Pipe Fabrication Shop Manager

Pipe Fabrication Shop Manager

Location: Fort Worth, TX | Full-Time, Onsite

Base Salary: $130,000–$140,000, depending on experience

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Pipe Fabrication Shop Manager to lead the operations, performance, and growth of a Fort Worth metal pipe fabrication and welding facility serving mechanical and industrial projects.

The shop specializes in pressure/process piping, pipe spools, welded assemblies, modular assemblies, and equipment skids. This role will oversee production, welding, safety, quality, workforce development, material flow, equipment utilization, and capacity planning while partnering closely with engineering, BIM/VDC, project management, procurement, QA/QC, logistics, and field operations.

This is a senior leadership role focused on standardizing processes, increasing production capacity, implementing fabrication technology, and supporting long-term facility growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily shop operations, production planning, scheduling, and capacity management.
• Oversee fabrication of pipe spools, pressure/process piping, welded assemblies, supports, and equipment skids.
• Manage shop personnel, including welders, pipefitters, supervisors, QA/QC, logistics, and coordination staff.
• Establish and improve fabrication workflows, welding processes, production standards, and performance metrics.
• Ensure work meets drawings, specifications, applicable codes, welding procedures, and customer requirements.
• Support ASME-related requirements, including welding procedures, welder qualifications, material traceability, inspections, and turnover documentation.
• Coordinate fabrication releases, materials, inspections, documentation, loading, and delivery to meet project schedules.
• Partner with BIM/VDC, engineering, PMs, procurement, QA/QC, and field leadership.
• Drive improvements in productivity, shop layout, material flow, quality, reporting, and digital fabrication processes.
• Develop staffing, equipment, and capacity plans based on backlog and future workload.
• Evaluate and implement fabrication equipment, automation, tracking systems, and technology.
• Maintain strong safety, quality, schedule, productivity, and cost-control standards.
• Communicate shop performance, capacity, risks, equipment needs, and growth opportunities to leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Significant experience managing pipe fabrication, welding, mechanical fabrication, or industrial manufacturing operations.
• Strong knowledge of metal pipe fabrication, welding, fit-up, spooling, material preparation, and assembly.
• Proven leadership experience managing fabrication and production teams.
• Experience with production scheduling, manpower planning, material management, and facility capacity.
• Ability to read piping isometrics, spool drawings, fabrication drawings, specifications, and BOMs.
• Knowledge of welding procedures, welder qualifications, inspection requirements, and material traceability.
• Strong understanding of fabrication safety, quality control, and production reporting.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work full-time onsite in Fort Worth.

Preferred Experience

• Pressure/process piping, industrial piping, modular assemblies, or skid fabrication.
• Knowledge of ASME, AWS, API, ASNT, NBIC, or customer-specific quality requirements.
• Experience with WPS/PQRs, welder qualifications, weld mapping, NDE, MTRs, and turnover packages.
• Experience supporting data centers, power generation, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, DOE, or other highly regulated projects.
• BIM/VDC-to-fabrication workflows, spool management, digital work packages, or fabrication automation.
• Experience with facility expansion, capital improvements, and scaling fabrication operations.

Work Environment: Full-time, onsite leadership role within an active fabrication facility. Regular presence on the shop floor is required around welding, pipe fabrication, material-handling equipment, and industrial production activities.