Fabrication Foreman Job Summary
The Fabrication Foreman is responsible for supervising, coordinating, and executing precision fabrication, welding, fitting, and assembly operations within a manufacturing and job shop environment.
This position requires a highly experienced fabrication professional capable of leading complex projects involving aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel, and other specialty materials. The ideal candidate must possess strong welding knowledge, exceptional blueprint-reading ability, and experience working from detailed fabrication drawings associated with subsea, offshore, industrial, defense, and aerospace-related projects.
The Fabrication Foreman will be responsible for ensuring all work is completed safely, efficiently, accurately, and in accordance with applicable drawings, specifications, Weld Procedure Specifications (WPS), Welder Performance Qualifications (WPQ), Weld Maps, customer requirements, and internal quality standards.
This is a hands-on leadership position. The Fabrication Foreman must be capable of troubleshooting fabrication and welding challenges, mentoring employees, planning work sequences, and personally assisting with complex fabrication when necessary.
Key Responsibilities
Fabrication Leadership and Supervision
- Supervise and lead a team of fabricators, welders, fitters, and assemblers.
- Assign daily work based on employee skill level, project priorities, and production schedules.
- Coordinate fabrication activities to maintain workflow and meet project deadlines.
- Provide hands-on leadership, technical guidance, training, and support to fabrication personnel.
- Evaluate employee workmanship, productivity, and adherence to fabrication standards.
- Assist with complex fitting, fabrication, welding, and assembly operations when necessary.
- Promote accountability, organization, craftsmanship, and attention to detail throughout the fabrication department.
Welding Procedures and Documentation
- Ensure welding operations are performed in accordance with approved Weld Procedure Specifications (WPS).
- Verify that welders performing work are appropriately qualified under applicable Welder Performance Qualifications (WPQ).
- Review WPS requirements including:
- Welding process
- Base material
- Filler material
- Joint configuration
- Preheat requirements
- Interpass temperature
- Position
- Electrical parameters
- Shielding gas requirements
- Additional procedure-specific requirements
- Review and maintain Weld Maps identifying weld locations, weld identification numbers, welding processes, welder identification, inspection requirements, and applicable WPS.
- Ensure welder identification and weld traceability are maintained when required by customer specifications or quality documentation.
- Coordinate with Quality Control personnel to ensure weld documentation is complete and accurate.
- Identify situations where welding conditions fall outside an approved procedure and escalate them before work proceeds.
- Assist management and Quality Control with maintaining welding procedure and qualification documentation.
Blueprint and Technical Drawing Interpretation
- Read, understand, and interpret complex fabrication drawings, blueprints, assembly drawings, weld symbols, GD&T callouts, specifications, and customer requirements.
- Review drawings before fabrication begins to identify:
- Material requirements
- Critical dimensions
- Weld requirements
- Tolerances
- Surface finish requirements
- Machining interfaces
- Assembly requirements
- Inspection points
- Interpret AWS welding symbols and fabrication details.
- Identify drawing conflicts, missing information, or manufacturability concerns before they create production issues.
- Work closely with engineering, programming, machining, waterjet, Quality Control, and project management when clarification is required.
Quality Control
- Ensure fabricated components meet drawings, specifications, dimensional tolerances, and customer quality requirements.
- Perform and oversee dimensional inspections throughout the fabrication process.
- Verify fit-up and critical dimensions before welding when required.
- Ensure fabrication personnel understand hold points and inspection requirements.
- Monitor weld appearance, penetration, profile, distortion, and overall workmanship.
- Coordinate required weld inspections and NDE activities with Quality Control when applicable.
- Assist with inspections involving processes such as:
- Visual Testing (VT)
- Dye Penetrant Testing (PT)
- Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
- Radiographic Testing (RT), when required
- Implement corrective actions when defects, dimensional issues, or nonconforming work are identified.
- Prevent defective or questionable work from advancing to later stages of production.
Material Control and Traceability
- Verify correct material is being used before fabrication begins.
- Maintain material identification and traceability when required by customer specifications.
- Understand the importance of material certifications and Material Test Reports (MTRs) on controlled projects.
- Ensure heat numbers, material identification, weld identification, and related traceability information are preserved when required.
- Prevent substitution of materials, filler metals, or welding consumables without authorization.
Fabrication Planning
- Review upcoming projects and determine manpower, equipment, tooling, material, welding, and scheduling requirements.
- Develop efficient fabrication sequences to minimize unnecessary handling, distortion, rework, and downtime.
- Coordinate project priorities with management and project managers.
- Ensure required materials, consumables, fixtures, equipment, and tooling are available before work begins.
- Identify production bottlenecks and develop solutions to maintain workflow.
- Coordinate fabrication activities with other departments, including waterjet, machining, finishing, assembly, and Quality Control.
