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Job Description

Overview

Trident Maritime Systems is seeking a highly skilled Production Welder (Shop) – Class A to support fabrication operations in a controlled shop environment. This role focuses on table-top welding and repeat production work, requiring exceptional weld quality, efficiency, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

  • Perform FCAW (Flux Core), GMAW (MIG), and GTAW (TIG) welding on a variety of materials in a shop environment
  • Execute table-top fabrication and welding in a controlled production setting
  • Consistently produce high-quality welds that meet or exceed quality standards with minimal to no rework
  • Perform multi-pass welds on both standard and complex weldments with proper bead placement and sequencing
  • Maintain first-time quality standards and support overall shop efficiency
  • Perform grinding, cleaning, and finishing of welds to meet production and quality expectations
  • Interpret and execute work instructions, blueprints, and weld symbols with minimal supervision
  • Maintain productivity levels to meet or exceed daily and weekly production goals
  • Assist with fit-up tasks and support workflow as needed
  • Support team development by sharing knowledge, assisting less experienced welders, and promoting quality and productivity standards
  • Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area
  • Comply with all company safety, quality, and operational procedures

Requirements

  • 8+ years of welding experience
  • 2+ years of shop-based welding experience (fabrication shop preferred)
  • Minimum of five (5) welding certifications across multiple welding processes
  • Must be proficient in FCAW (Flux Core) and GMAW (MIG) welding processes
  • Advanced GTAW (TIG) welding capability required, including work on carbon steel and stainless steel
  • Experience welding additional materials such as copper-nickel and aluminum is highly desirable
  • Ability to consistently produce high-quality, multi-pass welds with minimal to no rework
  • Ability to perform welding operations with little to no supervision while maintaining production efficiency and quality standards
  • Strong understanding of weld quality standards, bead profile, and proper technique
  • Must be able to pass company-required welding tests (MIL-SPEC / NAVSEA standards as applicable)
  • Strong work ethic and ability to perform in a production-focused environment
  • Ability to support team development and work effectively within a team environment
  • Experience reading and interpreting blueprints and weld symbols

Additional Information

  • Work is performed in a controlled shop environment (not field or shipboard work)
  • Welding is primarily performed at tables and fixtures (table-top welding) in seated or standing positions
  • Regularly required to stand, walk, bend, kneel, and perform repetitive tasks
  • Ability to lift to 50 lbs. as required
  • Must be able to safely operate welding equipment, grinders, and related tools
  • Exposure to typical shop conditions including noise, heat, and welding fumes
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How this job compares in Newport News, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Newport News, VA currently run a median of $38/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $29–$41/hr across 8 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Newport News, VA

We're tracking 21 other active welding openings in Newport News, VA right now, from 10 different employers. 2 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 153 other active welding openings from 94 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Newport News, or widen the search to Virginia.

Trident Maritime Systems currently has 1 other opening live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Colonna's Shipyard (8), Mission Technologies, a division of HII (7), and Newport News Shipbuilding, A Division of HII (6). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $38/hr, Norfolk at $32/hr, and Richmond at $29/hr. Newport News is among them.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, TIG, and Flux-Core work. MIG (GMAW) feeds a continuous wire electrode through a shielding-gas nozzle. It lays down metal fast and is forgiving on clean material, which is why it dominates production and light fabrication work. TIG (GTAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with filler added by hand, giving the operator the most control of any process. It is slow, demanding, and the standard for stainless, aluminum, and anything where the bead has to look as good as it holds.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • NAVSEA — the Naval Sea Systems Command welding standards used on US Navy shipbuilding and repair. Qualification is yard-specific and typically comes with a background check.

Read straight from this posting's text. Confirm the exact qualification the employer wants before you test — requirements vary by shop even under the same code.

Similar openings near Newport News, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Welder- Class A figures were last recalculated when this page was built.