Press Brake Operator and Welder

The day starts early in Northeast Portland, when the shop lights at Axiom flicker on and the smell of steel and cutting oil settles into the air. By 7:00am, you’ve got your coffee set down, your gloves on, and the press brake humming to life. The floor is already moving, finishing working on just the right powder coat patina for an impressive and awe inspiring office space wall and ceiling panel layout, fabricators comparing notes from yesterday’s push to get a custom retail fixture crated and ready for install, installers teching up a tradeshow booth, running through the install directive to make sure things go together just right.

At Axiom, no two mornings are quite the same. One week you’re fabricating structural components for a commercial build; the next, you’re shaping light gauge stainless into a sleek display that will carry a national brand’s identity. Sometimes it’s a one-off sculptural piece, part art, part engineering challenge, where there are no fully engineered drawings to lean on, just intent, dimensions, and your ability to read between the lines. You study the prints, or sometimes just a concept and a handful of measurements, and map out your approach. Precision matters here. Tolerances are tight. Craftsmanship isn’t a buzzword; it’s the baseline.

You’ll spend part of the morning at the press brake, dialing in bends, checking angles with practiced efficiency. Every week you rotate through it, owning the setup and making sure each formed part is exactly what the project demands. Later, you might move to the laser, cross-training and sharpening your skillset, because at Axiom everyone is expected to be more than one thing. It’s a full-function team. When a deadline looms, metal steps into millwork. When a job needs packing, it’s all hands on deck. Titles matter less than outcomes.

By mid-morning, sparks are flying. MIG for structural strength, TIG when the finish needs to be flawless and ready for powder coat. You move between materials without hesitation, stainless, carbon steel, aluminum, mild steel, switching techniques as naturally as you change out a disc on the angle grinder. There’s a rhythm to it: cut on the cold saw, clean on the grinder, fit and clamp, tack and check for square, then weld it out clean. Drill press, shear, horizontal band saw—each tool has its place in the choreography of the build.

Some days take you beyond the shop. An install might call for field measurements or on-site adjustments, tape measure and level in hand, making sure what was perfect in the shop is perfect in the real world. Other days are pure fabrication, interpreting complex assembly instructions, laying out parts by hand, solving small engineering puzzles as they appear. You work independently often, trusted to own your piece of the project, but you’re never alone in it. Questions are encouraged. The “Axiom way” is about doing it right, even if that means stopping to rethink a setup or recheck the math.

Lunch breaks are filled with shop talk and the easy camaraderie of people who like building things that last. The culture is steady, dependable, built on integrity, just like the company itself. There’s pride here, not just in the finished product but in the process. In the clean weld that needs almost no finishing. In the perfectly consistent bend. In the way a complex assembly comes together without forcing a single part.

As the afternoon winds down, maybe at 3:30, or possibly closer to 5:30 if the day calls for it, you sweep your station, reset clamps, and stage parts for tomorrow. Good housekeeping isn’t an afterthought; it’s part of being a pro. Occasionally there’s overtime, infrequently a Saturday push, but it’s purposeful. Goal-oriented. Everyone understands what’s at stake and what it takes to deliver.

The reward isn’t just in the paycheck, though at $25 to $32 an hour, it reflects the skill and experience you bring. It’s in knowing you’re building a career, not just punching a clock. After your first year, you’re planning real time off: 20 days of PTO plus 5 paid holidays (in year one it's 10 days and 5 paid holidays). You’ve got solid subsidized medical and voluntary dental and vision coverage behind you, with the option to add dependents at an additional cost. 401k and ROTH options help you look ahead to retirement. In a trade where good shops exist, Axiom stands apart because the work is different. It’s custom. It’s challenging. It’s interesting.

By the time you step out into the Portland evening, boots carrying the dust of the day, you can point to something tangible and say, “I built that.” And tomorrow, it’ll be something entirely new.

If this sounds like the kind of work you take pride in precision fabrication, unique custom projects, and being part of a tight-knit team that builds things the right way, we’d love to hear from you.

When you apply, use the cover letter section to introduce yourself. Nothing overly formal is needed. Tell us a bit about your background, your experience with press brakes, MIG and TIG, and why you think Axiom would be a great fit for your next career move. Let us know what kind of projects you enjoy most and what craftsmanship means to you. And if you haven't operated a Laser or Press Brake, just tell us why you think you can learn them.

If you’re ready to build something meaningful and grow with a company that values skill, integrity, and dependability, go ahead and apply. We’re looking forward to meeting you.