Structural Steel Shop Manager

Position Summary

The Structural Steel Shop Manager runs the steel side of DSI's fabrication operation the frames, skids, racks, stands, and support structures that carry our modular mechanical assemblies. This is a floor-first leadership role accountable for safety, throughput, weld quality, schedule adherence, and labor productivity. The Shop Manager owns the production line from raw material receipt through weld-out, finishing, and release to the mechanical assembly stations.

Key Responsibilities

Safety

Own shop safety performance. Enforce DSI and Quanta safety programs, lead daily huddles and JHAs, and maintain hot work, fall protection, crane/rigging, and PPE compliance.

Investigate incidents and near-misses to root cause; implement corrective actions and verify they hold.

Maintain machine guarding, LOTO, ventilation and fume extraction, and housekeeping standards.

Production Management

Schedule and load the shop against the module delivery plan station assignments, crew balancing, shift planning, and overtime decisions.

Drive takt and throughput against production targets; identify and clear bottlenecks in cutting, fitting, welding, and finishing.

Manage work-in-process, staging, and material flow so mechanical assembly is never waiting on a frame.

Track daily production metrics: units complete, hours per unit, rework rate, on-time release.

Quality & Welding

Own weld quality on the floor. Ensure welding is performed to approved WPS, that welders are qualified and continuity is current, and that filler metal and consumable control is maintained.

Manage in-process inspection, visual weld inspection, dimensional checks, and NDE coordination.

Maintain welder qualification records, WPS/PQR documentation, and material traceability/MTRs.

Enforce AWS D1.1 (and D1.6 where stainless applies) and AISC fabrication requirements; support third-party and owner inspections.

People Leadership

Hire, train, schedule, evaluate, and develop shop personnel. Build a bench cross-train fitters and welders across stations.

Set and hold performance expectations; handle discipline and corrective action in coordination with HR

Coordinate apprentice and welder qualification/upskilling programs.

Materials & Equipment

Manage steel procurement requisitions, receiving inspection, inventory levels, and drop/remnant utilization.

Own shop equipment reliability preventive maintenance schedules for saws, ironworkers, drill lines, welding machines, cranes, and forklifts.

Manage consumables, tooling, and shop supply spend within budget.

Coordination & Continuous Improvement

Interface daily with OSM engineering and detailing on drawings, RFIs, and shop deviations; resolve buildability issues before they hit the floor.

Coordinate with project management on delivery dates, load-out sequencing, and shipping/rigging plans.

Drive lean improvement 5S, standard work, fixture and jig development, setup reduction, and rework root-cause elimination.

Report shop labor and cost performance; support job cost accuracy and productivity analysis.

Required Qualifications

Minimum 7 years in structural steel or heavy metal fabrication, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role running a shop floor or production department.

Demonstrated command of structural steel fabrication methods: layout, cutting, fitting, welding processes (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW), and finishing.

Working knowledge of AWS D1.1 and AISC 303/360 fabrication and tolerance requirements.

Ability to read and interpret structural and shop drawings, weld symbols, and bills of material.

Proven safety leadership record in an industrial fabrication environment; OSHA 30 (or ability to obtain within 90 days).

Experience managing production schedules and labor against budgeted hours.

Proficiency with ERP/production tracking systems and standard business software.

Preferred Qualifications

AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) or Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS).

AISC Certified Fabricator shop experience; familiarity with AISC certification audit requirements.

Experience in modular/off-site construction or skid fabrication supporting MEP trades.

Experience with Vista by Viewpoint, Tekla, SDS/2, or comparable fabrication and ERP platforms.

Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or industrial engineering training.

Certified rigger/signalperson or overhead crane train-the-trainer credential.

Stainless steel fabrication experience (AWS D1.6, cleanliness and contamination control).

Competencies

Floor presence. Leads from the shop, not the office. Knows what every station is doing without asking.

Schedule discipline. Treats the delivery date as fixed and works the plan backward from it.

Quality intolerance for drift. Catches the bad weld at the station, not at final inspection.

Builds people. Develops fitters into leadmen and leadmen into foremen.

Straight communication. Escalates problems early with a proposed fix attached.

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