PRINCIPAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST - STAFF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST - Pressure Vessel, Structural Welding

Who We Are:

The Mechanical Fabrication Centers Section provides engineered fabrication services for commercial and government customers. We fabricate precision machined components and welded joint assemblies to the most stringent of requirements. We service all technical areas of Southwest Research Institute and are involved in a large cross section of the total of SwRI's and commissioned pressure vessels of various types for land-based, subsea, manned, and unmanned purposes. The Mechanical Fabrication Center executes projects that cover every aspect of SwRI’s slogan “from deep sea to deep space."

Objectives of this Role:

• Serve as a technical authority for welding and fabrication execution, supporting engineering teams by translating design intent into qualified, repeatable welding processes for large pressure vessels and structural assemblies.
• Ensure conformance of welded assemblies to approved procedures, dimensional requirements, and pressure-boundary quality standards through direct technical oversight.
• Provide authoritative technical communication to internal teams and customers regarding welding processes, qualifications, limitations, and risk mitigation.
• Own, refine, and standardize welder training and qualification programs for high-strength steels, stainless alloys, nickel alloys, and other specialty materials used in pressure and structural applications.
• Provide technical input to workforce planning, mentoring, and skill development strategies to ensure execution readiness for current and future programs.
  
  

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary technical authority for welding execution, collaborating with engineering and project teams to ensure manufacturability, compliance, and quality of welded assemblies.
• Provide direct technical oversight of welding activities, including observation, evaluation, corrective action definition, and confirmation of procedural compliance.
• Independently assess and communicate technical risk, readiness, and execution status related to welding and fabrication activities.
• Provide technical input to cost, schedule, and feasibility assessments for proposals, leveraging execution experience rather than engineering cost modeling.
• Develop, qualify, revise, and maintain welding procedures, records, and objective quality evidence, ensuring compliance with internal quality programs and external standards.
  
  

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors degree in Welding Technology, Welding Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology or related Technology degree. In lieu of a Bachelors degree, 25 years of related experience a high school education or equivalent and continued education/certifications are required.
• Must be a Certified Welding Inspector.
• 15 years: Demonstrated expertise in the development, qualification, interpretation, and application of welding procedures in accordance with AWS, ASME, and customer-specific codes and standards. Extensive hands-on experience across multiple welding processes and materials, with emphasis
• 15 years: Recognized ability to exercise independent technical judgment in weld process selection, acceptance criteria interpretation, and resolution of non-conformances.
• 10 years: Proven capability to train, mentor, and technically evaluate welders, serving as a subject matter expert rather than line supervision.
• 15 years: Advanced proficiency in inspection planning, CWI-level evaluation, and objective quality evidence generation, ensuring traceability and audit readiness.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.
  
  

Special Requirements:

Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

Job Locations: San Antonio, Texas