Lead Welder/Fabricator

Axis Design & Fabrication; Valley (NE); On-site; USD 47,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Overtime opportunities

Paid sick time

Optional dental insurance

Optional vision insurance

Optional short-term disability

Optional accident insurance

Optional critical illness insurance

Job summary

Axis Design and Fabrication in Valley, Nebraska is looking for an experienced Lead Welder/Fabricator. This is a hands-on leadership position, focusing on custom metalwork fabrication, quality craftsmanship, and team support.

The ideal candidate has strong welding and fabrication skills, can read shop drawings, and will not shy away from field installations. Benefits include paid holidays, overtime opportunities, and optional insurance plans. Pay starts at $34–$38/hour based on experience.

Qualifications

• Several years of hands-on welding and fabrication experience.
• Experience building custom, one-off projects.
• Ability to teach and help less-experienced fabricators.

Responsibilities

• Fabricate and weld custom architectural and ornamental metalwork.
• Provide day-to-day direction to less-experienced fabricators.
• Participate in installation of fabricated products.

Skills

Welding skills

Fabrication skills

Problem-solving

Team leadership

Installation experience

Tools

MIG welding

TIG welding

Shop drawings

Job description

Axis Design and Fabrication

Valley, Nebraska

Lead Welder / Fabricator

Location: Valley, Nebraska
Position: Full-Time
Pay: $34–$38/hour, depending on experience and qualifications

Axis Design and Fabrication is looking for an experienced Lead Welder / Fabricator to join our shop. This is a hands‑on leadership position for someone who knows how to fabricate custom metalwork, can solve problems without needing to be told every step, and can help keep a small fabrication team on track.

This is not a traditional management or office position. The majority of your time will be spent fabricating, welding, installing, and solving problems alongside the rest of the team. You'll also serve as the experienced point person for two less‑experienced welder/fabricators.

What You'll Do

Custom Fabrication & Welding

• Fabricate and weld custom architectural and ornamental metalwork
• Read and interpret shop drawings, plans, and dimensions
• Layout, fit, tack, weld, grind, and finish projects
• Work on railings, stairs, gates, architectural metalwork, structural steel, and other custom projects
• Determine practical fabrication methods and solutions
• Identify potential problems in drawings or designs before they reach the shop floor
• Maintain a high standard of quality and craftsmanship

Lead & Support the Fabrication Team

• Provide day-to-day direction to two less‑experienced fabricators
• Answer questions and help troubleshoot fabrication problems
• Review work for quality and catch mistakes before they become larger problems
• Help keep projects moving and employees productive
• Teach good fabrication practices and lead by example
• Help develop the skills and independence of the other fabricators
• Communicate with management about project progress, problems, and needs

Installation & Field Problem Solving

Because we fabricate and install our own products, this position will also be involved in field installation.

• Participate in installation of railings, stairs, gates, architectural metalwork, and other custom projects
• Read drawings and understand how fabricated components are intended to fit together
• Take field measurements and evaluate actual site conditions
• Troubleshoot situations where field conditions don't match the drawings
• Determine practical field modifications when necessary
• Communicate problems and solutions to management
• Make sure the finished product is installed correctly and meets our quality standards

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone with several years of hands‑on welding and fabrication experience, particularly someone who has experience building custom, one‑off projects rather than only production welding.

The right person will:

• Have strong welding and fabrication skills
• Be comfortable reading and working from drawings
• Understand layout, fit‑up, and fabrication processes
• Have experience with custom metalwork
• Have installation or construction/job‑site experience
• Be able to visualize how something will be fabricated and installed
• Be a good problem solver
• Be comfortable making decisions and taking ownership of a project
• Have the ability to teach and help less‑experienced fabricators
• Take pride in quality and craftsmanship
• Be dependable and willing to hold themselves and others accountable

Experience With Any of the Following Is a Plus

• Architectural or ornamental metalwork
• Stairs and railings
• Custom gates
• Structural steel
• MIG and/or TIG welding
• Stainless steel and aluminum
• Tube and plate fabrication
• Layout and fit‑up
• Grinding and finishing
• Field measurements
• Metal installation
• Construction/job‑site work
• One‑off or custom fabrication

Compensation & Benefits

Pay: $34–$38/hour, depending on experience and qualifications

Benefits include:

• Paid holidays
• Overtime opportunities
• Paid sick time – 1 day per month
• Optional dental insurance
• Optional vision insurance
• Optional short‑term disability insurance
• Optional accident insurance
• Optional critical illness insurance

Why This Position Matters

We're looking for someone who can help bridge the gap between management and the shop floor.

The goal isn't to have someone standing around telling other people what to do. We need an experienced fabricator who is willing to get their hands dirty, help the team solve problems, catch issues before they become expensive, and make sure projects move from drawing ? fabrication ? finishing ? installation successfully.

The right person will become someone we can rely on to keep things moving and maintain the quality standards we expect at Axis.