Welding Engineer

Kids for the Future; City of Pewaukee (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Kids for the Future seeks a Welding Engineer to lead welding process development and quality across MWES automation projects. You will mentor Robotic Welding Technicians I and II, review complex weld programs, and drive continuous improvement in weld efficiency and cost.

The role emphasizes hands-on welding expertise, process optimization, and collaboration with Automation and Quality teams to meet customer and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in welding engineering or related field
• 5-8+ years welding engineering or robotic welding leadership
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of welding processes and metallurgy
• Experience developing and qualifying welding procedures and troubleshooting weld issues
• Experience with robotic welding systems and offline programming software
• AWS CWEng/CWI/CWS preferred or a plus
• Mentoring or supervising welding technicians preferred

Responsibilities

• Serve as the go-to technical resource for Robotic Welding Technicians I and II
• Review and approve complex robot weld programs, weld paths, and parameters
• Mentor and train Robotic Welding Technicians I and II on welding metallurgy and robotics
• Provide technical direction and day-to-day oversight to the welding team
• Travel as required to support project commissioning and field service assignments
• Stay current on welding engineering, robotics, and automation best practices
• Comply with all quality and safety regulations and maintain documentation

Skills

Welding engineering

Robotic welding

Leadership

Troubleshooting

Procedure development

Education

Bachelor's degree in welding engineering

Tools

GMAW/MIG

GTAW/TIG

Laser welding

Robot offline programming

Job description

• Employee Type FT Exempt
• Required Degree 4 Year Degree
• Travel 10%

Description

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities, as management may deem necessary from time to time.

Technical Leadership & Mentoring

• Serve as the go-to technical resource for Robotic Welding Technicians I and II when they encounter weld process issues, providing hands-on troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective action guidance.
• Review and approve complex robot weld programs, weld paths, and parameter sets developed by technicians for new or challenging applications.
• Mentor and train Robotic Welding Technicians I and II on welding metallurgy, process fundamentals, and advanced robotic programming techniques; provide input on their skill development and progression.
• Provide technical direction and day-to-day process oversight to the robotic welding team, partnering with the Automation Manager on staffing, scheduling, and performance input.

Process & Procedure Development

• Develop, document, and qualify welding procedure specifications (WPS) and parameters for new materials, joint configurations, and customer processes.
• Select and specify welding processes (GMAW, GTAW, robotic arc welding, laser welding) appropriate to project requirements, balancing quality, cost, and productivity.
• Work with Engineering to design and evaluate weld fixtures, robotic weld cell layouts, and tooling to optimize part access, repeatability, and cycle time.
• Evaluate new welding equipment, consumables, and technologies, and recommend upgrades or changes to improve process capability.

Quality & Compliance

• Investigate weld-related nonconformances, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions in coordination with Quality.
• Ensure welding procedures and practices comply with applicable codes and standards (e.g., AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX) and customer specifications, including requirements tied to defense-adjacent and regulated industries served by MWES.
• Support internal and customer audits related to welding processes and documentation.
• Maintain and update weld procedure and qualification records.

Project & Cross-Functional Support

• Provide technical input to project quoting and estimating regarding weld process feasibility, cycle times, and equipment requirements.
• Partner with Project Engineers and the Automation Manager to meet project schedules and provide timely status updates on weld process readiness.
• Support new equipment integration, robot commissioning, and process validation for new automation cells.
• Travel as required to support project commissioning, customer meetings, or field service assignments.
• Stay current on new developments and best practices in welding engineering, robotics, and automation.
• Comply with all quality and safety regulations.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in welding engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or a related engineering discipline; or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 5-8+ years of progressive experience in welding engineering, welding process development, or robotic welding technical leadership.
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of welding processes (GMAW/MIG, GTAW/TIG, laser welding, robotic arc welding) and welding metallurgy.
• Demonstrated experience developing and qualifying welding procedures and troubleshooting weld process issues in a production or automation environment.
• Experience with robotic welding systems and offline programming software strongly preferred.
• AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng), Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), or Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS) preferred or a plus.
• Prior experience mentoring or supervising welding or robotic welding technicians preferred.
• Familiarity with welding codes and standards such as AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX.

Summary

The Welding Engineer is a supervisor-level technical role that combines deep, hands-on welding process knowledge with a strong engineering background. This position serves as the primary technical authority on weld process development, quality, and troubleshooting, guiding Robotic Welding Technicians I and II through complex weld process issues, developing and validating welding procedures, and driving continuous improvement in weld quality, efficiency, and cost across MWES automation projects. The Welding Engineer works closely with the Automation Manager, Project Engineers, and Quality to ensure welding processes meet customer, code, and contractual requirements.