Job Opportunities in United States

Get ready to grow with us!
Northwest Pipe Company is the nation’s leading manufacturer of water infrastructure products and with over 50 years of experience, we’re just getting started! Our business is growing, and we’re looking for great people to grow with us. We’re immediately seeking a QC Final Inspector-Coatings to join our Northwest Pipe team in Portland, OR.

We Offer

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D Insurance
• Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
• 401k Retirement Savings Plan with Employer Match
• Bonus Potential (2x per year)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Safety Footwear and Eyewear Voucher (Day 1 of Employment)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Opportunities for Career Advancement
• Values-Driven Culture Committed to Diversity, Inclusion, and Safety

Our Values

• Accountability is evident when we do what we say we are going to do and people accept responsibility for their actions. We do not point fingers and blame others. We own our actions.
• Commitment is not only promising to do something, but actually investing in the necessary effort and actions to make it happen.
• Teamwork is essential for competing in a challenging and constantly changing business environment. Working together across all job functions is critical to achieving our success.

ABOUT THE JOB:
The final inspector inspects the base material condition, environmental conditions, surface preparation, application, and testing of plant-applied linings and coatings. Finishing processes and final dimensional measurements are observed and recorded. Extensive experience in the application and/or inspection of epoxy, polyurethane, and cement products on mild steel will be relevant to this role. NACE/AMPP (CIP) is the applicable certification. This role requires the individual to report to different areas throughout the plant to perform inspection, testing, and consultation in constant collaboration with the production team. Coordination with production, shipping, and project management to align needs and address product issues is required. Relevant standards include American Water Works Association (AWWA) industry standards for large diameter steel water pipe, NACE/AMPP/SSPC standards for paint application and inspection, ASTM standards for test methods, and more.

Our products are components of engineered systems built to customer specifications and drawings. The final inspector will be capable of performing verification and documentation that the parts have been built and finished accordingly.

There are four levels of QC Inspectors with four separate pay ranges. Levels are determined by a specific criteria and points defined on the QA Certification Rating Card. Please refer to the Education/Experience section to determine point range for each level of inspector.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Effectively communicate QA/QC requirements and objectives between supervision and lead personnel
• Assure product meets and/or exceeds standards and specifications
• Perform NDE inspection and documentation (as qualified)
• Maintain documentation
• Work at a pace sufficient to obtain quality and quantity of inspection/testing, consistent with operational requirements
• Regular, reliable, and predictable attendance is necessary in order to perfom the essential functions of this position.
• Other duties may be assigned by the QC Supervisor.
• Regular, reliable and predictable attendance is necessary in order to perform the essential functions of this position.

Areas these duties will be performed will include one or more of the following areas:

• Dimensional Inspection
• Coating and Lining Inspection
• Lab Testing
• Final Inspection

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Available to accommodate a flexible work schedule
• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned by QC Supervisor.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS:

• This position may interact within all levels of the Northwest Pipe organization.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients and the customers.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute ratio, percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Ability to calculate percentages, area, circumference and volume, ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
• Ability to define problems collects data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence and memos.
• Ability to write simple correspondence.
• As needed the employee should have sufficient education, training and experience to ensure qualification in inspection methods, which are being employed.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.
• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or One to three months related experience and/or training; or Equivalent combination of education and experience.
• The level of QA Inspector and pay range is dependent on the current certifications held that fall in a specific point range on the NWP QA Certification Rating Card:

  • 0 – 8 points = D (Entry level)
  • 9 – 15 points = C
  • 16 – 24 points = B
  • 25+ points = A

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• NACE and/or AMPP Coating Inspector Certification

Full list of anticipated physical demands for this position and detail on our work environment is available on our application portal. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Our organization maintains a drug-free workplace. Except where prohibited by state law, all offers of employment are conditioned upon successful passing of a drug test and background check.
Northwest Pipe Company is committed to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Minorities, females, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Northwest Pipe Company reserves the right to close the position, with or without notice, if a qualified candidate is identified prior to the close date.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be meet by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Project timelines and work volume/deadlines may often require working outside of standard office hours, weekend, or evening work.

Physical Activity:
Over 2/3 of the time:

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling to Data Entry.

Up to 2/3 of the time:

• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. (This factor is important if the amount and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion.)
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces. (This factor is important if the amount and kind of balancing the amount and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.)
• Stooping: Positions self to perform inspection (This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.)
• Standing: Remaining upright in a stationary position, particularly for sustained periods.
• Walking: Moving about to accomplish tasks particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips examine test samples.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Communicating: Expressing or exchanging ideas and information accurately, in written or diagram form.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound.

Less than 1/3 of the time:

• Kneeling/Crouching: Position self to perform inspections.
• Reaching: Grabbing things from a distance above or from the side.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward downward or outward.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. (This factor is important if the amount and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion.)
• Reaching: Grabbing things from a distance above or from the side.
• Kneeling/Crouching: Position self to perform inspections.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to position. (This factor is important if it occur to a considerable degree and requires the substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm to Data Entry.
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists hands, and /or fingers such as data entry measuring pipe.

Physical Requirements:

• Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and /or up to 10 pounds of force frequently and /or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. (If the use of arm and /or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work)

Visual Acuity:

• The worker is required to have visual acuity to perform an activity such as: operating machines such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing viewing a computer terminal extensive reading visual inspection involving small defects small parts and / or operation of machines (including inspection) using measurement devices and /or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes.

Vision Requirements:

Over 2/3 of time

• The worker is required to have close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less)
• The worker is required to have distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)

Up to 2/3 of time

• The worker is required to have color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors
• The worker is required to have distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)
• The worker is required to have color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)
• The worker is required to have peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point)
• The worker is required to have depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships)
• The worker is required to have the ability to adjust visual focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus)

Weather Condition:

Up to 2/3 of time:

• The worker is subject to inside environmental conditions: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: activities occur inside and outside.
• The worker is subject to extreme cold: Temperatures typically below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour. (Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity.)
• The worker is subject to extreme heat: Temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one hour. (Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity.)
• The worker is subject to noise: There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard above the ambient noise level.
• The worker is subject to hazards: Includes a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals.
• The worker is subject to atmospheric conditions: One or more of the following conditions that affect the respiratory system of the skin: Fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases or poor ventilation.

Less than 1/3 of the time:

• The worker is subject to outside environmental conditions: No effective protection from weather.
• The worker is subject to oils: There is air and/or skin exposure to oils and other cutting fluids.
• The worker is required to wear a respirator.
• The worker frequently is in close quarters, crawl spaces, shafts, man, holes, small, enclosed, rooms, small sewage and water line pipes, and other areas which could cause claustrophobia.

Noise Levels:

Up to 2/3 of the time:

• Quiet conditions (examples: library private office)
• Moderate noise (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic)
• Loud noise (examples: metal can manufacturing department, large earth-moving equipment)
• Very loud noise (examples: jack hammer work, front row at rock concert)

Less than 1/3 of the time:

• Very quiet conditions (examples: forest trail, isolation booth for hearing test.

Supervision Received:

• Supervision: The incumbent performs a variety of routine work within established policies and procedures and receives detained instructions on new projects and assignments

Personal Protective Equipment is required when in the Plant, Yard or Construction Areas:

• Hard Hat
• Safety Glasses
• Steel-toed Boots
• Hearing Protection
• Reflective Vest