Welding Operations Leader: Robotic & Manual

The COATS Company; La Vergne (TN); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The COATS Company in La Vergne, TN seeks a Senior Welding Supervisor to lead manual and robotic welding across the plant, ensuring safe, efficient production and quality outcomes. You will manage welders, fabricators, and welding cell operators, balancing hands-on leadership with technical oversight of automated systems.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years of welding experience, 3+ years in supervision, and strong MIG/TIG skills, plus familiarity with robotic welding cells.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive welding experience with manual and robotic/automated welding.
• 3+ years in a supervisory or lead role within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of MIG, TIG, and/or flux‑core welding processes on steel and/or aluminum.
• Practical experience with robotic welding cells (Cloos, OTC, UR, FANUC, ABB, and/or KUKA).
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, weld symbols, and GD&T.
• Solid understanding of welding-related safety standards and fume/ventilation requirements.
• Strong leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills to manage a diverse shop-floor team.
• High School Diploma or GED required; Associate's degree or technical/trade certificate preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, schedule, and coach a team of welders, fabricators, and robotic welding cell operators across manual and automated work centers.
• Set daily/weekly production priorities in line with schedules and customer delivery commitments.
• Conduct performance reviews, provide coaching and corrective action, and support hiring and onboarding of welding personnel.
• Act as the primary escalation point for welding-related production issues, quality concerns, and equipment downtime.
• Oversee manual welding processes (MIG, TIG, SMAW, FCAW) and ensure adherence to Welding Procedure Specifications.
• Supervise robotic welding cell operations, troubleshoot faults, and optimize weld parameters to improve cycle time and quality.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance and calibration schedules for welding equipment and fixtures.
• Identify opportunities to expand automated welding capacity and support welding automation projects.
• Maintain documentation: WPS/PQR, welder qualifications, production reports, downtime tracking.
• Report on KPIs such as OEE, first-pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, and safety metrics.

Skills

Welding experience

Supervisory leadership

MIG welding

TIG welding

Robotic welding

Weld symbols

Safety standards

Leadership skills

Education

High School Diploma

Associate degree preferred

AWS certification

Tools

Creo

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Job description

The COATS Company in La Vergne, TN seeks a Senior Welding Supervisor to lead manual and robotic welding across the plant, ensuring safe, efficient production and quality outcomes. You will manage welders, fabricators, and welding cell operators, balancing hands-on leadership with technical oversight of automated systems.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years of welding experience, 3+ years in supervision, and strong MIG/TIG skills, plus familiarity with robotic welding cells.