Summary: Palmer Foundry is seeking a highly skilled, AWS-certified welder with a strong background in aerospace welding to join our aluminum foundry team. This role focuses on precision weld repair of aluminum sand and investment castings used in flight-critical applications, correcting casting defects and restoring dimensional integrity to meet aerospace quality standards within an AS9100 environment.

This position may require access to export-controlled technology or software source code that is subject to export controls restrictions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and will therefore be required to meet eligibility criteria under ITAR and EAR regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform welding in accordance with AMS 2694, Group IVB, and AWS D17.1/D17.1M, as required by the applicable job, drawing, purchase order, or welding procedure
• Perform TIG (GTAW) weld repair on aluminum castings to correct porosity, cold shuts, cracks, and other casting defects
• Select proper filler metal and technique based on aluminum casting alloy (e.g., 356, A356, 357, 206, 201) and part specification
• Read and interpret casting drawings, weld repair maps, and engineering specifications
• Coordinate with NDT/inspection (X-ray, FPI) to identify defect locations and verify repairs meet acceptance criteria
• Blend, grind, and dress repaired areas to restore original casting contour and surface finish
• Support heat treat and stress-relief cycles as required for repaired castings
• Maintain and calibrate welding equipment
• Document repairs per AS9100/ISO quality systems and maintain full traceability records
• Collaborate with engineering, foundry, and quality teams on repair procedure qualification and nonconformance resolution
• Mentor junior welders and support training initiatives
• Maintain a clean, safe work environment per OSHA standards, including safe handling of foundry heat and equipment

Qualifications

• Current qualification/certification, or demonstrated ability to successfully qualify, for welding applicable aluminum alloys in accordance with AMS 2694, Group IVB
• Current qualification/certification, or demonstrated ability to successfully qualify, in accordance with AWS D17.1/D17.1M requirements applicable to assigned aerospace welding
• Minimum 10 years of hands-on aerospace welding experience
• Demonstrated expertise TIG welding aluminum castings and repairing common casting defects (porosity, shrinkage, cracks, cold shuts)
• Working knowledge of aluminum casting alloys and their weldability characteristics
• Strong blueprint reading and GD&T interpretation skills
• Experience working within AS9100 or similar aerospace quality management systems
• Comfort working in a foundry environment (heat, sand/investment casting processes)
• High school diploma or equivalent; formal welding/technical training preferred
• Ability to pass a welder qualification test on company equipment and aluminum casting repair procedures

Technical Skills

• Prior experience welding for an aluminum casting foundry
• Familiarity with X-ray and fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI) acceptance criteria for castings
• Prior work for a Tier 1/Tier 2 aerospace or defense casting supplier
• Familiarity with Nadcap-audited welding processes
• CWI (Certified Welding Inspector) credential

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

• Aluminum casting alloys (356, A356, 357, 206, 201) and their weldability, heat-treat response, and cracking tendencies
• Common casting defects: porosity, shrinkage, cold shuts, hot tears, inclusions, and their root causes
• AWS D17.1 aerospace welding specification and applicable customer/casting repair specs
• AS9100 quality system requirements and documentation/traceability standards
• NDT methods relevant to castings (X-ray, fluorescent penetrant inspection) and their acceptance criteria
• Heat-treat and stress-relief cycles as they relate to post-weld casting integrity
• GD&T and blueprint/weld symbol interpretation
• Filler metal selection principles for aluminum alloys
• OSHA safety standards relevant to foundry and welding environments
• ITAR/export control basics as they apply to aerospace manufacturing

Skills

• TIG (GTAW) welding proficiency on thin-section and complex-geometry aluminum castings
• Precision manual dexterity for small, cosmetic, or hard-to-access repairs
• Grinding/blending technique to restore original casting contour and surface finish
• Weld equipment setup, calibration, and troubleshooting
• Reading and executing repair maps/work instructions accurately
• Documentation and record-keeping (repair logs, traceability paperwork)
• Basic mentoring/instructional skill for training junior welders

Abilities

• Ability to visually and dimensionally assess a defect and determine the correct repair approach
• Ability to maintain consistent weld quality across repetitive, detail-intensive repairs
• Ability to pass and maintain welder qualification/certification testing
• Ability to collaborate effectively with quality, engineering, and inspection teams
• Ability to identify when a defect is beyond repairable limits and to escalate appropriately
• Strong attention to detail and judgment under quality-critical, zero-defect-tolerance conditions

Physical and Work Environment Requirements

• Ability to work in an industrial foundry environment involving heat, noise, dust, moving equipment, and varying temperatures.
• Ability to walk and stand for extended periods and access production and equipment areas throughout the facility.
• Ability to climb stairs, ladders, and work around industrial machinery as required.
• Ability to lift and/or move equipment, tools, and components consistent with established company safety practices.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs,
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).

 Key Performance Indicators

Quality / Repair Effectiveness

• First-pass repair acceptance rate (repairs passing X-ray/FPI re-inspection without rework)
• Repair rework rate (% of repaired castings rejected or requiring a second repair)
• Weld defect recurrence rate (same defect type reappearing post-repair)
• Scrap rate attributable to welding (castings scrapped due to weld-related issues)

 Productivity / Throughput

• Average repair cycle time per casting (or per defect type)
• Castings/repairs completed per shift or per week
• Rework-adjusted throughput (accounting for redo work, not just raw output)

 Compliance / Process Discipline

• Weld procedure adherence (audit findings tied to AWS D17.1 / customer specs)
• Documentation accuracy and completeness (traceability records, repair logs)
• On-time completion of required certifications/requalification (AWS cert renewal, periodic weld qualification tests)

 Cost Impact

• Cost of rework/scrap attributable to this role
• Material (filler metal) usage vs. standard/expected consumption

The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.

Palmer Foundry also complies with federal employment eligibility verification laws through the E-Verify process. To verify identity and legal authority to work in the U.S., on their first day of employment, employees must present either a document which establishes both identity and work authorization (e.g., a U.S. Passport or Permanent Resident Card), or provide one document for identity (e.g., a state-issued driver's license) and one for work authorization (e.g., a U.S. Social Security Card). All documents must be unexpired and presented in original form to Palmer Foundry for the completion of Form I-9 and the E-Verify process.