Fabrication & Finishing Supervisor

Steel & O'Brien Manufacturing; Olde West Chester (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

2% quarterly bonus

Job summary

Steel & O'Brien Manufacturing is seeking a Fabrication and Finishing Supervisor to lead daily floor operations and supervise hourly employees across fabrication, machining, deburring, grinding, polishing, cleaning, and passivation. You will partner with Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Planning to prevent defects and improve performance.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment and mentors employees toward practical growth.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; technical education or certifications are a plus.
• Minimum five years in production/operations, with supervisor experience.
• Experience in stainless steel fabrication, machining, or finishing preferred.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and apply inspection requirements with measuring tools.

Responsibilities

• Supervise daily fabrication and finishing work to meet schedules, quality targets, and safety requirements.
• Lead hourly employees and communication of priorities, quality expectations, and accountability.
• Execute production plan by assigning work, balancing labor, and addressing bottlenecks.
• Lead daily meetings and shift handoffs; report progress and issues to Production Manager.
• Ensure work instructions, drawings, setup requirements, and inspection plans are followed.
• Coordinate with Maintenance and Engineering to minimize downtime and address issues.
• Enforce safety practices, PPE use, and proper handling of chemicals during passivation or cleaning.
• Coach staff to detect defects and maintain product quality.
• Verify first-piece, in-process, and final checks and documentation for dimensions and surface finish.

Skills

Team leadership

Reading engineering drawings

Lean manufacturing

5S Kaizen

ERP systems

Quality standards

Safety compliance

Microsoft Office

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Fabrication and Finishing Supervisor

Lead safe, high-quality production

The Fabrication and Finishing Supervisor leads daily floor operations to deliver quality products on schedule. This hands-on role supervises direct and indirect hourly employees—including production leads, operators, fabricators, and finishing team members—and balances staffing, workflow, employee performance, and process discipline.

You’ll oversee assigned fabrication, machining, deburring, grinding, polishing, cleaning, and passivation operations, as applicable. You’ll also partner with Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Planning to prevent defects, resolve problems, and improve performance. Manufacturing or fabrication shop experience is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced operation and develops employees through clear expectations, practical training, and consistent follow-through.

Learn more at www.steelobrien.com.

What you’ll do

• Supervise daily fabrication and finishing work to meet production schedules, customer requirements, and safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets.
• Lead hourly employees, including teams working through production leads. Communicate assignments, priorities, quality expectations, and accountability.
• Execute the production plan by assigning work, balancing labor and equipment capacity, monitoring work in process, and adjusting resources to address bottlenecks.
• Lead daily production meetings and shift handoffs. Share progress, staffing needs, quality concerns, and unresolved issues with the Production Manager.
• Ensure employees follow approved work instructions, drawings, setup requirements, inspection plans, and process controls. Escalate unclear or conflicting requirements before work proceeds.
• Ensure equipment, tooling, fixtures, materials, and finishing supplies are available and suitable. Coordinate with Maintenance and Engineering to address downtime and process issues.
• Enforce safe work practices, machine guarding, PPE, and applicable energy-control procedures. Reinforce safe chemical handling, storage, and documentation for passivation or cleaning.
• Coach employees to verify their work, recognize defects, protect product surfaces, and raise concerns. Reinforce that production targets must be met while maintaining product requirements.
• Verify required first-piece, in-process, and final checks and documentation for dimensions, workmanship, surface finish, cleanliness, and traceability, as applicable.
• Stop affected work when requirements are not met. Identify and segregate nonconforming material, notify Quality, prevent unintended use or shipment, and follow approved disposition and rework instructions.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions. Implement assigned actions and verify improvements are sustained.
• Monitor first-pass yield, scrap, rework, throughput, schedule attainment, and downtime. Use data to prioritize improvements and communicate results.
• Train, coach, and develop employees and production leads. Maintain onboarding plans, skills matrices, cross‑training, and documented qualifications.
• Manage attendance, timekeeping, performance feedback, and employee concerns with the Production Manager and HR. Support hiring, evaluations, and corrective action under company policy.
• Ensure accurate ERP transactions, work order status, labor reporting, material usage, and production records; maintain lot identification and traceability where required.
• Drive 5S, Lean, Kaizen, standard work, and waste reduction while maintaining safety and quality controls. Collaborate across departments and perform other duties as assigned.

What you’ll bring

• High school diploma or GED required; technical education, apprenticeship, or relevant certifications are a plus.
• At least five years of relevant production or operations experience, including experience supervising or leading hourly employees.
• Manufacturing or fabrication shop experience strongly preferred, particularly in stainless steel fabrication, machining, or finishing.
• Ability to lead direct and indirect hourly teams, including directing work through leads and coordinating shared resources, with clear direction, coaching, consistent follow‑up, and fair accountability.
• Working knowledge of fabrication and finishing processes, equipment, tooling, material flow, and product protection.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, interpret specifications, and apply inspection requirements using appropriate measuring tools.
• Experience applying quality standards, following documented processes, and supporting root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Grinding, polishing, deburring, cleaning, or passivation experience preferred, as applicable to assigned operations.
• Lean manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and quality‑controlled manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and a quality mindset focused on defect prevention, process adherence, containment, and corrective action.
• Practical problem‑solving, prioritization, and communication skills, including the ability to resolve floor issues and elevate appropriately.
• Working proficiency with ERP systems, Microsoft Office, and production reporting tools.

Work environment

This fast-paced manufacturing role requires regular floor presence and standing, walking, reaching, bending, and other physical activity for extended periods, with or without reasonable accommodation. Work may involve noise, varying temperatures, metal dust, and process chemicals in designated areas; required PPE and safety procedures apply. Occasional lifting or moving of items up to 50 pounds may be required, using assistance or handling equipment as needed. Overtime or schedule flexibility may be needed to support production.

How we work

We promote a collaborative, positive environment with clear, respectful communication across all levels. We encourage employee ideas and cross‑functional improvements that strengthen safety, product quality, and operational performance. We listen respectfully, address concerns promptly, and maintain confidentiality.

Team members are expected to embody our values of Integrity, Trust, Creativity and Courage, Teamwork, and Excellence.

Salary: $70-$85,000, 2% quarterly bonus.

Attendance Requirements: Regular, consistent attendance is required, subject to applicable leave and accommodation requirements.

Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations may be requested through HR to perform the essential functions of this position.

Position Requirements

• Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time
• Shift First
• Position Fabrication & Finishing Supervisor
• Division Steel & O'Brien Manufacturing
• Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt
• Location Cincinnati DCC
• This position is currently accepting applications.