Welding Supervisor

Our client is a growing steel fabrication and manufacturing company seeking an experienced Welding Supervisor to lead daily operations within a high-volume fabrication environment. This individual will oversee welding personnel, production schedules, quality, safety, and workflow while ensuring projects are completed efficiently and in accordance with applicable industry standards and customer requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and direct welding personnel, including lead welders, code welders, SAW welders, operators, and helpers, to achieve daily production goals.
• Plan and prioritize welding activities based on production schedules, shop capacity, and customer delivery requirements.
• Oversee fit-up, welding, inspection, and material flow for structural, plate, and pressure vessel components.
• Ensure compliance with WPS requirements, AWS D1.1, ASME Section VIII, customer specifications, and other applicable welding standards.
• Monitor weld quality, repairs, and nonconformances, leading root-cause analysis and corrective actions to reduce rework.
• Partner with Quality, Fabrication, Rolling, Maintenance, Engineering, and Logistics to improve production flow, equipment reliability, and overall throughput.
• Maintain a strong safety culture, including PPE, hot work, LOTO, crane, forklift, and rigging requirements.
• Manage staffing, overtime, productivity, and labor costs while maintaining production and delivery commitments.
• Support welder qualifications, procedure qualifications, inspections, and required documentation.
• Drive 5S, housekeeping, cross-training, continuous improvement, and process optimization throughout the welding department.
• Track key production, quality, safety, and productivity KPIs and use performance data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance management of welding personnel.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of welding experience in a steel fabrication, pressure vessel, structural steel, or similar industrial environment.
• 3+ years of supervisory or leadership experience within welding or fabrication.
• Strong knowledge of SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and SAW welding processes, including fit-up, joint preparation, weld sequencing, and distortion control.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, shop drawings, weld symbols, WPSs, and flat patterns, with strong measurement and shop-math skills.
• Working knowledge of AWS D1.1, ASME Section VIII, and other applicable codes and customer specifications.
• Experience in a high-volume steel fabrication environment, ideally involving heavy plate, rolling, forming, or structural fabrication.
• Demonstrated ability to improve safety, quality, productivity, and production efficiency through hands-on leadership and problem-solving.
• Experience with overhead cranes, forklifts, rigging, and safe handling of heavy steel products.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office and ERP/production systems.
• High school diploma or GED required; welding, fabrication, or industrial technical training preferred.

Preferred Experience

• Pressure vessel and/or large structural weldments completed to code requirements.
• Experience managing welder qualification programs and working with third-party inspectors or Authorized Inspectors.
• Knowledge of heavy plate fabrication and steel grades such as A36, A572, and AR.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement.
• Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.

Work Environment

This is a hands-on industrial leadership role based primarily in a steel fabrication shop and yard. The position involves frequent standing, walking, bending, climbing, and working around heavy steel, overhead cranes, forklifts, welding arcs, heat, noise, fumes, dust, and sparks . Appropriate PPE is required at all times.