Industrial Fabrication Division Manager (Sheet Metal/Contracting exp req)

Rhodes Wolfe; Appleton (WI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Medical benefits

401(k) employer contribution

ESOP

Holidays

PTO

Job summary

Rhodes Wolfe is seeking an Industrial Fabrication Division Manager in Appleton, WI to lead a sheet metal fabrication division within a mechanical contracting context. The role blends hands-on oversight with strategic leadership, managing 6–8 direct reports while carrying a 60/40 project workload.

You will oversee estimating, project management, procurement, shop production, and field installation, driving value and quality in every phase of division work.

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in sheet metal fabrication.
• 2+ years supervisory, leadership, or management experience.
• Ability to read and interpret shop drawings, blueprints, and project specs.
• Experience overseeing estimating, project management, or procurement.
• Working knowledge of job costing, labor productivity, and budget management.
• Experience using ERP, estimating, and scheduling software.
• Ability to travel up to 25% to client sites.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and oversee daily shop/field operations for sheet metal & custom fabrication division.
• Lead and develop a team of direct reports; support hiring, training, performance management.
• Review bids, pricing, and proposal quality; oversee estimating function before submission.
• Oversee PM execution - schedule, budget, vendor coordination, customer communication.
• Review project drawings and specs; coordinate fabrication sequencing with field installation.
• Own procurement/purchasing and vendor management for the division.
• Monitor division budget, job costing, and labor productivity; correct overruns.
• Personally bid and manage select projects as PM; oversee division capacity and workload.
• Ensure fabrication and installation meets codes, specs, and quality standards.
• Enforce shop and jobsite safety; participate in incident review as needed.
• Maintain shop equipment, tooling, and material inventory in coordination with shop personnel.
• Report division status to senior leadership; participate in production/project planning meetings

Skills

Sheet metal fabrication

Leadership

Reading blueprints

Project management

Tools

ERP software

Estimating software

Scheduling software

Job description

Industrial Fabrication Division Manager (Sheet Metal/Contracting exp req)
Location: Appleton, WI
Salary: $150,000–$175,000 DOE + Discretionary Bonus + Benefits
Benefits: Medical (95% employer-paid), 401(k) w/ 3% Employer Contribution, ESOP, Holidays, PTO
Job Type: Full-Time
Typical Hours: ~45-50 Hours/Week, Flexible Start Time
Travel: Up to 25% to Local/Regional Customer Sites (Overnight Travel 1x/mo for 1-2 nights)
Start Date: ASAP
Sponsorship: Not Available
Relocation Assistance: Available

Industrial Fabrication Division Manager (Sheet Metal/Contracting exp req) Description

Our mechanical contractor client is looking for an Industrial Fabrication Manager to lead their $15M+ sheet metal and custom fabrication division. You will manage 6–8 direct reports while personally carrying a project workload (60/40 split) in a role that will evolve toward pure leadership as the division grows. This is a hands-on, low-bureaucracy culture — no suits or monthly reports, just doing things that drive value to the bottom line. In this role, you will oversee estimating, project management, procurement/purchasing, shop production, and field installation. If you have a background in sheet metal fabrication and mechanical contracting, excel at reading and interpreting drawings and supporting customers, and are an approachable people-first leader, this may be the role for you.

Industrial Fabrication Division Manager (Sheet Metal/Contracting exp req) Responsibilities

• Schedule and oversee daily shop/field operations for sheet metal & custom fabrication division
• Lead and develop a team of direct reports; support hiring, training, performance management
• Review bids, pricing, and proposal quality; oversee estimating function before submission
• Oversee PM execution - schedule, budget, vendor coordination, customer communication
• Review project drawings and specs; coordinate fabrication sequencing with field installation
• Own procurement/purchasing and vendor management for the division
• Monitor division budget, job costing, and labor productivity; correct overruns
• Personally bid and manage select projects as PM; oversee division capacity and workload
• Ensure fabrication and installation meets codes, specs, and quality standards
• Enforce shop and jobsite safety; participate in incident review as needed
• Maintain shop equipment, tooling, and material inventory in coordination with shop personnel.
• Report division status to senior leadership; participate in production/project planning meetings

Industrial Fabrication Division Manager (Sheet Metal/Contracting exp req) Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in sheet metal fabrication required
• 2+ years supervisory, leadership, or management experience required
• Ability to read and interpret shop drawings, blueprints, and project specs required
• Experience overseeing estimating, project management, or procurement required
• Working knowledge of job costing, labor productivity, and budget management required
• Experience using ERP, estimating, and scheduling software required
• Ability to travel up to 25% to client sites required