Welder Trainee - Swing Shift

The Wing Group is a global leader in engineered solutions for demanding environments, bringing together a portfolio of trusted brands including Wing Inflatables, Mustang Survival, Henshaw Inflatables, Patten Company, and FabTek Industries. Across defense, marine safety, law enforcement, and industrial sectors, we design and manufacture mission-critical inflatable, flotation, and survival solutions that professionals trust to perform when it matters most.

From combat-ready rigid inflatable boats and inflatable structures to life-saving flotation devices and marine apparel, our products are engineered and tested to exceed the highest standards of safety, durability, and performance. With U.S. and Canadian-based manufacturing and a collaborative, hands-on culture, The Wing Group delivers purpose-built solutions for the world’s toughest environments. Join us in advancing safety, performance, and innovation - on the water and beyond.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for Welding Trainees to support the manufacturing of inflatable rescue boats, inflatable marine products, and other technical and mission-critical products through Hot Air welding operations.

Successful candidates are dependable, detail-oriented, safety-focused, and committed to producing high-quality work. Associates must be able to follow established work instructions, product specifications, and production procedures with precision while understanding the importance of quality, traceability, safety, and compliance in a manufacturing environment.

The Welding Associate career path is structured into three progressive levels. Level I focuses on learning foundational welding skills, material handling, inspection, and quality requirements. Level II focuses on independent production, testing, repair work, and routine troubleshooting. Level III represents advanced technical proficiency, complex troubleshooting, training, process improvement, and production support.

Shift: Full-Time

Schedule: 2:00pm-10:35pm Monday- Friday

WHAT WE OFFER

We offer a competitive salary depending on the experience level of the candidate. Additionally, we offer extended health and dental benefits, 401K with employer matching, and industry perks. The final agreed upon salary may vary based on factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

PROGRESSIVE LEVELS

WELDING TRAINEE - Entry / Foundational Level

JOB PURPOSE

The Welding Trainee is an entry-level position responsible for learning and performing foundational welding operations used in the manufacturing of inflatable rescue boats, inflatable marine products, and other related products.

This position works under supervision while developing the technical skills required to safely operate welding equipment, handle specialized materials, inspect completed welds, maintain accurate production records, understand product specifications, and meet applicable safety and quality requirements. You will be creating the shell of our inflatables boats, or sub assembly pieces that go inside or alongside our boats. To do this you will be referencing work instructions, and drawings of our boats. You will be using industrial strength fabrics that are cut to specific shapes. and with our hot-air rotary welders you take the fabric and push it forward similar to sewing, a bubble or bead of molten polyurethane is formed between the two layers of material just before they are rolled through compression wheels and fused together. A thermo-welded seam, as opposed to a glued seam, results in far tougher, longer-lasting tubes. Thermo-welding fuses the over-lapped layers into one solid piece creating a seam that will not fail over time.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Learn the safe setup and operation of assigned welding equipment.

• Perform basic welding operations under supervision or with limited guidance.

• Weld components, inflatable rescue boat components, inflatable marine components, and other assigned products according to approved work instructions and established methods.

• Learn proper placement, alignment, handling, and control of materials before and during welding.

• Learn to work with coated fabrics, technical textiles, reinforcement materials, inflatable materials, and other specialized materials used in flotation and inflatable rescue products.

• Follow approved machine settings, tooling requirements, work instructions, specifications, and production procedures.

• Inspect completed welds for visible defects, proper placement, alignment, seam integrity, and workmanship.

• Learn applicable inspection and testing requirements for welded flotation and inflatable products.

• Identify and report defects, material concerns, equipment issues, or quality problems to the Lead or Production Supervisor.

• Maintain accurate production records, including completed work, material usage, defects, and other required information.

• Learn proper handling, tracking, and control of raw materials used during production.

• Use approved handheld tools for cutting materials or making minor adjustments as required.

• Perform routine equipment cleaning and basic operator maintenance within the scope of training.

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe workstation.

• Follow all applicable safety procedures and use required personal protective equipment.

• Participate in required risk assessments, safety meetings, and safety activities.

• Immediately report hazards, injuries, accidents, or unsafe conditions.

• Work cooperatively with Production, Quality Control, Production Planning, Maintenance, and other team members.

• Demonstrate willingness to learn, accept coaching, and develop technical welding skills.

• Perform additional production duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS / COMPETENCIES

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.

• Basic manufacturing, welding, heat-sealing, inflatable fabrication, or similar equipment experience preferred but not required.

• Ability and willingness to learn welding machinery and production processes.

• Ability to learn materials and processes used in inflatable rescue boats, and inflatable marine products.

• Ability to read, understand, and follow work instructions, specifications, and production procedures.

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.

• Ability to accurately complete required production documentation.

• Ability to recognize and report visible defects or abnormalities.

• Ability to perform repetitive production tasks accurately and efficiently.

• Ability to adapt to changing production requirements.

• Good verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.

• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift materials weighing up to 50 pounds.

• An acceptable combination of education, training, and/or experience will be considered.

ORIENTATION PERIOD

A reasonable orientation period for a fully qualified candidate is three (3) months.

Month 1 – Introduction and Basic Training

• Introduction to company policies, safety procedures, PPE requirements, production processes, and quality expectations.

• Introduction to welding equipment and safe machine operation.

• Training on coated fabrics, technical textiles, inflatable materials, reinforcement materials, and other applicable product materials.

• Training on basic RF welding operations used on inflatable rescue boats, and related products.

• Introduction to machine settings, tooling, work instructions, production documentation, inspection requirements, and defect identification.

• Begin supervised welding operations on basic components.

Month 2 – Skill Development

• Perform basic welding operations with increased independence.

• Develop consistency in material placement, alignment, weld quality, machine operation, and material handling.

• Perform basic visual inspections and applicable product testing.

• Increase understanding of raw material management and production documentation.

• Learn routine equipment cleaning and basic operator maintenance.

• Begin working on additional components or inflatable rescue boat operations based on demonstrated ability.

Month 3 – Independent Work and Assessment

• Perform assigned basic RF welding operations with reduced direct supervision.

• Demonstrate consistent adherence to work instructions, machine settings, product specifications, quality requirements, and safety procedures.

• Accurately complete required production records.

• Demonstrate acceptable workmanship on flotation and inflatable product components.

• Participate in feedback sessions with the RF Lead or Production Supervisor.

• Demonstrate readiness for regular independent production work.

PROMOTION READINESS - An Trainee may be considered ready for advancement when they:

• Consistently perform assigned welding operations with minimal supervision.

• Demonstrate acceptable weld quality, seam integrity, material placement, and workmanship.

• Follow machine settings, tooling requirements, work instructions, and specifications accurately.

• Properly inspect completed welds and identify common defects.

• Demonstrate basic competency working on inflatable rescue boat components.

• Maintain accurate production and material records.

• Demonstrate safe equipment operation and proper material handling.

• Perform routine cleaning and basic operator maintenance correctly.

• Properly identify and communicate equipment, material, production, and quality concerns.

• Maintain strong safety, attendance, quality, and productivity performance.

• Demonstrate initiative in learning additional products, welding operations, tooling, and equipment.

Qualifications

Wing Group is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race (including hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion (including religious dress and grooming), creed, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions, reproductive health decision-making, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age (40 and over), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act.

Wing Group provides reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, and for pregnancy-related conditions and religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause undue hardship. To request an accommodation during the application process or on the job, contact People & Culture at 707 713-1342 or knewby@winggroup.com.