Base Fabrication & Paint Manager

About Us:

Panelmatic, Inc. was founded in 1957 in Youngstown, OH to serve manufacturing industries with the design and build of custom electrical, instrument, and pneumatic control panels. Our business has sufficiently grown over the years to support expansion for our clients. We have produced control packages for many of America's top corporations in the chemical, environmental, food, pulp and paper, rubber, petroleum, pharmaceutical, glass, metals, and utilities industries. We also deliver equipment for use worldwide. Our rigorous methodology assures compliance with domestic and international standards. We can meet the needs of our diverse clientele from start to finish through sales, design, fabrication, testing, and delivery.

Since 1957, we have been known for our high-quality, custom-built control packages, our comprehensive service, and our technological and manufacturing expertise. This expertise assures you of our ability to handle the largest and most complex packages quickly and efficiently.

Job Summary:

Panelmatic, Inc. is seeking an experienced and results-driven Base Fabrication & Paint Manager to oversee the daily operations and overall performance of the base fabrication and paint departments. This position is responsible for managing structural steel fabrication, welding, component assembly, surface preparation, and industrial painting operations to ensure products meet quality standards and production schedules.

The Base Fabrication & Paint Manager will lead production personnel, supervisors, and team leads while coordinating labor, materials, equipment, workflow, and production priorities. This role will ensure fabricated steel structures and components are completed according to engineering drawings, project specifications, quality requirements, and customer expectations.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in structural steel fabrication and industrial paint operations, along with a proven track record of managing teams in a manufacturing or industrial environment. This individual must be a strong leader capable of coordinating multiple production processes, improving operational efficiency, maintaining a safe work environment, and ensuring quality throughout fabrication and paint operations.

Job Duties

Leadership & Team Management

- Provide overall leadership and direction for the base fabrication and paint departments.
- Supervise, coach, train, and develop supervisors, leads, fabricators, fitters, welders, painters, and other production personnel.
- Establish clear expectations for safety, quality, productivity, attendance, and employee performance.
- Assign personnel and resources based on employee skill sets, production schedules, and project requirements.
- Monitor employee performance and productivity, providing feedback and coaching as needed.
- Participate in interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management activities.
- Identify training needs and support cross-training and employee development.
- Hold team members accountable for meeting production goals, quality standards, and established procedures.
- Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, communication, and continuous improvement.

Base Fabrication Operations

- Oversee daily structural steel fabrication operations to ensure production goals and project deadlines are met.
- Manage fabrication activities involving carbon steel, structural channel, I-beams, and other applicable structural steel materials.
- Oversee material layout, measuring, cutting, fitting, welding, grinding, and assembly activities.
- Ensure fabrication work is completed according to approved blueprints, engineering drawings, work orders, and project specifications.
- Provide technical guidance on fabrication methods, fit-up, weld preparation, and assembly techniques.
- Ensure fabricated structures and components meet dimensional, structural, and workmanship requirements.
- Monitor production workflow and identify bottlenecks, delays, and resource constraints.
- Coordinate labor, materials, tools, and equipment to maintain efficient production.
- Troubleshoot fabrication challenges and coordinate with Engineering or other departments to resolve drawing discrepancies and technical issues.
- Ensure completed fabricated components are ready for the next stage of production, including paint operations.
- Support hands-on troubleshooting when necessary to meet production requirements.

Paint Operations & Finishing

- Oversee daily industrial painting operations to ensure production schedules, quality requirements, and customer specifications are met.
- Manage paint department workflow, staffing, workload distribution, and production priorities.
- Oversee surface preparation and application of industrial coatings, including two-part epoxy wet paint systems.
- Ensure employees follow established procedures for paint mixing, application, curing, handling, and finishing.
- Verify that surfaces are properly prepared before paint application and that completed products meet applicable finish requirements.
- Ensure paint products and coating systems are handled, stored, mixed, and applied according to manufacturer instructions and safety requirements.
- Monitor paint quality, coating coverage, finish consistency, and defects.
- Identify and resolve issues involving coating adhesion, surface defects, improper application, and rework.
- Coordinate the movement of fabricated components between fabrication, paint, and subsequent production stages.
- Ensure paint materials, supplies, equipment, and PPE are available to support production requirements.
- Monitor paint department productivity and implement improvements to reduce waste, rework, and turnaround time.

Production Planning & Workflow Management

- Establish daily and weekly production priorities across base fabrication and paint operations.
- Coordinate fabrication and paint schedules to ensure efficient workflow and on-time completion of projects.
- Work with Production Leadership, Project Management, Engineering, Quality, and Procurement to align department activities with project requirements.
- Ensure adequate staffing, materials, consumables, equipment, and tools are available to meet production demands.
- Monitor workload and adjust priorities to prevent bottlenecks between fabrication and paint.
- Track project progress and communicate potential delays, material shortages, equipment issues, or staffing concerns to leadership.
- Balance labor and resources across both departments to maximize productivity and efficiency.
- Coordinate overtime and staffing requirements based on production workload and business needs.
- Ensure completed products move efficiently through production and are released to subsequent operations on schedule.