Welding and Fabrication Capabilities
The Fabrication Foreman should possess advanced knowledge and hands-on experience with multiple welding processes, including:
- GTAW / TIG
- GMAW / MIG
- FCAW
- SMAW / Stick Welding
Experience should include fabrication and welding of:
- Aluminum
- Carbon Steel
- Stainless Steel
- Structural components
- Precision fabricated assemblies
- Heavy fabrication
- Thin-gauge fabrication
- Complex welded assemblies
Candidate should understand:
- Weld sequencing
- Distortion control
- Heat input
- Preheat and interpass temperature
- Joint preparation
- Fit-up tolerances
- Filler metal selection
- Back gouging
- Purging
- Welding positions
- Welding discontinuities and defects
- Repair procedures
- Proper grinding and finishing techniques
Safety
- Enforce company safety procedures throughout the fabrication department.
- Ensure proper PPE is utilized at all times.
- Maintain safe welding, cutting, grinding, rigging, and material-handling practices.
- Ensure equipment is operated safely and correctly.
- Identify unsafe conditions and immediately implement corrective action.
- Conduct or participate in safety meetings and job hazard assessments when required.
- Investigate and document fabrication-related incidents or near misses.
- Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas.
Documentation
- Maintain accurate records regarding project progress, labor utilization, materials, and fabrication status.
- Maintain or assist with fabrication travelers, Weld Maps, inspection documentation, and project-specific quality records.
- Document production issues, rework, and nonconforming conditions.
- Ensure completed fabrication documentation is provided to Quality Control or project management as required.
- Provide management with accurate project status updates.
Communication
- Serve as the primary communication link between fabrication personnel and management.
- Communicate fabrication progress, scheduling concerns, quality issues, and material requirements.
- Coordinate with Quality Control, engineering, machining, waterjet, purchasing, and project management.
- Participate in project kickoff and production meetings when required.
- Clearly communicate drawing requirements and fabrication expectations to employees.
Problem Solving
- Identify and resolve technical and operational fabrication challenges.
- Troubleshoot welding, fit-up, dimensional, distortion, tooling, and assembly issues.
- Determine practical fabrication solutions while maintaining drawing and specification requirements.
- Recognize when engineering, Quality Control, or customer approval is required before making a change.
- Reduce rework by identifying potential problems before fabrication progresses.
Required Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Significant experience in precision fabrication and welding.
- Previous fabrication leadership, foreman, lead fabricator, or supervisory experience preferred.
- Advanced ability to read and interpret fabrication drawings and blueprints.
- Strong understanding of welding symbols and joint configurations.
- Experience working with Weld Procedure Specifications (WPS).
- Understanding of Welder Performance Qualifications (WPQ).
- Experience working with or creating Weld Maps.
- Strong knowledge of welding processes and fabrication techniques.
- Experience fabricating aluminum, stainless steel, and carbon steel.
- Ability to perform complex layouts, fitting, fabrication, and assembly.
- Understanding of weld distortion and methods used to control it.
- Strong dimensional inspection and measuring skills.
- Ability to use fabrication measuring equipment including:
- Tape measures
- Calipers
- Micrometers
- Squares
- Levels
- Height gauges
- Angle measuring equipment
- Other precision inspection tools
- Strong leadership and employee-development skills.
- Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.
- Strong understanding of workplace safety requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience fabricating components for subsea, offshore, aerospace, defense, pressure-containing, or other highly regulated industries.
- Experience working within a documented Quality Management System.
- Familiarity with applicable welding codes and standards such as AWS and ASME requirements.
- Experience coordinating weld inspections and NDE.
- Knowledge of material traceability and MTR requirements.
- Experience with fabrication travelers and inspection hold points.
- Familiarity with GD&T.
- Experience with CNC cutting, waterjet cutting, machining, forming, press brake operations, saws, ironworkers, and other fabrication equipment.
- Experience developing fixtures and fabrication processes for repeat production.
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and production-efficiency principles.
- Welding certifications or formal welding education are a plus.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal Fabrication Foreman is more than a production supervisor. We are looking for an experienced fabricator and welding leader who understands how to take a complex drawing from print to finished product.
The right candidate should be comfortable reviewing a highly detailed fabrication package, determining the proper sequence of operations, assigning qualified personnel, reviewing the applicable WPS and Weld Map, verifying material and fit-up, controlling the welding process, maintaining traceability, coordinating inspections, and delivering a completed assembly that meets demanding customer specifications.
Attention to detail, leadership, craftsmanship, accountability, and the ability to solve difficult fabrication problems are essential for this position.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $28.00 - $35.00 per hour
Benefits:
Shift:
- 10 hour shift
- 8 hour shift
Experience:
- Supervising: 3 years (Required)
- Welding: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
