Welding Co-ordinator

Welding Co-ordinator

Location: Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 Industry: Rail / Rolling Stock / Heavy Engineering Maintenance Contract: Temp-to-Permanent Pay Rate: £20.01 per hour PAYE Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Thursday Working Hours: 07:00 - 16:00 Overtime: Regular overtime available, including Friday mornings and additional hours

The Opportunity An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Welder or Welding professional looking to take the next step into a technical coordination and leadership role within the rail industry. Working within a busy freight maintenance and heavy engineering environment, the Welding Co-ordinator will provide technical oversight of welding activities, maintain welder competence and certification, and ensure welding operations meet the required quality, safety and regulatory standards. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced welder who is ready to step back from full-time hands-on welding and develop their career within technical leadership, quality and compliance. Initially offered on a temporary basis with the opportunity to become permanent, this role provides the chance to play a key part in maintaining the technical standards and integrity of both company and third-party assets.

Key Responsibilities

Welding Co-ordination & Technical Oversight Coordinate and oversee welding activities across freight maintenance operations. Ensure welding is carried out in accordance with approved Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and qualified welding techniques. Work with welding service providers to develop and maintain WPS and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR). Review and approve welding procedures for structural repairs to freight wagon underframes, including MIG welding on steel.

Act as the technical point of contact for welding-related issues affecting structural integrity, safety or regulatory compliance. Welder Competence & Qualification Maintain accurate records of welder qualifications and certification in accordance with BS EN ISO 9606. Organise and coordinate periodic welder competence assessments and practical welding tests. Arrange requalification testing for welders working on cast steel components in line with required maintenance intervals. Provide technical guidance and support to welders, apprentices and engineering personnel. Quality, Compliance & Inspection Support internal and external audits in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. Conduct welding inspections and review associated technical documentation. Investigate welding-related non-conformances and support corrective actions. Lead internal quality audits to verify the traceability and documentation of welding repairs. Support investigations into defects identified through NDT (Non-Destructive Testing), including welds on bogie frames. Ensure welding activities comply with applicable rail and welding standards, procedures and customer requirements.

Documentation & Traceability Maintain full traceability of welding activities, including materials, welding processes, personnel and inspection results. Manage weld maps, repair records, inspection documentation and test certificates. Maintain accurate digital records of welding activities undertaken on assets prior to their return to service. Ensure all welding documentation is complete, accurate and readily available for audit and compliance purposes. Technical Support & Continuous Improvement Support root cause analysis of welding defects and repeat failures. Identify opportunities to improve welding quality, processes and working practices. Deliver toolbox talks covering safe welding practices, quality requirements and environmental controls, particularly when welding outdoors.

Promote a strong culture of safety, quality, compliance and continuous improvement. Provide additional hands-on support during periods of resource shortage where required.

Essential Experience We are looking for an experienced welding professional with a strong understanding of welding coordination, quality and compliance. You should ideally have: Significant experience in welding supervision, inspection or coordination within rail, rolling stock, heavy engineering or a similar regulated engineering environment. Practical experience of welding processes used in the repair and maintenance of freight wagons, bogies and associated components. Knowledge of BS EN 15085 - Welding of Railway Vehicles and Components. Knowledge of RIS-2700-RST rail welding requirements. Understanding of BS EN ISO 14731 - Welding Coordination: Tasks and Responsibilities. Experience working within an ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certified environment. Experience supporting or participating in third-party audits, certification processes and compliance verification. A strong understanding of welding quality, inspection, traceability and welder competency requirements. The confidence to communicate technical requirements effectively to welders, engineers, management and external stakeholders.

Qualifications & Certifications The following qualifications would be advantageous but are not essential: HNC/HND or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Welding Engineering or a related discipline. CSWIP 3.1 or 3.2 Welding Inspector certification, or equivalent. Level 4 EAL Responsible Welding Co-ordinator (RWC) or similar welding coordination qualification. NEBOSH or IOSH qualification.

Why Consider This Opportunity? This is more than a traditional welding role. It is an opportunity for an experienced welding professional to use their technical knowledge in a position focused on welding coordination, competence, quality assurance and technical leadership. If you're an experienced welder who wants to reduce the amount of physical, hands-on welding while taking the next step towards technical management and leadership, this could be an excellent career move. Apply now to discuss this Welding Co-ordinator opportunity and the route from temporary to permanent employment.

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