Fabrication Manager-Quoting, Commercial, Project Execution & Shop Operations

Job DetailsJob Location: Sugar Land, TX 77478Fabrication Manager – Quoting, Commercial, Project Execution & Shop Operations Mako Industries is seeking an experienced Fabrication Manager that will be responsible for the overall leadership and performance of the fabrication business, overseeing the complete project lifecycle from estimating and quoting through commercial management, project execution, fabrication, delivery, and closeout. This position combines commercial, estimating, project management, production, and operational leadership responsibilities. The Fabrication Manager is accountable for developing competitive and profitable quotes, securing and managing work, coordinating project execution, optimizing shop operations, and ensuring projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and to customer and contractual requirements. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with strong fabrication knowledge and proven experience managing both the business and operational sides of a fabrication facility. Key Responsibilities 1. Estimating & Quoting Lead the preparation and review of estimates, budgets, proposals, and quotations for fabrication projects. Review customer RFQs, drawings, specifications, scopes of work, and contractual requirements. Develop accurate labor, material, equipment, subcontract, overhead, and schedule estimates. Establish appropriate pricing, margins, contingencies, and commercial assumptions. Identify project risks, exclusions, clarifications, and potential change-order opportunities during the quoting process. Coordinate with engineering, procurement, production, and other departments to validate estimates. Develop and maintain estimating standards, labor rates, productivity assumptions, and historical cost data. Participate in customer meetings and negotiations as required. Track quoted versus actual costs to continuously improve estimating accuracy. Build a strong pipeline of profitable fabrication opportunities. 2. Commercial Management Maintain commercial responsibility for projects from award through completion. Review contracts, purchase orders, scopes, terms and conditions, and commercial requirements. Monitor project profitability, revenue, costs, cash flow, and overall financial performance. Identify and manage scope changes, claims, extra work, and change orders. Ensure changes are properly documented, priced, approved, and incorporated into project execution. Maintain strong customer and vendor relationships. Support contract negotiations and resolution of commercial issues. Provide management with accurate project forecasts and financial reporting. Protect company margins while maintaining strong customer relationships. 3. Project Management & Execution Provide overall leadership for fabrication projects from contract award through final delivery. Establish project execution plans, schedules, budgets, milestones, and resource requirements. Coordinate engineering, procurement, fabrication, quality, logistics, and field requirements. Monitor project progress against schedule and budget. Identify potential delays, cost overruns, resource constraints, and execution risks. Develop and implement recovery plans when projects fall behind schedule or budget. Maintain regular communication with customers regarding project status, deliverables, schedule, and commercial matters. Ensure project documentation, reporting, and closeout requirements are completed. Coordinate multiple projects simultaneously while prioritizing critical activities. 4. Shop Operations Direct the day-to-day operations of the fabrication shop. Provide leadership to shop supervisors, foremen, welders, fabricators, fitters, machinists, material handlers, and other production personnel. Develop production schedules and allocate manpower, equipment, and shop capacity. Monitor shop productivity, labor utilization, throughput, and efficiency. Ensure fabrication activities are performed in accordance with drawings, procedures, specifications, and customer requirements. Coordinate material availability and production requirements with procurement and project management. Optimize workflow, work-center utilization, material movement, and production sequencing. Identify and eliminate bottlenecks and operational inefficiencies. Maintain appropriate staffing levels and support workforce planning. Establish production metrics and hold supervisors and teams accountable for performance. 5. Quality & Compliance Ensure all fabrication work meets applicable codes, standards, specifications, and customer requirements. Work closely with QA/QC personnel to maintain quality standards. Review nonconformances, rework, and quality issues and implement corrective actions. Promote a culture of quality and first-time-right fabrication. Ensure required inspection, testing, documentation, and turnover packages are completed. Support audits, customer inspections, and third-party inspections. 6. Safety & Environmental Responsibility Maintain a strong safety culture throughout the fabrication facility. Ensure employees follow company safety policies, procedures, and applicable regulations. Work with safety personnel to identify hazards and implement corrective actions. Monitor housekeeping, PPE compliance, equipment safety, and safe work practices. Participate in safety meetings, incident investigations, and continuous safety improvement initiatives. Make safety a fundamental component of production planning and execution. 7. Leadership & Team Development Lead, coach, and develop project management, estimating, production, and shop personnel. Establish clear expectations, responsibilities, and performance standards. Develop supervisors and emerging leaders within the organization. Promote accountability, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement. Assist with hiring, workforce planning, performance evaluations, and succession planning. Foster collaboration between commercial, project management, engineering, procurement, and production teams. 8. Continuous Improvement Develop and implement processes to improve estimating accuracy, project execution, and shop productivity. Establish and monitor KPIs including: Quoted versus actual costs Gross margin Labor productivity Shop utilization Schedule performance On-time delivery Rework and scrap Change-order performance Safety performance Analyze completed projects to identify lessons learned and improve future estimates and execution. Implement lean manufacturing and process-improvement initiatives where appropriate. Improve communication and handoffs between estimating, project management, and production. QualificationsQualifications Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Manufacturing, or a related field preferred; equivalent industry experience may be considered. 8+ years of progressive experience in fabrication, manufacturing, construction, or industrial project execution. Demonstrated experience managing fabrication shop operations. Strong experience with estimating and project quoting. Proven project management and commercial management experience. Strong understanding of fabrication processes, including welding, fitting, machining, assembly, material handling, and inspection. Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and project documentation. Experience managing budgets, schedules, labor, materials, and subcontractors. Strong understanding of project costs, margins, change orders, and profitability. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities. Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and applicable ERP, estimating, scheduling, or project management systems. Preferred Experience Structural, pressure vessel, piping, mechanical, industrial, or specialty fabrication. ASME, AWS, API, AISC, or other applicable industry standards. Experience with engineered-to-order or custom fabrication. Experience managing high-value or complex fabrication projects. Experience developing estimating systems, production metrics, and operational KPIs. Experience with ERP/MRP systems and project cost-control software. Key Performance Expectations The Fabrication Manager will be measured on: Safety: Zero-incident mindset and strong safety performance. Profitability: Achievement of project and company margin objectives. Quoting: Accurate, competitive, and profitable estimates. Execution: Projects completed on time, within budget, and according to specification. Shop Performance: Improved productivity, utilization, throughput, and labor efficiency. Quality: Reduced rework, scrap, and nonconformances. Customer Satisfaction: Strong relationships and successful project delivery. Commercial Performance: Effective change-order management and protection of company margins. Leadership: Development of a high-performing and accountable team. Continuous Improvement: Measurable improvement in operational and financial performance. Authority & Accountability The Fabrication Manager has overall responsibility for coordinating the commercial and operational execution of fabrication work and is expected to make timely decisions regarding pricing, resources, scheduling, production priorities, staffing, subcontracting, and project execution, within established company policies and approval limits. The position serves as the primary link between sales/estimating, customers, project management, engineering, procurement, quality, and shop operations, ensuring that work is properly quoted, sold, planned, executed, and delivered. Work Environment This is a hands-on management position requiring regular interaction between the office, fabrication shop, customers, vendors, and project stakeholders. The position requires the ability to work in a manufacturing/fabrication environment and to effectively balance strategic business responsibilities with day-to-day operational demands. Overall Objective The primary objective of the Fabrication Manager is to build and execute profitable fabrication projects while developing a safe, efficient, accountable, and high-performing fabrication operation. The successful candidate will own the process from “RFQ to final delivery”, ensuring that the company wins the right work, prices it correctly, executes it efficiently, and delivers it profitably and to the highest standards of safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.