We are looking for a Fabrication Supervisor or Lead Hand to take day-to-day ownership of our workshop operations. You will lead the fabrication team, manage workflow from drawing review to final inspection, and ensure every weld, every fit-up, and every work order meets quality standards and customer specifications. This is not a desk job. You will be on the floor, monitoring operations, solving problems, and making sure the team has what they need to execute efficiently. If you have strong leadership capability, deep knowledge of welding procedures and fabrication processes, and a commitment to safety and continuous improvement, this role offers real responsibility and career progression.
Company Overview
We are an established engineering and fabrication contractor serving the oil and gas, petrochemical, and heavy industrial sectors. Our work includes pressure vessels, piping spools, structural steel, and modular assemblies for both local and international clients. We operate to international code standards, and our shop is subject to customer audits, third-party inspections, and internal quality assurance hold points.
This is not a casual fabrication shop. We maintain welding procedure qualifications, calibrated equipment, climate-controlled consumable storage, and formal non-conformance reporting systems. Our supervisors are expected to understand these systems and lead by example. If you are looking for a structured, technically demanding environment where your experience and leadership are genuinely valued, this is the right fit.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Team Management
- Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, and supervision of the fabrication team, including welders, fitters, and apprentices.
- Assign work orders to team members based on skill level, certification status, and project priority.
- Manage employee overtime scheduling and vacation approvals to maintain adequate coverage and meet production deadlines.
- Foster a positive, safety-focused, and productive shop floor culture.
Production and Workflow Execution
- Monitor all fabrication operations to ensure work orders are executed per the production schedule.
- Review fabrication routing and estimated times against actual performance after work order completion; identify variances and improvement opportunities.
- Ensure technical drawings are reviewed prior to work start and that any production issues are escalated to engineering or planning departments promptly.
- Coordinate with adjacent departments to maintain smooth workflow through cutting, fitting, welding, and inspection stages.
Welding and Quality Assurance
- Review Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) prior to work commencement and communicate relevant parameters, joint details, and special instructions to welders and fitters.
- Select appropriate welding procedures, evaluate repair methods, and specify stress relief or post-weld heat treatment requirements in compliance with international and customer standards.
- Investigate fabrication-related Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs), identify root causes, and implement corrective and preventive actions to meet quality KPI targets.
- Participate in technical audits of third-party fabricators, subcontractors, and suppliers as required.
Equipment, Consumables and Compliance
- Ensure all inspection equipment, welding machines, flux ovens, welding rod heaters, and quivers are within calibration dates and in good working order.
- Control purchasing and inventory levels of all associated welding consumables, including electrodes, filler wires, fluxes, and shielding gases.
- Maintain climate-controlled consumable storage areas and verify proper handling, rotation, and issue of welding materials.
- Ensure the 6S program is actively maintained across all workshop and storage areas.
- Champion HS&E policies and procedures, ensuring full compliance by all team members and subcontractors working under your supervision.
Continuous Improvement
- Participate in, and where necessary, lead LEAN initiatives to improve operational efficiencies, reduce waste, and drive operational excellence.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement in workflow, tooling, setup, or training and advocate for their implementation.
Qualifications
Required:
- Minimum 5 years of experience in fabrication, welding, or heavy engineering environments, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or team lead capacity.
- Strong working knowledge of welding processes (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW), joint configurations, and inspection acceptance criteria.
- Demonstrated ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, welding symbols, and fabrication isometrics.
- Familiarity with Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR).
- Experience managing shop floor production schedules, work orders, and resource allocation.
- Competent in root cause analysis and corrective action implementation for quality non-conformances.
- Understanding of calibration requirements for welding and inspection equipment.
- Proficiency with inventory management for welding consumables and associated supplies.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
- Legally authorized to work in Singapore.
Preferred:
- Diploma or Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Welding Engineering, or related discipline.
- Certified Welding Inspector (CWI-CSWIP) or equivalent qualification.
- Formal training or certification in LEAN, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence methodologies.
- Experience with ASME Section VIII, ASME B31.3, AWS D1.1, or equivalent fabrication codes.
- Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) or manufacturing execution systems (MES) for work order tracking.
- Previous experience participating in customer or third-party quality audits.
Benefits and Perks
- Senior-level compensation commensurate with experience, qualifications, and scope of responsibility.
- Permanent, full-time leadership role with a respected engineering contractor in Singapore.
- Genuine authority. You will not be a supervisor in title only you will manage the floor, the team, and the workflow.
- Technical challenge. Work with qualified procedures, certified welders, and inspection-ready quality standards.
- Operational impact. Your decisions directly affect productivity, quality, and profitability.
- Stable project pipeline serving oil and gas, petrochemical, and heavy industrial sectors.
- Professional development support for continued training in welding inspection, LEAN, or code certification.
- Salary Ranges 18$ per hr depends on experience
- Collaborative culture with engineering, quality, and planning departments that respect shop floor expertise.
How to Apply
If you are an experienced fabrication supervisor or senior tradesperson ready to step into a leadership role, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume and any relevant certifications (CWI, CSWIP, LEAN, etc.) through the application portal or to the contact details provided in the job posting.
In your cover letter or email, please outline:
- Your years of experience in fabrication supervision and the size/type of teams you have led.
- Your familiarity with welding procedures, code requirements, and quality systems.
- Your availability and expected salary.