Shop Foreman

POSITION SUMMARY

Trident Maritime Systems is seeking an experienced Welding / Fabrication Foreman (Shop) to support daily production, fabrication, and welding operations in a controlled shop environment. This position serves as a direct support resource to the Production Manager and is responsible for coordinating personnel, workflow, production priorities, documentation, and day-to-day shop activities.

The Welding / Fabrication Foreman is responsible for helping ensure production priorities established by the Production Manager are effectively communicated, assigned, monitored, and completed. This position requires a strong working knowledge of welding, fitting, fabrication, blueprint interpretation, dimensional control, production workflow, and general manufacturing practices.

This position requires a high level of flexibility and commitment to production needs beyond normal working hours. The Welding / Fabrication Foreman must be willing to remain on site as required to support ongoing shop activities, including extended shifts, late production hours, and weekend work. This position may be responsible for overseeing personnel and maintaining production activities during periods when work continues outside of normal operating hours.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong hands-on manufacturing knowledge, leadership ability, sound judgment, organizational skills, and the ability to anticipate production needs, identify potential bottlenecks, and coordinate personnel and resources to maintain efficient workflow.

RESPONSIBILITIES / AUTHORITIES

• Support the Production Manager with daily coordination and execution of welding, fitting, fabrication, machining, material preparation, and related production activities
• Communicate production priorities, assignments, schedule requirements, and workflow expectations to shop personnel
• Assign and coordinate personnel based on production priorities, employee skill levels, workload, and available manpower
• Monitor work progress throughout the shift and adjust personnel or workflow as necessary to maintain production requirements
• Maintain awareness of current and upcoming production needs to identify manpower, material, tooling, equipment, or workflow concerns before they negatively affect production
• Maintain continuity of daily shop operations when the Production Supervisor is temporarily unavailable or away from the production floor
• Make routine day-to-day production decisions within established priorities, procedures, and authority
• Escalate significant production, personnel, quality, safety, scheduling, or resource concerns to the Production Manager as required
• Coordinate closely with the Welding Lead regarding welding methods, fabrication concerns, fit-up issues, technical troubleshooting, employee development, and shop-floor technical support
• Allow the Welding Lead and Supervisor to maintain greater hands-on involvement in welding, fabrication, training, troubleshooting, and technical production activities by assuming appropriate administrative and coordination responsibilities
• Support welders and fitters across Class A, Class B, and Class C classifications while considering individual skill level and experience when assigning work
• Maintain sufficient technical understanding of welding and fabrication processes to recognize production problems, understand technical concerns, and coordinate appropriate resources
• Review and interpret blueprints, fabrication drawings, weld symbols, work instructions, production documentation, and applicable shop requirements
• Monitor fit-up, dimensional accuracy, workmanship, weld quality, and general production quality throughout shop operations
• Work with Quality personnel to address inspection concerns, nonconforming work, documentation requirements, and corrective actions
• Coordinate with machining and other supporting departments to maintain workflow and resolve production-related issues
• Assist with tracking production status, labor utilization, job progress, rework, and other information required by the Production Supervisor
• Maintain accurate and timely production documentation and administrative records as assigned
• Assist with employee attendance, timekeeping, work assignments, training documentation, and other routine supervisory administrative responsibilities
• Provide feedback to the Production Manager regarding employee performance, productivity, workmanship, development needs, attendance, and overall job performance
• Assist with coaching and development of employees and reinforce established safety, quality, productivity, and workmanship expectations
• Support the training and development of Class C and Class B personnel toward higher skill classifications
• Identify employees who may require additional training, technical assistance, closer supervision, or reassignment based on production requirements
• Help ensure employees understand work instructions, priorities, quality expectations, and required completion timelines
• Monitor production flow between fitting, welding, machining, material preparation, finishing, blasting, and other supporting operations as applicable
• Identify developing bottlenecks and take appropriate action to maintain efficient movement of work through the shop
• Consider downstream production requirements when assigning personnel and prioritizing work
• Coordinate availability and proper use of welding equipment, fabrication equipment, fixtures, jigs, tooling, consumables, and other production resources
• Assist with troubleshooting production, equipment, fabrication, welding, dimensional, and workflow issues
• Support continuous improvement efforts involving workflow, productivity, quality, repeatability, material handling, fixtures, tooling, and production processes
• Help maintain first-time quality standards while minimizing rework, production delays, and material waste
• Promote communication between production personnel, leads, supervisors, Quality, and supporting departments
• Reinforce established company safety requirements and address unsafe conditions or practices when observed
• Stop or address unsafe or nonconforming work when necessary and notify appropriate supervision or Quality personnel
• Maintain professional leadership and accountability throughout daily shop operations
• Perform hands-on welding, fitting, fabrication, machining support, or general production activities when necessary to support production requirements
• Maintain a clean, organized, safe, and production-focused work environment
• Comply with all company safety, quality, operational, and administrative procedures

