Job Description

Overview

We are sharing a specialised consulting opportunity for experienced metallurgists and welding inspectors with deep expertise in metallographic evaluation, heat treatment, weld inspection, industrial coatings, and additive manufacturing to contribute to advanced AI training and technical evaluation initiatives.

Responsibilities

  • Evaluate metallographic microstructures for material acceptability.
  • Interpret grain structure, defects, and material condition.
  • Compare findings against applicable technical standards.
  • Identify nonconformities requiring rejection or further review.
  • Document metallurgical reasoning clearly and consistently.
  • Review heat treatment processes for technical compliance.
  • Apply AMS 2750 and related specifications to acceptance decisions.
  • Evaluate grain size using ASTM E112 principles.
  • Identify process deviations affecting material performance.
  • Assess heat treatment outcomes against required criteria.
  • Review weld macro etch results and related inspection evidence.
  • Apply AWS CWI acceptance criteria where relevant.
  • Identify weld discontinuities and potential quality concerns.
  • Evaluate weldments for conformity with applicable standards.
  • Provide clear rationale for acceptance or rejection decisions.
  • Assess coating quality against NACE/AMPP and SSPC requirements.
  • Evaluate surface preparation, integrity, and protective performance.
  • Review LPBF additive-manufacturing defects.
  • Analyse build and cross-sectional data for defect disposition.
  • Apply practical judgement to coating and additive-manufacturing scenarios.
  • Apply NADCAP, AWS, ASTM, AMS, NACE/AMPP, and SSPC standards.
  • Review metal samples, weldments, coatings, and additive builds.
  • Produce clear written reports supporting inspection findings.
  • Communicate technical conclusions verbally when required.
  • Support consistent evaluation standards across project workflows.

Requirements

  • 8+ years of hands-on metallurgical or welding-inspection experience.
  • Extensive experience making high-stakes accept/reject decisions.
  • Strong background in metallographic analysis.
  • Experience evaluating micrographs and fracture surfaces.
  • Deep familiarity with heat treatment processes and acceptance criteria.
  • Strong knowledge of AMS 2750 and ASTM E112.
  • Experience with weld macro etch evaluation.
  • Current or prior AWS Certified Welding Inspector credential is highly valued.
  • Equivalent metallurgical or welding certification is also relevant.
  • Advanced familiarity with ASTM, AMS, AWS, and NADCAP standards.
  • Experience with NACE/AMPP and SSPC coating requirements.
  • Practical knowledge of industrial coating inspection.
  • Familiarity with laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing.
  • Understanding of LPBF defect mechanisms and disposition.
  • Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.
  • Excellent attention to detail and ability to explain technical reasoning.
  • Comfortable working independently in remote or digital project environments.

Additional Information

  • Independent contractor engagement.
  • Fully remote.
  • U.S.-based professionals are preferred.
  • Compensation: $80–$130/hour.
  • Work will involve metallographic review, heat-treatment evaluation, weld inspection, coating assessment, and additive-manufacturing defect disposition.
  • Assignments may reference ASTM, AMS, AWS, NADCAP, NACE/AMPP, and SSPC standards.
  • Strong accept/reject judgement and detailed technical reasoning are central to the engagement.
  • Contributors may review micrographs, weld macros, fracture surfaces, coatings, and LPBF build data.
  • Project scope, materials, inspection scenarios, and applicable standards may vary depending on project requirements.
  • Work must be completed without using confidential, proprietary, export-controlled, classified, customer-restricted, or otherwise protected technical information.

How this job compares in New York City, NY

Pay in context

At roughly $103/hr, this posting sits about 220% above the $32/hr median for welding jobs across New York — toward the top of a $26–$40/hr middle band drawn from 67 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 99% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in New York City, NY

New York City, NY is a small market in our index: 1 other active welding opening alongside this one, from 1 employer. Across New York as a whole we're tracking 105 other active welding openings from 72 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across New York.

The most active employers in New York at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in New York, NY (14), Philips (3), and GE Aerospace (3). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within New York, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are New York at $40/hr and Brooklyn at $35/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • CWI — the AWS Certified Welding Inspector credential. It is an inspection qualification rather than a welding one, requiring documented experience plus a three-part exam, and it is the usual route off the torch into QC.

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 New York City, NY

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