WHAT DOES A FABRICATION MANAGER DO?
Updated: Jun 12, 2025 - The Fabrication Manager oversees the operation and personnel of a fabrication shop, managing the facility's technical requirements through the interpretation of engineering schematics and project documentation. This position coordinates project scopes, budgets, and timelines, ensuring alignment with fabrication goals and deliverables while participating in kick-off meetings and resource planning. This role supervises the assignment and scheduling of tasks to lead technicians and field personnel, monitoring the procurement process and aiding in resource acquisition to meet project milestones.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Fabrication Manager
1. Fabrication Manager Duties
- Manufacturing Planning: Develop, implement, manage, and communicate plans to establish internal fabrication manufacturing within quality, production, and financial objectives.
- Team Management: Responsible for developing and managing a team to be responsible for fabrication of products to meet customer demands.
- Resource Management: Determine and manage human and material resources in order to meet production targets and appropriate stock levels.
- Quality Control: Implement, enforce, and analyze quality control and tracking programs to meet quality objectives and correct any issues.
- Standard Work Development: Develop, implement, and manage departmental standard work.
- Health & Safety Compliance: Ensure implementation and adherence to health and safety procedures.
- Performance Analysis: Analyze and report department performance on production volume, cost, and quality.
- Budget Management: Forecast, set, and manage fabrication budgets and implement cost control programs.
- Status Reporting: Analyze and report (written and/or oral) to the Plant Manager the status of high-priority jobs or issues deemed to be priority by Senior Management.
- Resource Planning: Plan and maintain resources for the department (people, equipment, etc.) to ensure on-time attainment of fabrication products and service requirements at the best cost and highest quality.
- Process Improvement: Proactively identify and implement process and quality improvements and initiate corrective and/or preventive actions when out of compliance.
- Team Scheduling & Development: Schedule and manage the fabrication team, set goals, monitor key performance indicators, hire staff, develop and document training plans to ensure employees are trained and in compliance with all procedures, coach and counsel to improve results, and conduct ongoing performance appraisals.
2. Fabrication Manager Details
- Facility Management: Responsible for managing fabrication shop facility and personnel.
- Technical Understanding: Understand the technical deliverable through reading and interpretation of engineering schematics and related documentation.
- Budget Management: Manage project fabrication budget and deliverables.
- Project Scope Management: Understand project scope, budget, contract, goals, and deliverables related to fabrication.
- Project Kick-Off Participation: Participate in internal project kick-off meetings.
- Team Leadership: Assign lead techs to be in charge of fabrication efforts.
- Task Identification: Identify project fabrication tasks.
- Task Assignment: Assign tasks to technicians (shop and the field).
- Personnel Coordination: Coordinate and schedule personnel to meet project milestones.
- Procurement Monitoring: Monitor the procurement process and assist in procurement when necessary.
- Resource Planning: Identify resource requirements, request personnel, and interview applicants.
3. Fabrication Manager Responsibilities
- Supply Management: Manage, monitor, and procure shop supplies.
- Skill Evaluation & Training: Evaluate technician skills and recommend or perform training.
- Work Inspection: Inspect and monitor work and processes.
- Commissioning Assistance: Assist with commissioning and testing efforts.
- Shop Organization: Ensure that the shop is kept clean and organized.
- Post Mortem Participation: Participate in project Post Mortem meetings.
- Tool & Standard Compliance: Ensure that proper tools, connectors, and cables are being used appropriately for different applications and ensure that fabrication standards are met.
- Stock Management: Update when items are pulled from the stock.
- Labor Tracking: Maintain labor tracking of fabrication packages.
- Material Tracking: Assist in tracking any extra material in the shop, including paint, extra material that comes back from the job site, etc.
4. Fabrication Manager Job Summary
- Schedule Management: Study production schedules and estimate work hour requirements to ensure schedules are met.
- Customer Coordination: Manage the scheduling process to meet the customer’s expectations and demands.
- Workload Coordination: Coordinate the workload of crews, and prioritize job assignments.
- Compliance Management: Maintain compliance with company policies, safety standards, quality specifications, regulatory requirements, and sanitation practices.
- Equipment Maintenance: Manage maintenance of production equipment.
- Quality Inspection: Inspect the quality of work in progress and finished products.
- Problem Resolution: Assist staff in resolving problems/issues.
- Staff Development: Participate in the training, development, and evaluation of subordinates.
- Disciplinary Support: Support and adhere to all company disciplinary action procedures.
- Vehicle Operation: Occasionally drive a company vehicle to job sites and other project areas.
- Inventory Assistance: Assist in the counting of physical inventory.
5. Fabrication Manager Accountabilities
- Project Leadership: Leading an effective technical project team by demonstrating leadership in safety culture and ensuring that the assigned scope of projects is delivered on time and on budget without sacrificing quality.
- Scope and Planning: Preparing the scope, time, and quality plan (QC) for the FEED and EPC contract of the electrical scope, including SCADA of an onshore substation, and contributing to the tender evaluation and procurement process.
- Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Leading and participating in project team meetings and cross-discipline cooperation with engineering consultants, EPC contractors, and sub-suppliers.
- Progress Tracking: Following up on progress and results from contractors and sub-suppliers in a timely manner and preparing monthly progress reporting on the assigned scope(s).
- Process Leadership: Lead and direct a state-of-the-art blade line process.
- Strategic Planning: Develop strategic and tactical plans that support annual business goals.
- Change Management: Maintain a high level of change management.
- Team Culture Development: Cultivate and maintain a strong service-oriented team environment culture.
- Talent Development: Develop talent and identify skill sets and programs needed for future business success.
- Leadership Guidance: Provide leadership guidance to shift leads.
- Inventory and Scheduling Coordination: Participate in inventory/scheduling meetings for planning of product requirements and subsequent scheduling of fabrication.
- Employee Engagement: Liaise with employees and management teams to identify ways to continually foster and promote a positive work environment by direct involvement with all levels of employees.
- Departmental Collaboration: Ensure efficient collaboration and coordination between relevant departments including extrusion, shipping, warehouse, procurement, and management.
- Safety Committee Participation: Participate as an active member of the Plant Safety Committee.