Fabrication Laboratory Manager

Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics (CPO); Illinois; On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

PTO and paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Life and disability insurance

Training and professional development

Job summary

Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics (CPO) in Willowbrook, IL, is seeking a Fabrication Laboratory Manager to lead daily production and a team of 10–12 technicians. You will oversee production operations, safety, quality, and workflow improvements, coordinating with clinicians to meet fabrication specs.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in fabrication leadership, with strong mechanical aptitude and hands-on experience in orthotics/prosthetics fabrication or related fields.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of combined fabrication, manufacturing, skilled trades, technical production, and people leadership experience.
• Experience supervising employees, directing work, coaching staff, or leading a production team.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to interpret work orders, drawings, measurements, and production specifications.
• Ability to manage staffing, training, quality, safety, productivity, and competing priorities.
• Strong communication, organization, judgment, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily staffing, work assignments, production priorities, scheduling, and overtime.
• Coach, train, cross-train, and develop fabrication technicians while supporting performance management and hiring.
• Plan production around clinical demand, backlog, staffing, capacity, and completion dates.
• Monitor productivity, turnaround time, on-time completion, quality, rework, and labor utilization.
• Coordinate materials, inventory, equipment readiness, maintenance, and purchasing needs.
• Partner with clinicians and technicians to clarify work orders, measurements, and fabrication specifications.
• Reinforce safety, PPE, housekeeping, documentation, and proper equipment use.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement workflow, equipment, technology, staffing, and process improvements.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Thermoplastics

Lamination

Composites

Vacuum forming

Foam

Grinding

Finishing

CNC

3D printing

Job description

Position Overview

Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics (CPO) is seeking a Fabrication Laboratory Manager to lead daily production and a team of approximately 10–12 Fabrication Technicians at our Willowbrook facility. This role is responsible for production operations, people leadership, quality, workflow improvement, staffing, training, safety, and on-time completion of custom orthotic and prosthetic devices. Prior orthotic and prosthetic fabrication experience is strongly preferred, but we will also consider experienced leaders from medical fabrication, precision manufacturing, skilled trades, custom fabrication, or technical production environments. Ideal candidates will have strong mechanical aptitude and experience with processes such as thermoplastics, composites, lamination, vacuum forming, foam, grinding and finishing, CNC, 3D printing, or similar fabrication methods.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily staffing, work assignments, production priorities, scheduling, and overtime.
• Coach, train, cross-train, and develop fabrication technicians while supporting performance management and hiring.
• Plan production around clinical demand, backlog, staffing, capacity, and completion dates.
• Monitor productivity, turnaround time, on-time completion, quality, rework, and labor utilization.
• Coordinate materials, inventory, equipment readiness, maintenance, and purchasing needs.
• Partner with clinicians and technicians to clarify work orders, measurements, and fabrication specifications.
• Reinforce safety, PPE, housekeeping, documentation, and proper equipment use.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement workflow, equipment, technology, staffing, and process improvements.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• 5+ years of combined fabrication, manufacturing, skilled trades, technical production, and people leadership experience.
• Experience supervising employees, directing work, coaching staff, or leading a production team.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to interpret work orders, drawings, measurements, and production specifications.
• Ability to manage staffing, training, quality, safety, productivity, and competing priorities.
• Strong communication, organization, judgment, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Experience

• Orthotic and prosthetic fabrication.
• Patient-specific medical or precision custom fabrication.
• Thermoplastics, lamination, composites, vacuum forming, plaster/positive models, foam, componentry, grinding, finishing, CNC, or 3D printing.
• Lean, Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, regulated quality systems, production traceability, or ABC CTO/CTP/CTPO credentials.

Compensation & Benefits

$70,000–$90,000 annually, based on relevant experience and qualifications.

Benefits for eligible employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance; PTO and paid holidays; 401(k) with company match; life and disability insurance; and training and professional development opportunities.

About CPO

For more than two decades, Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics has provided patient-centered orthotic and prosthetic care across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. We combine clinical expertise, advanced technology, and custom fabrication to help patients restore mobility and improve quality of life.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.