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Job Description

Overview

MANTECH seeks a motivated, career customer-oriented Lead Aerospace Structural Welder to join our team in Panama City, FL. This is an onsite position.

Responsibilities

  • Lead a team of welders and fabricators in support to the US Navy LCAC maintenance and modification program.
  • Perform precision welding on aerospace components using TIG, MIG, and other welding techniques.
  • Interpret blueprints, technical drawings, and specifications to determine welding requirements.
  • Conduct structural repairs and modifications to aluminum, stainless steel, and inconel components.
  • Ensure all welds meet quality standards and comply with applicable codes and procedures.
  • Perform post-weld inspections, including visual and non-destructive testing (NDT), as required.
  • Collaborate with engineering and quality assurance teams to resolve technical issues.
  • Maintain detailed welding records, inspection logs, and fabrication documentation.

Requirements

  • High School Diploma or equivalent.
  • 7+ years of experience in welding/fabrications maintenance, repair, or modification to air cushion vehicles, aircraft, or U.S. Navy shipboard mechanical systems.
  • 5+ years of concurrent experience supervising welding/fabrication maintenance and repair of air cushion vehicles or aircraft.
  • Demonstrated experience implementing, maintaining and leading a robust welding quality control program.
  • Experience in welding metallurgy, welding techniques, and quality control practices.
  • Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, welding symbols, and technical specifications.
  • Experience in MIG/TIG welding of aluminum, stainless steel, and Inconel components.
  • Must possess current NAVSEA Welding Certifications for aluminum, stainless, and inconel and certifications in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT); or ability to pass the NAVSEA certification test in NDT and welding techniques for listed metals within first 6 months of employment.

Additional Information

  • U.S. Citizenship required and an active Secret security clearance or ability to get an Interim Secret before starting.
  • Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50%.
  • Needs to frequently move about industrial and fabrication areas, including climbing, kneeling, and lifting up to 50 lbs.
  • Frequently communicates with co-workers, management, and customers, which may involve briefings or technical discussions.
  • Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
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How this job compares in Panama City, FL

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Florida currently run a median of $28/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $25–$32/hr across 118 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 Panama City, FL

Panama City, FL currently has 6 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 3 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Florida as a whole we're tracking 264 other active welding openings from 130 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Panama City, or widen the search to Florida.

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

The most active employers in Florida at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in Miami, FL (22), Honeywell Technologies (13), and BAE Systems (11). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Florida, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Miami at $35/hr, Cape Canaveral at $32/hr, and Jacksonville at $32/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and TIG 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.

See all aerospace welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

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 Panama City, FL

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