Welding Inspector

Overview of Responsibilities

The salary for this role is £57,117 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) Onsite working is expected for 5 days each week.

This role is based at Culham, Oxfordshire 

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)  including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. 

The Role

Are you an experienced Welding Inspector looking to apply your expertise to technically challenging engineering projects where quality, precision and innovation are critical?

UKAEA is seeking a Welding Inspector to play a key role in assuring the quality and integrity of welding and materials joining activities across our engineering programmes. Working with specialist teams, internal stakeholders, external partners and suppliers, you will help ensure welding activities and completed welds meet the highest standards of quality, safety and technical compliance.

This is an opportunity to work in an environment where conventional engineering solutions are not always enough. You will support work involving complex components and novel material combinations, applying recognised international codes and standards while helping UKAEA develop the industrial capability required to deliver world-leading fusion research and engineering.

As a recognised specialist within your field, you will provide technical guidance, maintain robust inspection and quality controls, support the development of colleagues and contribute to the continued improvement of welding and inspection practices across UKAEA.

Key Responsibilities

Welding Inspection and Technical Assurance

• Conduct pre-weld, in-process and post-weld visual inspections to ensure welding activities comply with engineering drawings, specifications, approved procedures and relevant codes and standards.
• Carry out dimensional checks of completed welds and verify weld preparations, fit-up and dimensions against engineering requirements.
• Verify parent materials and welding consumables against documentation and identification markings, maintaining appropriate material traceability.
• Verify preheat, interpass temperature, post-heat and other in-process welding parameters against specified requirements.
• Confirm that post-weld heat treatment has been completed in accordance with the applicable specification.
• Interpret engineering drawings, weld drawings and welding symbols to determine inspection and acceptance requirements.
• Apply technical knowledge of weld defect formation and assess acceptability against applicable written specifications and standards.

Compliance and Quality Control

• Ensure approved welding procedures are available, appropriate and correctly applied during production activities.
• Verify that welding activities are undertaken by suitably qualified and approved welders.
• Witness welder and welding procedure approval tests, including the preparation of test pieces and associated destructive testing.
• Verify Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) reports and, where appropriately qualified, interpret radiographic results.
• Maintain appropriate quality assurance standards, procedures, inspection controls and auditable records throughout welding activities.
• Certify compliance and provide final acceptance where specification requirements have been satisfactorily achieved.
• Support effective management of engineering risk and safety requirements within the scope of welding inspection activities.

Technical Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Provide specialist welding inspection advice and guidance to engineering colleagues, projects and stakeholders.
• Supervise Visual Welding Inspectors and coordinate or review work undertaken by less experienced colleagues within the area of specialism.
• Check and sign off relevant work completed by others to maintain quality, consistency and compliance.
• Support the development of colleagues through technical guidance, coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Set and monitor appropriate standards within the area of responsibility, helping to establish and maintain best practice.
• Undertake technical investigations into welding-related issues, identify appropriate solutions and make recommendations within the scope of the role.
• Identify opportunities to improve welding, inspection and quality processes and contribute to the development of improved engineering methods and techniques.

Reporting, Projects and Stakeholder Engagement

• Prepare, maintain and control comprehensive welding inspection reports, records and supporting quality documentation.
• Work closely with engineering teams to ensure a shared understanding of technical requirements, inspection outcomes, risks and progress.
• Engage effectively with internal and external customers, suppliers, collaborators and professional networks on welding and technical matters.
• Support assigned projects and work packages, ensuring technical deliverables are achieved to the required specification, quality, timescale and cost parameters.
• Contribute specialist expertise to multidisciplinary and cross-discipline engineering projects, including work undertaken for external customers.
• Maintain the high professional and technical standards expected when representing UKAEA with high-value stakeholders, customers and partners.
• Occasional national and international travel may be required.