Job Description

Are you passionate about being at the forefront of emerging technologies in the maritime and offshore industries—especially where advanced materials, welding, and robotics intersect?

ABS is a leading Classification Society driven by its mission of promoting the security of life and property and preserving the natural environment. In fulfilling this mission, ABS leads research and develops guidance and requirements focused on the safe implementation of new technology in the marine and offshore environment.

As a Senior Principal Engineer in the Technology organization, you will provide strategic technical leadership in the development, qualification, and industry adoption of advanced materials, welding technologies, and robotic systems for marine and offshore applications. You will lead complex, high-impact applied research and development programs, guide multidisciplinary teams, support business development and external engagement, and contribute to the evolution of ABS rules, guidance, and best practices. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong program leadership, and the ability to influence both internal and external stakeholders across the maritime technology ecosystem.

What You Will Do

• Identify, define, and develop strategic Technology programs and projects in the areas of materials, welding, robotics, and related digital technologies, and recommend priorities aligned with ABS business and technical objectives.
• Lead and supervise large, complex, and/or multiple concurrent projects involving robotic welding, weld quality assessment, structural integrity, materials performance, and technology qualification.
• Direct investigations into the requirements, standards, and qualification processes associated with the use of humanoid and other robotic systems for shipyard welding, including: (1) Developing and assessing welding procedures for robotic welding applications. (2) Defining data requirements and acceptance criteria for weld quality based on sensor and process data from robots. (3) Evaluating methods to qualify robotic welding systems and operators and to qualify the resulting welds.
• Serve as technical authority and principal subject-matter expert on materials behavior and degradation mechanisms, including corrosion, fatigue, fracture, embrittlement, and related structural integrity issues in marine and offshore environments.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and provide day-to-day leadership, direction, mentoring, and technical guidance to engineers and other technical staff.
• Review, assign, and monitor technical work performed by engineers and senior engineers, ensuring delivery of high-quality service, technical consistency, and strong customer relationships.
• Contribute to and lead the development of ABS rules, guidance notes, best practices, and rule-change proposals related to welding, robotics, materials, and associated qualification methodologies.
• Maintain active awareness of technical, regulatory, business, and market developments affecting present and potential customers, and communicate relevant information promptly to management and project teams.
• Serve as a key technical representative to customers, industry groups, research partners, shipyards, owners, OEMs, and technology developers, actively promoting ABS services and capabilities throughout the business community.
• Develop or assist in the development of qualification statements, proposals, bids, and project scopes, and present these to prospective clients and partners as needed.
• Plan and manage assigned budgets, schedules, resources, technical deliverables, and reporting requirements to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Advise management on short- and long-term technical capability, manpower, and training needs within assigned areas of responsibility.
• Perform selected engineering reviews, analyses, and technical assessments where needed, particularly for critical or novel applications.
• Author, review, and present technical papers, reports, and presentations for internal and external audiences.
• Ensure that all ABS Health, Safety, Quality, and Environmental Management System requirements and ABS Quality System requirements are fulfilled within areas of responsibility.

What You Will Need

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 15 years of related engineering experience in a shipyard, maritime-related industry, heavy fabrication environment, research organization, robotics or welding automation environment, design/consulting organization, or classification society; experience in classification, standards development, or applied R&D strongly preferred.
• B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, Civil/Structural Engineering, Ocean Engineering, or other closely related discipline
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) with emphasis on materials, welding, structural integrity, manufacturing, robotics, or related field preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep technical expertise in materials science and engineering, particularly metallic materials used in marine and offshore structures.
• Extensive hands-on and applied experience with welding processes such as SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and SAW, including welding procedure development, weld quality evaluation, inspection, and NDT/NDE methods.
• Strong knowledge of robotic welding systems, automation technologies, and manufacturing integration; familiarity with humanoid, collaborative, or advanced robotic platforms is highly desirable.
• Expert understanding of materials degradation and structural integrity mechanisms relevant to marine and offshore applications, including corrosion, fatigue, fracture, and embrittlement.
• Strong ability to interpret and apply relevant industry codes and standards, including AWS, ASME, ISO, and classification society requirements related to materials, welding, inspection, and qualification.
• Experience using sensor data, process data, digital tools, and analytics to assess weld quality, material performance, structural condition, or technology effectiveness.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical programs, supervise engineering work, and coordinate across functions and disciplines.
• Strong business and customer orientation, including experience supporting proposals, bids, external presentations, and account or client relationship development.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical topics clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, instruct, and develop other engineers and technical staff.
• Proven ability to work effectively across organizations and with external partners.
• Working knowledge of the ABS Health, Safety, Quality, and Environmental Management System or similar HSE/quality frameworks.

It Would Be Nice If You Had

• Experience developing guidance, standards, qualification frameworks, or rule proposals related to welding, robotics, digitalization, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience with digital twins, predictive models, machine learning, or data analytics applied to welding, materials, or structural integrity.
• Proficiency in Python or similar programming languages for data analysis, automation, or integration with robotic systems.
• Experience working directly with shipyards, offshore construction yards, robotic system suppliers, or advanced manufacturing technology developers in maritime or heavy-industry sectors.
• Established industry visibility through technical committees, conference participation, published papers, or collaborative research programs.

Reporting Relationships

• Reports to a Manager or Director within the Technology organization regarding priorities, technical direction, project execution, resource planning, and business development activities. May provide day-to-day leadership to engineers, senior engineers, and other technical staff assigned to projects or functional initiatives.

We set out more than 160 years ago to promote the security of life and property at sea and preserve the natural environment. Today, we remain true to our mission and continue to support organizations facing a rapidly evolving seascape of challenging regulations and new technologies. Through it all, we are anchored by a vision and mission that help our clients find clarity in uncertain times.

ABS is a global leader in marine and offshore classification and other innovative safety, quality, and environmental services. We’re at the forefront of supporting the global energy transition at sea, the application of remote and autonomous marine systems, cutting-edge technical solutions, and many more exciting advancements. Our commitment to safety, reliability, and efficiency is ever-present, guiding our clients to safer and more efficient operations.

About Our Benefits

ABS Bureau proudly offers a variety of industry-leading benefits designed to enhance the life and well-being of our employees and their families. These benefits include, but are not limited to, medical insurance (PPO and HD), dental and vision insurance, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Savings Account (FSA), life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, disability leave programs, parental leave program, paid holidays, and paid vacation time. The Company provides an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) that offers support in personal wellness, including work-life services. ABS Bureau also offers a 401K plan with a generous company match, subject to plan requirements.

Equal Opportunity

ABS Bureau is committed to the equal employment opportunity of its employees and prohibits discrimination against any employee or qualified applicant based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status or veteran status, or other non-work-related characteristics that may be protected under the law of the Federal Government or specific state employment laws.

Notice

ABS and Affiliated Companies (ABS) will not pay a fee to any third-party agency without a valid ABS Master Service Agreement (MSA) authorized and signed by Human Resources. Any resume, CV, application, or other forms of candidate submission provided to any employee of ABS without a valid MSA on file will be considered property of ABS, and no fee will be paid.

Other

This job description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job of the incumbent. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the principal job elements essential for making a fair decision regarding the pay structure of the job. #ogjs