industrial construction company with deep Pennsylvania roots and a national field footprint. We take pride in the work that leaves our shops and the crews who put it in place — this role sits right at the center of that, making sure every weld we sign off on is one we\'d stand behind.

• Competitive pay, commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Paid time off and holidays
• Travel, lodging, and per diem covered per company policy — this is a fully field-based traveling role

Training and support toward continuing certifications