Production Manager

Description Responsibilities

• Own daily execution of fit up, tack, welding, blast, and paint operations.
• Ensure production output meets quality, schedule, and safety expectations across both shifts.
• Maintain strong floor presence, observing:
• Fit up accuracy
• Welding discipline and technique
• Rework drivers
• Blast and paint throughput and quality
• Ensure clean, consistent shift to shift handoffs with no loss of accountability.
• Enforce standard work, weld procedures, surface prep standards, and finishing requirements.

The Production Manager owns, tracks, and improves the following KPIs for pre fabrication:

• Required KPI Ownership – Cutting & Grooving
• First Pass Yield (FPY)
• Weld Rework Rate
• Throughput vs. Planned
• Cycle Time by Operation
• Downtime (equipment, labor, quality, material)
• Labor Efficiency / Utilization
• WIP between fabrication stages
• Establish baselines and recovery plans where gaps exist.
• Review KPIs daily on the floor and weekly with Operations leadership.
• Assign KPI ownership to Supervisors and hold weekly accountability reviews.
• Drive corrective action—not reporting—when targets are missed.
• Provide direct leadership to first and second shift Supervisors and hourly production employees.
• Set clear expectations for:
  • Weld quality and workmanship
  • Safety compliance
  • Attendance and behavior
• Lead structured daily huddles with documented actions and follow up.
• Conduct regular one on ones with Supervisors focused on KPI ownership, decision-making, and leadership growth.
• Partner with HR and Operations leadership on hiring, onboarding, performance management, corrective action, employee development, and succession planning.
• Own safe execution of welding, grinding, blasting, and painting operations.
• Enforce PPE, hot work controls, ventilation, and environmental requirements.
• Ensure weld procedures, certifications, and inspection requirements are followed.
• Partner with QA and Engineering to:
  • Reduce rework
  • Improve fit up accuracy
  • Standardize best welding practices
  • Ensure defects are corrected at the source, not downstream.
• Identify fabrication constraints impacting throughput or quality.
• Lead improvement initiatives with:
  • Defined scope
  • Baseline and target metrics
  • Measurable outcomes
  • Reduce variability by shift, crew, or welder.
• Standardize improvements so results persist independent of supervision.
• Execute fabrication plans aligned with Operations, Planning, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance.
• Identify risks early with data driven recommendations.
• Provide operational input to Operations Manager without owning plant level capital or long range planning decisions.

• 5–8+ years in fabrication or manufacturing operations.
• 3+ years of direct people leadership in multi shift environments.
• Strong understanding of fit up, welding, surface prep, and finishing operations.
• Demonstrated ability to own KPIs and drive measurable improvement.

• Welding or fabrication technical background.
• Lean / continuous improvement experience.
• Experience in high mix or quality critical fabrication environments.