Workshop Supervisor / Leading Hand

seek.co.nz; Papakura; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Jora New Zealand is seeking a hands-on Workshop Supervisor / Leading Hand to oversee daily workshop operations, while actively contributing to fabrication, welding, and machinery assembly. The role blends leadership with practical, hands-on work in a busy manufacturing environment.

You will coordinate with engineering, sales, warehouse, and operations teams to keep projects moving safely, efficiently, and on schedule, with a focus on quality and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• Trade qualification in fabrication, boilermaking, welding, or fitting (or equivalent industry experience).
• Minimum 3+ years' relevant fabrication, manufacturing, or heavy engineering experience.
• Strong MIG (GMAW) and stick/arc (SMAW) welding capability.
• Experience supervising, leading, or coordinating workshop staff.
• Confidence reading and interpreting technical and fabrication drawings.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily workshop operations and allocate work across the team
• Ensure jobs are completed safely, efficiently, on time, and to a high standard
• Act as the key point of communication between the workshop, engineering, sales, warehouse, and management teams
• Track labour hours, job costs, and project progress, providing regular schedule updates
• Re-prioritise workshop activities as project requirements change
• Lead by example with hands-on fabrication, welding, fitting, and machinery assembly
• Interpret technical drawings, fabrication drawings, and specifications
• Organise preparation of steel and metal components, including cutting, shaping, drilling, and bending
• Supervise welding, alignment, bolting, fitting, and assembly processes
• Inspect welds, fabricated components, and completed assemblies for quality and dimensional accuracy

Skills

Fabrication

Welding (MIG/SMAW)

Supervisory experience

Reading drawings

Time management

Hands-on approach

Education

Trade qualification in fabrication, boilermaking, welding, or fitting

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

A well-established New Zealand-owned industrial manufacturing company is seeking a hands-on Workshop Supervisor / Leading Hand to oversee daily workshop operations while actively contributing to fabrication, welding, and machinery assembly. This is a practical leadership role combining workshop coordination, manufacturing, maintenance, and occasional site-based work. You will work closely with engineering, sales, warehouse, and operations teams to keep projects moving safely, efficiently, and on schedule.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee daily workshop operations and allocate work across the team
• Ensure jobs are completed safely, efficiently, on time, and to a high standard
• Act as the key point of communication between the workshop, engineering, sales, warehouse, and management teams
• Track labour hours, job costs, and project progress, providing regular schedule updates
• Re-prioritise workshop activities as project requirements change
• Lead by example with hands-on fabrication, welding, fitting, and machinery assembly
• Interpret technical drawings, fabrication drawings, and specifications
• Organise preparation of steel and metal components, including cutting, shaping, drilling, and bending
• Supervise welding, alignment, bolting, fitting, and assembly processes
• Inspect welds, fabricated components, and completed assemblies for quality and dimensional accuracy

About you

• Trade qualification in fabrication, boilermaking, welding, fitting, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience
• Minimum 3+ years' relevant fabrication, manufacturing, or heavy engineering experience
• Strong MIG (GMAW) and stick/arc (SMAW) welding capability
• Experience supervising, leading, or coordinating workshop staff
• Confidence reading and interpreting technical and fabrication drawings
• Good understanding of steel fabrication, machinery assembly, and workshop processes
• Strong organisational and time-management skills
• Ability to manage multiple jobs and changing priorities
• Strong focus on quality, productivity, and workplace safety
• A practical, hands-on approach and willingness to take ownership of workshop outcomes

About us

A well-established New Zealand-owned industrial manufacturing business with a modern, purpose-built manufacturing and assembly workshop. We work on diverse projects involving heavy machinery and fabricated equipment, offering a mix of workshop leadership, hands-on fabrication, assembly, and site work. We are a stable, long-term business with an experienced engineering and technical team.