QUALIFICATIONS / KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• Minimum 7 years of combined welding, fitting, fabrication, manufacturing, or closely related industrial production experience
• Minimum 3 years of direct hands-on experience involving welding, fitting, fabrication, or closely related metal manufacturing operations
• Minimum 5 years previous lead, supervisory, Foreman, workflow coordination, or equivalent production leadership experience required
• Strong working knowledge of welding, fabrication, fit-up, layout, dimensional control, and general shop production practices
• Working knowledge of FCAW, GMAW, GTAW, or other welding processes applicable to production operations
• Ability to understand welding procedures, welding requirements, weld quality expectations, and general welding terminology
• Strong ability to read and interpret blueprints, fabrication drawings, weld symbols, work instructions, and production documentation
• Ability to accurately understand measurements, dimensions, tolerances, fractions, decimals, degrees, and general shop mathematics
• Understanding of fabrication sequence, material preparation, fit-up, welding, finishing, and downstream production requirements
• Ability to evaluate employee skill levels and assign work based on production requirements and individual capability
• Ability to coordinate multiple jobs, employees, priorities, and production requirements simultaneously
• Ability to anticipate workflow problems and adjust before production is negatively affected
• Strong organizational, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and maintain daily production operations within established priorities when the Production Manager is unavailable
• Ability to recognize issues requiring escalation and communicate those issues clearly to the Production Manager
• Ability to work effectively with welders, fitters, machinists, operators, labor personnel, Quality, management, and supporting departments
• Basic computer skills including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, or similar production and administrative systems
• Ability to maintain production documentation, personnel information, job tracking, and basic reporting requirements
• Strong understanding of production safety, quality, workmanship, productivity, and accountability expectations
• Strong work ethic with demonstrated reliability, professionalism, leadership, and personal accountability

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supervising or coordinating personnel within a welding, fabrication, machining, or manufacturing environment
• Previous experience as a welding lead, fabrication lead, senior welder, senior fitter, shop lead, acting supervisor, or similar position
• Experience working across multiple manufacturing disciplines including welding, fitting, fabrication, machining, assembly, or related operations
• Experience with production scheduling, manpower planning, job tracking, labor-hour tracking, or workflow coordination
• Experience training, mentoring, or developing welders, fitters, machinists, or other skilled production personnel
• Experience working with Class A, Class B, and Class C or equivalent skill-based employee classifications
• Familiarity with NAVSEA, MIL-STD, AWS, or other applicable welding and fabrication requirements
• Experience supporting welding qualifications, certifications, welding procedures, or production quality requirements
• Experience with fixtures, jigs, tooling, repeat production setups, and process improvement
• Experience coordinating with Quality, Engineering, Machining, Planning, or other production support departments
• Experience assisting with employee evaluations, coaching, documentation, or performance development
• Strong understanding of production efficiency, labor utilization, workflow planning, and continuous improvement principles

WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the teammate is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb and balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear. Teammates are occasionally required to sit. 

• Work is performed primarily in a controlled shop and manufacturing environment
• Position requires frequent presence on the production floor while also performing administrative and supervisory responsibilities
• Regularly required to stand, walk, bend, kneel, climb, and move throughout production areas
• Must be capable of working around active welding, fabrication, machining, grinding, blasting, and other industrial production activities
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. as required
• Must be able to safely operate or work around welding equipment, grinders, hand tools, fabrication equipment, machining equipment, and other production machinery
• Exposure to typical shop conditions including noise, heat, welding fumes, sparks, grinding dust, airborne particulates, and changing temperatures
• Must be capable of performing hands-on production activities when required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the teammate is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb and balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear. Teammates are occasionally required to sit. 

Specific physical requirements include but are not limited to the following: 

1. Work is performed primarily in a controlled shop and manufacturing environment
2. Position requires frequent presence on the production floor while also performing administrative and supervisory responsibilities
3. Regularly required to stand, walk, bend, kneel, climb, and move throughout production areas
4. Must be capable of working around active welding, fabrication, machining, grinding, blasting, and other industrial production activities
5. Ability to lift to 50 lbs. as required
6. Must be able to safely operate or work around welding equipment, grinders, hand tools, fabrication equipment, machining equipment, and other production machinery
7. Exposure to typical shop conditions including noise, heat, welding fumes, sparks, grinding dust, airborne particulates, and changing temperatures
8. Must be capable of performing hands-on production activities when required
   1. Must have the ability to bend, squat, stoop, crawl, and kneel. 
   2. Perform prolonged standing. 
   3. Ability to turn head from side to side and about the vertical axis. 
   4. Ability to turn body at the waist from side to side and about the vertical axis. 
   5. Lift/push/pull 50lbs to 75lbs on an occasional basis. 
   6. Lift/push/pull up to 20lbs on a frequent basis. 
   7. Must have the ability to climb in a safe manner (climbing as a minimum includes stairs, scaffolding.) 
   8. Able to work at a variety of levels (ex. waist, eye, overhead). 
   9. Demonstrate the ability to safely and appropriately use required tools and equipment. 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to pass a drug screening and background check
• Must comply with all company safety, quality, operational, and administrative procedures
• Must be able to work overtime as required to support production demands
• Must demonstrate consistent reliability, attendance, professionalism, leadership, and accountability
• Must demonstrate the ability to maintain production workflow and personnel coordination with limited direct supervision
• Must be willing and able to continue developing technical knowledge involving welding, fitting, fabrication, machining, quality, and production operations
• Must be capable of learning company-specific procedures, production requirements, welding standards, employee capabilities, and workflow expectations
• Must demonstrate the ability to evaluate situations beyond the immediate task and consider the effect of decisions on manpower, workflow, quality, schedule, and downstream production requirements

LIASES WITH: Trade Supervisors, Managers when needed. 

SAFETY 

Must comply with company, federal, state, and local safety and environmental rules and regulations while performing daily job tasks.