Quality Control

- Establish and maintain quality standards for fabrication, welding, surface preparation, and painting operations.
- Ensure fabricated structures meet drawing dimensions, tolerances, structural requirements, and project specifications.
- Ensure painted products meet required coating, coverage, appearance, and workmanship standards.
- Monitor production processes to identify quality concerns before products advance to subsequent operations.
- Coordinate inspections and verify that completed work meets applicable company quality procedures.
- Investigate quality issues and implement corrective actions to prevent recurring defects.
- Collaborate with Quality and Engineering to resolve nonconformances and customer specification concerns.
- Reduce scrap, coating defects, weld rework, material waste, and production errors.
- Maintain compliance with applicable Quality Assurance Procedures and project requirements.

Safety & Environmental Compliance

- Enforce company safety policies and established procedures throughout fabrication and paint operations.
- Ensure employees are trained in the safe operation of fabrication machinery, welding equipment, cutting tools, grinders, and paint application equipment.
- Promote proper use of personal protective equipment, including eye, hearing, respiratory, and other required protection.
- Ensure paint operations follow applicable procedures for handling coatings, solvents, and other chemicals.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe production environment.
- Ensure appropriate ventilation and safe work practices are followed in designated paint areas.
- Address unsafe conditions and work practices promptly.
- Participate in safety meetings, inspections, incident reviews, and corrective action initiatives.
- Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and environmental awareness across both departments.

Equipment & Maintenance

- Monitor the condition and performance of fabrication machinery, welding equipment, paint application systems, and related production equipment.
- Ensure equipment is operated safely and maintained according to established procedures.
- Coordinate preventive maintenance and repairs to minimize unplanned downtime.
- Identify equipment, tooling, and facility needs that may improve production capacity and efficiency.
- Work with Maintenance to resolve equipment issues and coordinate necessary repairs.
- Ensure employees properly operate, inspect, and maintain assigned equipment.
- Evaluate opportunities to improve equipment utilization and production capabilities.

Continuous Improvement & Cost Management

- Identify opportunities to improve fabrication and paint processes, productivity, quality, and workflow.
- Implement process improvements that reduce material waste, rework, downtime, and unnecessary labor.
- Monitor labor utilization, material consumption, paint usage, and production costs.
- Evaluate fabrication and paint methods to improve consistency and operational efficiency.
- Standardize work practices and reinforce adherence to established procedures.
- Use production data and employee feedback to identify operational improvements.
- Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Promote effective coordination between fabrication and paint to reduce delays and improve throughput.

Reporting & Performance Management

- Maintain accurate production, quality, staffing, equipment, and material usage records.
- Monitor departmental performance against established production goals and project schedules.
- Track and report key performance indicators, including:
- Production output and productivity
- Labor utilization and efficiency
- Schedule adherence
- Fabrication quality and rework
- Paint quality and coating defects
- Material and paint consumption
- Scrap and waste
- Equipment downtime
- Safety performance

- Analyze production trends and implement corrective actions when goals are not being met.
- Provide regular updates to leadership regarding production status, staffing, quality, and operational challenges.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Work closely with Production Leadership, Engineering, Project Management, Quality, Procurement, and other departments to support successful project execution.
- Participate in production planning meetings and project reviews.
- Communicate production requirements, resource needs, project status, and potential schedule risks.
- Collaborate with Engineering to resolve fabrication drawing discrepancies and technical issues.
- Coordinate with Procurement to ensure steel, welding consumables, coatings, and other materials are available when needed.
- Partner with Quality to resolve fabrication and paint defects.
- Coordinate fabrication and paint activities to ensure products are completed according to schedule and are ready for downstream assembly and delivery.

Requirements

- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- 5+ years of experience in structural steel fabrication, welding, industrial painting, manufacturing, or a related field.
- 3+ years of supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing, fabrication, welding, or industrial paint environment.
- Strong knowledge of structural steel fabrication processes, including cutting, fitting, welding, grinding, and assembly.
- Experience with industrial painting operations and coating application, preferably involving two-part epoxy wet paint systems.
- Ability to read and interpret blueprints, fabrication drawings, work orders, and technical specifications.
- Strong understanding of measurements, dimensional tolerances, and fabrication requirements.
- Ability to accurately read a tape measure, convert decimals to fractions, and use conversion charts.
- Experience managing production schedules, allocating labor, and coordinating multiple workflows.
- Knowledge of fabrication quality standards and industrial paint quality requirements.
- Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities while meeting production deadlines and quality expectations.
- Strong commitment to workplace safety and established operating procedures.
- Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

- Associate degree or technical certification in Welding, Metal Fabrication, Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Coatings, or a related field.
- Experience managing both structural fabrication and industrial paint departments.
- Experience in custom industrial manufacturing, electrical enclosures, packaged equipment, or similar manufacturing environments.
- Familiarity with welding quality requirements and applicable welding standards.
- Experience with industrial coating systems, including surface preparation and two-part epoxy wet paint.
- Experience with production planning, labor forecasting, and departmental performance metrics.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications and ERP/MRP systems.
- Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives.

Benefits

- Medical, dental, vision, HSA, term life, AD&D, STD, LTD
- 100% medical premium paid by Panelmatic for employee-only coverage
- 80% Panelmatic-paid / 20% employee-paid dependent coverage
- 401(k) contributions matched 100% up to 4%
- Scholarships, educational reimbursement, paid volunteerism, and professional development
- PTO and paid holidays
- Career advancement opportunities
- Competitive wages
- Family-friendly environment with average employee tenure above five years