Structural Fabrication Lead at Kelso Industries in Duncan, SC

Job Title: Structural Fabrication Lead – Modular Platforms & Structural Steel (Modular Manufacturing)

Location: Duncan, SC

Reports To: Superintendent – Modular Fabrication

Job Type: Full-time

Job Summary: We are seeking a skilled, hands-on Structural Fabrication Lead. The Structural Fabrication Lead directs and performs shop floor fabrication of structural steel for our modular platforms, including equipment platforms, skid bases, pipe rack modules, and eHouse structures. This role leads a crew of fitters and welders to build frames that are accurate, code-compliant, and ready for mechanical, piping, and electrical integration.

Reporting to the Superintendent, this person turns drawings into finished steel, sets the daily pace for the structural crew, and is accountable for fit-up accuracy, weld quality, safety, and schedule. The Structural Fabrication Lead plays a key role in making sure every module leaves the structural bay square, level, and right the first time.

Key Responsibilities:

Hands-On Structural Fabrication

• Lay out, fit, and weld structural steel for modular platforms, skid bases, pipe rack modules, stairs, ladders, handrails, and equipment supports.
• Read and interpret shop drawings, assembly drawings, and cut lists to plan the build sequence.
• Set up jigs, fixtures, and build tables to control squareness, flatness, and dimensional tolerances.
• Verify critical dimensions before release, including diagonals, elevations, bolt hole patterns, and equipment interface points.

Crew Leadership & Work Planning

• Lead the daily work of fitters, welders, and helpers, assigning tasks and communicating priorities from the Superintendent.
• Plan material staging and build sequence to keep modules on schedule and hand off cleanly to piping, mechanical, and electrical crews.
• Train and mentor fitters and welders on layout, fit-up, and fabrication best practices.
• Report progress, constraints, and material shortages to the Superintendent.

Quality & Code Compliance

• Ensure structural welds meet AWS D1.1 and project specifications, working to approved welding procedures.
• Partner with Quality on inspections, dimensional reports, and nonconformances, correcting issues before modules move to the next stage.
• Maintain material traceability, such as heat numbers, where required by the project.
• Prepare assemblies for blasting, coating, or galvanizing per specification.

Safety & Shop Practices

• Champion safe practices for cutting, welding, rigging, and overhead crane lifts.
• Enforce proper PPE, hot work procedures, and housekeeping in the structural bay.
• Inspect and maintain tools, welding equipment, and rigging gear, and report defects promptly.

Coordination & Continuous Improvement

• Work with Engineering and detailers to resolve drawing questions and fit-up issues.
• Coordinate part flow from cutting and processing equipment to the structural build area.
• Recommend improvements to fixturing, standard details, and sequencing that reduce rework and labor hours.

Qualifications & Skills:

Technical Skills

• High school diploma or equivalent; vocational welding or fabrication training preferred.
• 5+ years of structural steel fabrication experience, including 2+ years in a lead or foreman role.
• Proficient in layout, fit-up, and welding (SMAW, FCAW, GMAW); current AWS D1.1 certification or ability to qualify.
• Strong blueprint reading skills, including structural shop drawings, weld symbols, and tolerances.
• Skilled with layout and measuring tools (squares, levels, tapes, lasers) and fabrication equipment such as torches, plasma cutters, mag drills, and grinders.
• Experience with overhead crane operation and rigging; rigger or signal person certification a plus.
• Experience fabricating modular platforms, skids, or pipe rack modules a plus.

Professional Attributes

• Leads by example with a high standard of craftsmanship
• Safety-first mindset who stops work when something is not right
• Organized planner who keeps the crew productive and the bay in order
• Clear communicator with the Superintendent, Quality, Engineering, and other trades
• Takes ownership of the crew’s output, accuracy, and schedule

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off and company holidays.