Workshop Foreman at Surespan in Duncan, British Columbia, CA

We are seeking an experienced and driven Workshop Foreman to lead our fabrication operations. This is a hands-on leadership role for a seasoned fabrication professional who thrives on performance improvement, Lean manufacturing, KPI-driven results, and developing high-performing teams.

The ideal candidate will bring deep technical fabrication expertise, proven leadership ability, and a passion for building efficient, safe, and high-output production systems.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Production Leadership

• Lead day-to-day steel shop fabrication operations to ensure safety, quality, cost, and delivery targets are met.
• Plan, schedule, and coordinate labour, equipment, and materials to achieve production goals.
• Identify bottlenecks, slow processes, and critical path constraints and implement improvements to increase throughput.
• Develop, implement, and continuously refine production lines, workflows, and fabrication processes.
• Drive accountability and performance at all levels of the shop.
• Manage shop costs and budgets, track performance against forecast and targets
• Depending on workload, overtime may be required

KPI & Performance Management

• Establish, track, and manage production KPIs including:
  • Labour efficiency
  • On-time delivery
  • Scrap and rework
  • Throughput and productivity
• Analyze performance data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Implement corrective action plans for underperforming areas.

People Leadership, Coaching & Training

• Lead, mentor, and develop welders, fitters, operators
• Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, and skills development.
• Build a positive, accountable, and safety-focused shop culture.

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture.
• Ensure all shop operations comply with OH&S regulations and company safety standards.
• Lead safety meetings, audits, and incident investigations.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of hands-on steel fabrication experience, including structural steel and/or heavy fabrication.
• Strong working knowledge of:
  • Welding processes (MIG, FCAW, SMAW, Sub-Arc)
  • Read and interpret fabrication drawings and weld symbols
  • Fit-up, layout, and production sequencing
  • KPIs and performance tracking
  • Lean manufacturing principles
  • Production line and workflow development
• Strong understanding of welding certification and quality systems (CWB, AWS, or equivalent).
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and communication skills.
• High level of organizational, scheduling, and problem-solving ability.
• All applicants must be located in Canada and eligible/permitted to work in Canada.

Preferred Assets

• Production Management Certification or Red Seal Certification
• Lean Six Sigma (Yellow/Green Belt)
• Experience with automated fabrication equipment (beam lines, CNC plasma, robotic welding)
• Experience with production tracking systems
• Ability to plan and schedule resources for day and night shift

Benefits

• $40-50 / hour depending on experience
• Group Extended Health & Dental Benefits available after 3 months
• Stable long-term career with growth potential