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Welder III

Location: Richland, WA
Company: Columbia Energy & Environmental Services, Inc.
Employment Type: Full-time, Non-Exempt

About Columbia Energy

Columbia Energy & Environmental Services, headquartered in Richland, WA, is a well-established small business with over 30 years of experience supporting the nuclear, defense, energy, and hazardous waste industries. Originally founded to assist with nuclear cleanup efforts at Hanford, we have since grown into a full-service engineering, design, and fabrication company serving both federal and commercial clients.

Our success is built on technical precision, teamwork, and integrity. We take pride in maintaining a strong reputation for quality and compliance while fostering a collaborative, safety-focused work environment.

Why Join Columbia Energy?

At Columbia Energy, our fabrication team works on technically complex and meaningful projects in a safety-driven environment. We value craftsmanship, accountability, and pride in work. This role offers competitive wages, comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to contribute to high-quality fabrication efforts that support important national missions.

Position Overview

We are seeking a full-time Welder III to join our fabrication team at our Richland, WA facility. This role performs advanced welding and fabrication work requiring a high degree of skill, independence, and technical judgment.

The Welder III reads and interprets complex blueprints and engineering plans and uses drawings, travelers, and work plans to determine proper weld sequencing to minimize distortion and warpage caused by heat input. This role is responsible for laying out, cutting, fitting, prepping, tacking, and welding components in accordance with drawing requirements and qualified Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) defined in each job's Fabrication, Inspection, and Test Plan (FITP).

The Welder III ensures completed components safely meet or exceed blueprint configurations, tolerances, and quality requirements while maintaining a strong focus on safety, documentation accuracy, and workmanship.

Essential Responsibilities & Duties

• Perform welding on critical and support equipment in accordance with qualified Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS)
• Perform structural welding on parts and components per project travelers, engineering drawings, work orders, and applicable specifications
• Read, understand, and follow WPS requirements, welding symbols, and fabrication documentation
• Apply working knowledge of AWS and ASME codes to ensure compliance with drawing and specification requirements
• Apply working knowledge of GD&T to accurately fabricate components to drawing tolerances
• Fabricate, fit, tack, and weld parts in accordance with project documentation, with minimal supervision
• Select proper WPS, filler metals, shielding gases, and welding processes based on material type and job requirements
• Determine proper welding sequences to prevent or minimize distortion and warpage
• Fabricate weld fixtures, templates, and work aids as required for complex welding projects
• Perform multiple welding processes as required, including FCAW, GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW, including pre- and post-weld heating when specified
• Assemble basic mechanical equipment, structural components, and piping systems
• Perform self-verification of welded parts and assemblies prior to inspection to ensure work meets or exceeds acceptance criteria
• Interface with QA/QC, engineering, and customer personnel to support inspections and resolve technical issues
• Measure work pieces to verify dimensional accuracy and acceptability per drawing and specification requirements
• Remove burrs, sharp edges, rust, and scale from work pieces as required
• Maintain accurate weld records and ensure all required documentation is completed and kept current as work progresses
• Report unsafe conditions, unsafe equipment, or quality concerns promptly
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area
• Perform all duties in a safe and professional manner and in accordance with company policies and procedures
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Eight (8) or more years of welding experience with demonstrated welding qualifications; or a combination of four (4) or more years of experience and an Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology or equivalent
• Ability to pass multiple Columbia Energy welding qualification tests
• Extensive working knowledge of welding materials, processes, and procedures
• Ability to safely operate welding equipment, tools, machinery, and shop equipment
• Ability to read, write, and comprehend verbal instructions and written technical documentation
• Ability to perform shop math required for layout and fabrication, including fractions, decimals, and basic geometry
• U.S. citizenship required due to the nature of government contracts
• Ability to pass an employment record review, criminal background check, and drug screen (drug- and alcohol-free workplace)
• Reliable transportation to and from work

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in R&D or prototype fabrication environments
• Experience working under NQA-1 or ASME Section VIII quality programs
• Experience performing welds regularly subjected to nondestructive testing such as UT and RT
• Ability to weld pipe, sheet metal, and structural steel

Key Success Attributes

• Strong attention to detail and workmanship
• Team-oriented approach with the ability to collaborate effectively
• Positive attitude that contributes to a respectful, productive work environment
• Ability to maintain a steady, efficient pace throughout the work shift
• Self-motivated with the ability to perform well with varying levels of supervision

Physical Requirements

• Frequent standing, walking, bending, squatting, and lifting
• Ability to lift, carry, and move up to 50 lbs
• Ability to use hands and arms repetitively to handle tools, materials, and equipment
• Ability to work at heights, climb ladders and stairs, and operate from platforms or man lifts using appropriate fall protection
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection, respirators, gloves, safety vests, and leather work boots
• Ability to work in hot, cold, and damp environments

Working Conditions

• Performed in a shop, construction, and occasional field environment
• Fast-paced, deadline-driven atmosphere with a strong emphasis on safety and quality
• Occasional work at vendor locations or industrial job sites as required

Equal Opportunity Employer

Columbia Energy is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal and state law.