Position Summary
The Working Industrial Fabrication Lead is responsible for performing hands-on fabrication work while helping coordinate, support, and guide day-to-day fabrication activities. This position is intended for an experienced fabrication professional who can set up and operate equipment, solve production problems, support workflow, and help ensure fabrication work is completed safely, accurately, and efficiently.
This is a working role first. The person in this position is expected to actively perform fabrication work while also assisting with training, technical direction, quality expectations, job readiness, and department follow-through.
The ideal candidate will have strong fabrication experience, mechanical aptitude, equipment setup ability, and the confidence to help other employees work through technical fabrication questions without requiring constant direction from management.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Set up, operate, and troubleshoot press brakes, including tooling selection, bend sequencing, material setup, and part verification.
- Operate plasma table equipment and assist with proper material loading, cutting, part identification, and cut quality.
- Read and interpret drawings, blueprints, cut lists, bend details, part layouts, and work order documentation.
- Perform hands-on fabrication work including bending, cutting, fitting, grinding, layout, and related shop tasks.
- Assist with CNC programming, nesting, or program adjustments when qualified and as needed.
- Support fabrication workflow by helping prioritize work, identify missing information, and communicate production needs.
- Guide fabrication employees on proper setup, work methods, drawing interpretation, quality expectations, and safe equipment use.
- Inspect parts and assemblies for accuracy, fit, bend quality, dimensional correctness, and workmanship.
- Help identify and resolve fabrication issues such as incorrect drawings, material problems, equipment concerns, tooling issues, or process bottlenecks.
- Coordinate with management, engineering, production, and other departments to keep fabrication work moving.
- Assist with training new or less experienced employees in fabrication processes, equipment setup, and quality standards.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe fabrication work area.
- Help ensure equipment, tooling, consumables, and materials are ready and available for scheduled work.
- Report equipment problems, safety concerns, quality issues, and production delays in a timely manner.
- Promote accountability, productivity, safety, and quality within the fabrication department.
- Perform other related duties as assigned based on business and production needs.
Required Qualifications
- Experience in industrial fabrication, metal fabrication, agricultural equipment, heavy equipment, or a similar manufacturing environment.
- Ability to set up and operate a press brake.
- Ability to read and understand fabrication drawings, bend details, part prints, and work orders.
- Strong mechanical aptitude and practical problem-solving ability.
- Ability to accurately measure, verify, and inspect fabricated parts.
- Experience using common fabrication tools, equipment, and measuring devices.
- Ability to work hands-on while also helping guide and support other employees.
- Strong follow-through and ability to keep work moving without constant supervision.
- Ability to communicate effectively with management, engineering, production employees, and other departments.
- Commitment to safety, quality, productivity, and good housekeeping.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience operating a plasma table.
- Experience with CNC programming, nesting software, or machine program adjustments.
- Experience with press brake programming and advanced bend sequencing.
- Experience with welding, fitting, layout, or assembly.
- Experience in a working lead, senior fabricator, or similar informal leadership role.
- Experience with ERP systems, work orders, production schedules, or manufacturing documentation.
- Forklift, overhead crane, or material handling experience.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong understanding of fabrication processes, equipment, and shop workflow.
- Ability to troubleshoot part fit-up, bend quality, cut quality, and equipment setup issues.
- Ability to balance personal production work with department support responsibilities.
- Ability to train, coach, and support employees without relying solely on formal authority.
- Ability to recognize quality problems before they move downstream.
- Ability to work from drawings, verbal direction, and production priorities.
- Ability to organize work, manage changing priorities, and maintain forward progress.
- Ability to identify missing information and ask the right questions before work is delayed or performed incorrectly.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to work in a manufacturing and fabrication environment.
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, climb, kneel, and move throughout the production facility as needed.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, or move materials, parts, tools, and equipment within reasonable limits.
- Ability to work around fabrication equipment, plasma cutting, press brakes, welding, grinding, material handling, and other normal manufacturing operations.
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
- Ability to view drawings, parts, equipment, and measuring devices for extended periods as needed.
Work Environment
This position works primarily in a fabrication and manufacturing environment. The role may involve exposure to noise, dust, sparks, heat, welding operations, cutting equipment, press brakes, forklifts, cranes, and other industrial manufacturing conditions.
Success Factors
Success in this role will be measured by the ability to produce quality fabrication work while helping the department stay organized, productive, and technically supported.
A successful Working Industrial Fabrication Lead will be able to set up equipment correctly, help employees resolve fabrication questions, reduce rework, improve flow, and ensure work is completed safely and accurately.
Pay: $16.00 - $24.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Autodesk Inventor: 2 years (Preferred)
- Manufacturing: 1 year (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
