Orbital Welding Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Lead Orbital Welder – Stainless Steel & Welding Operations
Monday – Friday, Onsite in Tempe, AZ
Competitive pay based on experience

What You’ll Be Part Of
This is a highly hands-on technical opportunity for an experienced welder who wants to do more than production welding. You’ll play a key role in establishing and growing a stainless-steel welding operation, combining precision orbital and manual GTAW/TIG welding with process development, training, quality, and technical leadership.

Initially, the majority of your time will be focused on production and project welding. As the operation grows, the role will expand into greater responsibility for technical leadership, process development, workforce training, quality, and day-to-day welding operations.

Why This Role Matters
You’ll help build a sustainable welding capability from the ground up. This includes establishing welding processes and standards, selecting equipment and tooling, supporting qualification activities, training and mentoring welders, and developing scalable workflows that can support increasingly complex stainless-steel projects.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished welder with strong technical judgment, initiative, and leadership potential who enjoys building processes and developing people—not simply working within an established welding department.

What You’ll Do

Orbital & Stainless-Steel Welding
• Perform high-quality orbital GTAW/TIG welding on stainless-steel tubing and piping systems
• Set up, program, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain orbital welding equipment and associated tooling
• Perform manual GTAW/TIG welding when required by project specifications or configuration
• Prepare tubing and piping through proper cutting, facing, cleaning, alignment, fit-up, and purging techniques
• Produce consistent, repeatable welds that meet customer, engineering, quality, and applicable code requirements
• Work with stainless-steel tubing, piping, fittings, valves, and fabricated assemblies
• Interpret drawings, isometrics, P&IDs, weld maps, specifications, and fabrication documentation
• Inspect completed work and identify weld defects, contamination, fit-up issues, or process deviations
• Maintain proper material handling, cleanliness, and contamination-control practices for stainless-steel components

Build the Welding Capability
• Help establish and grow stainless-steel orbital welding as an internal capability
• Assist with selecting and standardizing welding machines, orbital weld heads, power supplies, purge equipment, tooling, consumables, inspection equipment, and supporting infrastructure
• Develop repeatable welding practices, setup standards, work instructions, and process controls
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Construction, Manufacturing, and Operations to establish efficient workflows from material preparation through final inspection
• Help establish appropriate shop layout, material flow, segregation, cleanliness, and contamination-control practices
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, weld consistency, quality, and throughput
• Provide practical input for estimating and project planning, including weld requirements, labor hours, equipment, tooling, and production capabilities

Quality & Welding Standards
• Support the development and implementation of Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), Procedure Qualification Records (PQR), and welder qualification requirements, as applicable
• Maintain compliance with customer specifications, internal quality requirements, and applicable welding codes and standards
• Support weld documentation, traceability, weld mapping, inspection records, and qualification records
• Work closely with Quality and Engineering to investigate weld failures, defects, and nonconformances and implement corrective actions
• Promote a culture focused on weld quality, cleanliness, workmanship, safety, and process discipline

Team Development & Leadership
• Serve as the technical lead and subject-matter resource for orbital and stainless-steel welding
• Help identify staffing needs as welding volume increases
• Participate in interviewing and evaluating prospective welders and welding support personnel
• Train, mentor, and develop new welders on welding methods, quality expectations, safety requirements, and customer specifications
• Assess welder capability and provide hands-on coaching to improve technique and consistency
• Help develop a scalable training and qualification program to build a pipeline of qualified welders
• Lead by example and remain willing to work alongside the team as the department grows
• Take on increasing responsibility for workload coordination, technical leadership, day-to-day welding operations, and team performance as business needs expand

Qualifications
• Minimum 5 years of professional GTAW/TIG welding experience, with significant experience welding stainless-steel tubing and/or piping
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with orbital welding equipment and processes
• Strong understanding of stainless-steel welding characteristics, shielding and purge gases, heat input, cleanliness, fit-up, and contamination prevention
• Ability to consistently produce high-quality welds in a production, fabrication, or construction environment
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, piping isometrics, weld symbols, specifications, and related documentation
• Experience setting up, programming, operating, and troubleshooting orbital welding systems
• Strong mechanical aptitude and practical problem-solving skills
• Ability and willingness to remain highly hands-on while simultaneously developing processes and people
• Demonstrated ability or aptitude to train, mentor, and lead skilled tradespeople
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, workmanship, and accountability

Nice to Have
• Experience with high-purity or ultra-high-purity stainless-steel piping systems
• Experience supporting semiconductor, aerospace, chemical-processing, or other high-purity manufacturing environments
• Experience with automated or orbital GTAW systems such as AMI or equivalent equipment
• Familiarity with ASME Section IX, ASME B31.3, AWS standards, or other applicable welding codes
• Experience developing or working with WPS, PQR, WPQ, weld maps, weld logs, and traceability documentation
• Experience with borescope inspection and weld-quality acceptance criteria
• Previous experience as a Lead Welder, Welding Supervisor, Welding Technician, or welding trainer
• Experience helping launch or expand a welding, fabrication, or manufacturing operation

Key Competencies
• Advanced stainless-steel GTAW/TIG and orbital welding knowledge
• Strong understanding of tube preparation, alignment, fit-up, purge practices, shielding gases, tungsten selection, weld parameters, and heat control
• Ability to troubleshoot welding equipment, tooling, weld programs, and process issues
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to repeatable workmanship
• Ability to translate welding expertise into standardized processes that can be taught to others
• Ability to distinguish between a one-time welding solution and a scalable production process
• Effective communication and coaching skills
• Strong sense of ownership and initiative
• Ability to work effectively across Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Construction, and Project Management
• Ability to balance production requirements with uncompromising safety and quality expectations

Other Expectations
• Perform work with a high level of accuracy, accountability, and attention to detail
• Follow established welding, quality, safety, and operational procedures
• Communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment
• Identify and resolve problems proactively without waiting for detailed direction
• Comply with all company policies, procedures, and applicable safety requirements

Physical Requirements
• Ability to stand, bend, kneel, climb, and work in various positions for extended periods
• Ability to safely lift and handle welding equipment, tubing, piping, fixtures, and related materials
• Ability to work in fabrication, manufacturing, cleanroom, and active construction environments as required
• Ability to use appropriate PPE and comply with welding, hot-work, and site-specific safety requirements

Success in This Role
Success will be measured not only by your ability to produce exceptional welds, but also by your ability to help build a sustainable and scalable welding operation.

Over time, you’ll progress from being a primary hands-on technical expert to helping establish standardized processes, develop other welders, increase internal welding capacity, and build a team capable of supporting increasingly complex stainless-steel welding projects.

Benefits
• Full health benefits available upon eligibility
• 401K matching
• Paid time off and paid holidays

Equal Employment Opportunity

Saltera HR is proud to partner with organizations who share our belief that people matter—and that opportunity, fairness, and respect belong in every workplace. We recruit, represent, and refer candidates based solely on qualifications, experience, and alignment with our clients' needs. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by law. We are not the employer of record for this position. Our role is to represent both the client and the candidate with professionalism, integrity, and respect throughout the recruitment process.