Welding Engineer

Virginia Transformer Corp; Roanoke (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Employee referral program

Job summary

Virginia Transformer Corp in Roanoke, VA is seeking a Welding Engineer to support our manufacturing operations. This role will be hands-on on the shop floor, driving welding process improvements, standardizing methods, and optimizing layouts to boost productivity and quality.

The successful candidate will collaborate with Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance to implement practical solutions that advance Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Welding Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years welding/manufacturing/industrial engineering experience.
• Strong knowledge of welding processes and codes.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and improve welding procedures and processes.
• Create WPS, PQR, and qualification documentation.
• Provide hands-on technical support to welding/fabrication operations.
• Troubleshoot defects and optimize welding parameters and fixtures.
• Standardize processes across welding and fabrication operations.
• Support line balancing, layout design, and waste reduction initiatives.

Skills

Welding knowledge

Troubleshooting

Hands-on on shop floor

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Welding Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

GMAW/MIG

FCAW

GTAW/TIG

Job description

On the Heels of Achieving 3X Growth, Virginia Transformer Is Hiring to Do It Again!

Virginia Transformer is the largest U.S.-owned manufacturer of power transformers in North America. After successfully achieving 3X growth, we are entering our next aggressive growth cycle—expanding our capabilities, strengthening our manufacturing operations, and investing in the people and processes that will power our next stage of growth.

Our transformers support the critical infrastructure that keeps America running, including utilities, renewable energy, industrial operations, and the rapidly expanding data center market.

We are looking for driven professionals who want to make an impact in a fast-paced, Engineer-to-Order manufacturing environment where safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity matter every day.

One Team. One Mission. One Source.

Position Summary

Virginia Transformer is seeking a Welding Engineer to support our manufacturing operations in Roanoke, Virginia.

This is a highly hands-on engineering position responsible for supporting and improving the welding, fabrication, and manufacturing processes used in the production of custom power transformers.

The Welding Engineer will work closely with Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Quality, Production, Maintenance, and other technical teams to improve welding processes, standardize manufacturing methods, optimize workstation layouts, improve material and production flow, and drive measurable improvements in productivity and quality.

This is not a desk-focused engineering position. The successful candidate will spend significant time on the manufacturing floor working directly with welders, supervisors, engineers, and production leadership to identify problems and implement practical solutions.

The position will play an important role in advancing Virginia Transformer's World Class Manufacturing priorities for Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity.

Key Responsibilities

Welding Engineering & Technical Support

• Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve welding procedures and manufacturing processes.
• Create and maintain Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), Procedure Qualification Records (PQR), and supporting qualification documentation.
• Support the qualification of welding procedures and welding personnel.
• Provide daily, hands‑on technical support to welding and fabrication operations.
• Troubleshoot weld defects, distortion, fit‑up issues, cracking, porosity, penetration, and other welding‑related production problems.
• Establish appropriate welding parameters, joint designs, filler materials, heat input requirements, and process controls.
• Support welding of carbon steel, stainless steel, transformer tanks, structural assemblies, and other fabricated components.
• Apply knowledge of GMAW/MIG, FCAW, GTAW/TIG, and other applicable welding processes.
• Assist in developing welding fixtures, tooling, and manufacturing methods that improve repeatability and reduce distortion.
• Support robotic and automated welding applications where appropriate.
• Ensure welding processes comply with applicable AWS, ASME, customer, engineering, and internal quality requirements.

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering

• Standardize Manufacturing Engineering and Industrial Engineering processes across welding and fabrication operations.
• Lead workstation redesign and layout optimization to improve ergonomics, safety, efficiency, quality, and productivity.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and implement improvements that increase throughput and streamline production flow.
• Improve the movement of materials, people, tools, and products throughout welding and fabrication operations.
• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks, unnecessary movement, waiting time, rework, excess handling, and other forms of manufacturing waste.
• Develop standardized work methods and support consistent execution across shifts and manufacturing areas.
• Conduct process observations, time studies, cycle‑time analysis, and workflow evaluations.
• Support line balancing, workstation organization, and manufacturing capacity improvements.
• Evaluate welding equipment, tooling, fixtures, workstation design, and automation opportunities.
• Work directly with production teams to improve welding consistency, productivity, throughput, and quality.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Perform root‑cause analysis and develop corrective actions for welding and manufacturing‑related quality issues.
• Partner with Quality Engineering to improve first‑pass quality, reduce defects, and minimize rework and scrap.
• Analyze recurring manufacturing problems and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, standardized work, waste reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support Virginia Transformer's World Class Manufacturing initiatives and operating priorities.
• Develop measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity.
• Establish appropriate process controls and manufacturing standards to sustain improvements.

Production & Team Support

• Maintain a strong presence on the manufacturing floor and work directly with welders, supervisors, and production leadership.
• Train and coach welders, supervisors, and production personnel on welding standards, standardized work, process controls, and manufacturing best practices.
• Support new product introductions and engineering changes affecting welded assemblies.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Operations to resolve production issues.
• Maintain appropriate welding documentation, manufacturing standards, specifications, and process controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Welding Engineering, Welding Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• 3+ years of welding, manufacturing, or industrial engineering experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of GMAW/MIG, FCAW, GTAW/TIG, and related welding processes.
• Experience in a fabrication, heavy manufacturing, capital equipment, or Engineer-to-Order manufacturing environment strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of carbon steel and stainless‑steel welding.
• Understanding of welding metallurgy, heat input, distortion control, weld defects, joint design, and welding process parameters.
• Familiarity with AWS D1.1 and other applicable welding codes and standards.
• Experience with workstation design, manufacturing layout, process flow, standardized work, and productivity improvement.
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing, waste reduction, cycle‑time improvement, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, welding symbols, GD&T, and manufacturing specifications.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem‑solving, and root‑cause analysis capabilities.
• Ability to translate engineering concepts into practical manufacturing‑floor solutions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with hourly production employees, engineers, supervisors, and plant leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification.
• Certified Welding Engineer or equivalent welding certification.
• Experience with large welded structures, tanks, electrical equipment, transformers, heavy industrial equipment, or Engineer-to-Order manufacturing.
• Experience with robotic or automated welding systems.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, standard work, time studies, line balancing, and process‑flow optimization.
• Demonstrated success improving productivity, quality, throughput, workstation efficiency, manufacturing flow, and first‑pass yield.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for an engineer who wants to be where manufacturing happens.

The ideal candidate will go to the shop floor, observe the process, talk directly with the welder and production team, understand the problem, determine the root cause, and implement a solution that produces measurable results.

This individual should be equally comfortable solving a technical welding problem and evaluating the broader manufacturing process—including workstation layout, material flow, standardized work, cycle time, ergonomics, quality, and productivity.

Success in this role will be measured by improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity and by the candidate's ability to help Virginia Transformer advance its World Class Manufacturing objectives.

Virginia Transformer offers a competitive benefits package, including:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Employee referral program