Welding Applications Engineer I

Department: Engineering
Reports To: Engineering Manager / Project Engineer (1)
Job Type: Full-Time / Travel Required
Location: Bozeman, Montana

About X-Series USA

X-Series USA designs, develops, and supports advanced industrial machinery including fiber laser cutting systems, robotic welding automation, structural steel processing equipment, and custom manufacturing solutions.

From our headquarters in Belgrade, Montana, we focus on research, development, machine productization, applications engineering, and advanced manufacturing technologies that help North American manufacturers improve productivity, quality, and competitiveness.

Engineering is responsible for evaluating, developing, refining, standardizing, supporting, and continuously improving machine platforms across multiple product categories while increasing ownership of machine designs, engineering standards, technical resources, documentation, and intellectual property.

Position Overview

We are seeking a skilled, hands-on welder who is interested in growing into a specialized role supporting our BeamWELD robotic welding system for structural steel fabrication.

This position is ideal for someone with strong welding and structural fabrication experience who wants to expand into automation, commissioning, and customer-facing applications work. You do not need to be a robotics expert on day one — a solid welding foundation and a willingness to learn are the most important requirements.

Applications Engineers are technical subject matter experts responsible for commissioning equipment, developing and validating processes, conducting customer training, supporting demonstrations, and serving as a primary applications resource for customers throughout the United States.

This position requires frequent travel and direct interaction with customers, operators, programmers, and production personnel to ensure successful machine implementation and long-term customer success.

Key Responsibilities

Product & Process Learning

• Develop a thorough understanding of the BeamWELD system including its welding capabilities, safety features, basic programming, and daily operation.
• Become a primary internal resource for running typical BeamWELD jobs and basic troubleshooting.

Welding & Procedure Support

• Set up and run weld trials on structural components such as beams, columns, stiffeners, and plate weldments.
• Assist in developing and refining welding parameters to achieve consistent quality and productivity.
• Support the creation and maintenance of Procedure Qualification Records (PQRs) and Welding Procedure Specifications (WPSs) under the guidance of senior staff.

Commissioning & Installation Support

• Assist with installation and commissioning of new BeamWELD systems at customer facilities.
• Perform and document system calibration, basic functional tests, and initial weld trials.
• Work alongside senior engineers to identify and resolve issues related to the welding process, basic machine hardware, safety devices, and configuration.
• Provide remote support to customers by reviewing photos, videos, weld parameters, and error descriptions to help diagnose and resolve issues.
• When needed, support on-site service visits for more complex problems in coordination with the service and engineering teams.
• Log, track, and follow up on customer issues to ensure they are resolved and that lessons learned are communicated internally.

Customer Training & Demonstrations

• Support training of customer welders and operators on machine operation, weld setup, and routine maintenance.
• Assist with in-house and on-site demonstrations for prospects and customers.

Feedback & Continuous Improvement

• Communicate observations from shop and field use back to engineering and management, including opportunities for product, process, and documentation improvements.
• Contribute to internal guides, parameter charts, and troubleshooting documents as expertise develops.

Applications Resource Development

• Develop and maintain welding parameter libraries.
• Assist in development of a standardized BeamWELD training curriculum.
• Support the creation of troubleshooting guides, quick-reference materials, videos, and customer resources.
• Assist Engineering in validation of new welding processes, consumables, sensors, and machine features.
• Participate in welding procedure qualification activities in accordance with AWS D1.1.

Qualifications

• Strong practical welding background in structural steel fabrication: GMAW / FCAW on carbon steel, fillet and groove welds, multi-pass, and positional welding.
• Ability to read and interpret structural fabrication drawings and weld symbols.
• Experience tuning welding parameters and troubleshooting common weld defects.
• Comfort working in an industrial environment around machinery and production equipment.
• Mechanical aptitude and basic diagnostic skills: comfortable inspecting torches, wire feed systems, gas, coolant, and fixtures; familiar with hand tools and basic test equipment.
• Tech savvy and willing to learn: HMI-style interfaces, offline programming/simulation tools, calibration and diagnostic utilities.
• Clear, professional communication skills and the ability to work effectively with welders, supervisors, engineers, and customers.

Nice to Have

• Experience with robotic welding or other robotic automation in a production environment.
• Prior exposure to commissioning industrial machinery (machine vision systems, safety circuits, light curtains, etc.).
• Experience writing or maintaining WPS/PQR documentation to structural welding codes (e.g., AWS D1.1 or similar).
• AWS CWI or previous CWI experience (not required, but a plus).

Work Environment & Travel

• Primarily shop and industrial environments, working around large structural components and heavy equipment.
• Travel to customer sites for installations, training, service work, and demonstrations (frequency determined based on business needs).
• Hands-on role combining welding, machine operation, troubleshooting support, service response, and customer interaction.

Growth Opportunities

This position is designed to grow with the individual. Over time, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Drive welding procedure development and qualification for new applications.
• Work closely with engineering on new features, enhancements, and continuous product improvement.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $55,000–$95,000, depending on experience.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Health insurance.
• Direct mentorship and skill development.
• Work on real, production-level machinery with immediate impact.
• Life in Bozeman, Montana — a growing engineering hub with unmatched outdoor access.

Pay: $55,000.00 - $95,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person