Fabrication Manager

Wanco is seeking an experienced Fabrication Manager to lead the performance and development of our fabrication operation, including welding, cutting, forming, blasting, and related manufacturing processes. This position combines operational leadership with continuous improvement, requiring a hands-on leader who can develop people, improve processes, optimize equipment, and drive business results.

The ideal candidate understands that high-performing manufacturing organizations are built through strong teams, disciplined processes, data-driven decisions, and cross-functional collaboration. This role is responsible for delivering safe, efficient, and high-quality production while helping shape the future capabilities of the fabrication department.

Reports to Operations Leadership and oversees fabrication supervisors, leads, and production personnel across one or more shifts.

This position plays a critical role in advancing Wanco's manufacturing capabilities. The Fabrication Manager will have the opportunity to strengthen operations, develop future leaders, improve production performance, and help shape the direction of the company's fabrication strategy for years to come.

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, team leads, and fabrication personnel.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards.
• Build training and development programs to improve technical and leadership capabilities.
• Support workforce planning, succession development, and hiring initiatives.
• Foster a culture of ownership, safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

• Direct daily fabrication operations to ensure production schedules, quality standards, and customer commitments are achieved.
• Balance labor, equipment, materials, and capacity to maximize throughput and efficiency.
• Develop and maintain standardized work practices, visual controls, work instructions, and production processes.
• Monitor departmental performance and implement corrective actions to address operational challenges.
• Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks using structured problem-solving methodologies.

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture and ensure compliance with all company safety requirements.
• Lead investigations, corrective actions, and preventive measures related to safety and quality issues.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to improve manufacturing consistency and product quality.
• Maintain compliance with applicable quality standards and support continuous process improvement initiatives.

• Lead waste reduction initiatives focused on improving flow, productivity, quality, and cost.
• Implement and sustain Lean Manufacturing principles including 5S, visual management, pull systems, and standard work.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective action activities using proven problem-solving methods.
• Identify opportunities for process automation, equipment improvements, and productivity enhancements.

• Establish and manage departmental performance indicators including:
• Safety
• Productivity
• Throughput
• Scrap and rework
• Utilize metrics and operational data to drive decision-making and prioritize improvement efforts.
• Communicate departmental results, risks, and improvement plans to leadership.

• Assess future equipment, tooling, facility, and staffing requirements to support growth.
• Lead planning and execution of capital improvement projects.
• Develop justified capital investment recommendations based on productivity, quality, capacity, and return-on-investment considerations.
• Support facility layout improvements, cell production design, and manufacturing process optimization.

• Manage inventory accuracy and material flow within the department.
• Ensure proper utilization of ERP/MRP systems and accurate transaction management.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Planning, and Engineering teams to improve material availability and production readiness.
• Support kanban and pull-based replenishment systems where applicable.

• Serve as the primary fabrication representative in production planning and operational reviews.
• Work closely with Engineering to improve manufacturability and support new product introductions.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and Operations teams to achieve company objectives.
• Evaluate make-versus-buy decisions and manufacturing strategies to improve overall business performance.

• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience within manufacturing or fabrication operations.
• Strong working knowledge of metal fabrication processes including welding, cutting, forming, and assembly.
• Experience leading supervisors, leads, and production employees.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing documentation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills…