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Job Description

Overview

As a 2nd Shift Combination Fitter/Welder at Steel America, a division of Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc., you will be responsible for both fitting and welding tasks in the shipyard and heavy industrial environments. This role involves fabricating, assembling, and welding metal components according to specifications and blueprints, ensuring structural integrity and precision.

Responsibilities

  • Precisely measure, cut, shape, and align metal components using hand tools, power tools, and fabrication equipment.
  • Assemble structural parts and frames according to blueprints and specifications.
  • Perform high-quality welding using various techniques, including MIG, TIG, stick, and flux core welding.
  • Ensure welds meet industry standards and specifications.
  • Accurately read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and technical drawings.
  • Apply tack welds to hold components in place before final welding.
  • Inspect fitted and welded components to ensure they meet project specifications.
  • Maintain welding and fitting equipment, ensuring it is in good working order.
  • Collaborate with other tradespeople and departments to complete projects.
  • Effectively perform work on multiple projects concurrently.
  • Mentor department employees and other assigned crew members.

Requirements

  • Must have at least 5 years of experience in both fitting and welding, preferably in a marine or shipyard environment.
  • Proficient in various welding techniques and metal fabrication processes.
  • Strong understanding of shipbuilding and repair practices.
  • Must be proficient in metalworking, welding, and blueprint interpretation.
  • Must be able to lift heavy materials, work at heights, and operate in confined spaces.
  • Must be proficient in Stick Welding (SMAW) and Flux Core Welding (FCAW) techniques.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Position is located onsite in Norfolk, VA.
  • Will often require hours beyond a standard work week with flexible schedule availability.
  • Position may require limited travel.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Norfolk, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $32/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $32/hr median for welding jobs in Norfolk, VA, whose middle half runs $29–$35/hr across 16 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 56% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Norfolk, VA

We're tracking 28 other active welding openings in Norfolk, VA right now, from 17 different employers. 6 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 180 other active welding openings from 114 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Norfolk, or widen the search to Virginia.

Colonna's Shipyard currently has 7 other openings 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 HII (7), Colonna's Shipyard (7), and Mission Technologies, 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 $41/hr, Portsmouth at $41/hr, and Staunton at $34/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, TIG, Stick, 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.

Similar openings near Norfolk, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. 1st Class Combination Fitter/Welder (2nd Shift) - Steel America (Job ID: 1473) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.