Fabrication Supervisor

Description

Job Summary

The TN Fabrication Supervisor is responsible for day-to-day leadership and supervision of assigned fabrication employees and work areas. The position ensures safe, efficient production by directing labor, materials, tools, procedures, and quality standards to meet production schedules and customer commitments.

Under the direction of the Operations Manager, this role provides hands-on floor leadership, owns department KPIs, and is accountable for work planning, employee direction, quality and productivity performance, problem-solving, communication, Lean practices, and consistent follow-through.

Keys to Success

Dependable: Executes company and department plans, maintains a clear daily plan, and follows through on commitments.

Collaborator: Communicates clearly, works effectively with others, and holds employees accountable to instructions and quality expectations.

Accountable Leader: Takes ownership of safety, quality, delivery, employee performance, and follow-through.

Detail Oriented: Demonstrates accuracy, strong workmanship standards, and the ability to maintain required tolerances.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

· Lead and supervise assigned fabrication employees and work areas, including daily work assignments, priorities, labor balancing, and shift execution.

· Ensure products are fabricated correctly, safely, with minimal defects and rework, and in time to support customer commitments.

· Maintain a strong floor presence; identify constraints, resolve routine issues, and escalate safety, quality, staffing, material, tooling, or equipment concerns promptly.

· Reinforce and enforce company policies, work instructions, drawings, specifications, standard work, PPE requirements, and required fabrication procedures.

· Ensure workmanship standards, first-piece inspections, and quality checks are followed while monitoring scrap, rework, material usage, production supplies, and other sources of waste or lost time.

· Own department KPIs and monitor and drive performance in safety, schedule attainment, labor productivity, quality, scrap/rework, downtime, and employee development; identify gaps, establish countermeasures, and follow through to sustained results.

· Lead employee onboarding, training, cross-training, coaching, performance feedback, attendance expectations, and accountability in partnership with management and Human Resources; support performance evaluations and corrective action as needed.

· Verify employee timecards and clearly communicate employee responsibilities, work expectations, and lines of progression.

· Maintain working knowledge of fabrication tools, equipment, measuring methods, preventive checks, housekeeping, 5S, and safe material handling practices.

· Apply Lean manufacturing and structured problem-solving to improve flow, reduce downtime and waste, and sustain better work practices.

· Maintain clear communication with production, scheduling, engineering, maintenance, materials, and other internal support functions. Perform other duties as assigned or needed.

Qualifications, Knowledge & Skills

· Manufacturing or fabrication experience and demonstrated leadership experience required; prior formal supervisory experience is preferred. An equivalent combination of production experience, education, or coursework may be considered.

· General knowledge of fabrication tools, equipment, materials, drawings, measuring methods, and quality requirements; ability to interpret requirements and maintain required tolerances.

· Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing practices, including standard work, 5S, root cause problem-solving, waste reduction, and continuous improvement.

· Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel, and the ability to learn production and business systems used by the company.

· Clear verbal and written communication skills; able to set expectations, listen effectively, coach employees, and communicate with management and support functions.

· Able to work with limited direction, coordinate workload, adapt to change, make timely decisions, and act quickly to reduce downtime in fast-paced situations.

· Demonstrates cooperation, dependable attendance, sound judgment, professionalism, accountability, and the ability to build effective working relationships.

· Must be flexible with work hours based on production needs, which may include occasional weekends or holidays.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

· Work is performed primarily on-site in a Tennessee manufacturing environment.

· Role requires meaningful time on the production floor and regular interaction with employees, equipment, materials, and production processes.

· Environment may include moderate noise, temperature variation, chemical odors, cleaning chemicals, vibration, fiberglass or composite manufacturing conditions, and other production-related exposures.

· Must be able to move safely throughout the facility, including production, warehouse, shipping/receiving, maintenance, and office areas.

· Requires standing, walking, bending, reaching, using stairs, pushing, and lifting up to 50 lbs.

· Must follow all required personal protective equipment, safety, environmental, and facility rules.

· May require response outside normal business hours based on operational needs, emergencies, or business continuity requirements.

Travel Requirements

· Local travel may occasionally be required.

· Occasional out-of-area travel may be required for training, corporate meetings, supplier/customer support, or business needs.

Disclaimer

Must perform the essential duties and responsibilities, with or without reasonable accommodation, efficiently and accurately without causing a significant safety threat to self or others. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required of all personnel so classified. This job description is not an employment agreement and/or an expressed or implied employment contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.