Welding Supervisor

The Supervisor, Welding is responsible for leading a team of welders and fitters in the fabrication. This role ensures that all welding work meets CWB and company quality standards, supports production schedules, and is carried out safely and efficiently in a unionized environment.

You will coordinate day-to-day shop activities, provide technical welding guidance, support continuous improvement initiatives, and help maintain our reputation for high-quality.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Scheduling

• Supervise, coordinate, and schedule welders and related shop staff to meet daily/weekly production targets for bridge modules and components.
• Review fabrication drawings and work orders; ensure welders understand requirements (weld symbols, joint preparation, fit-up, distortion control).
• Prioritize work to support shipping schedules, project deadlines and accelerated bridge construction requirements.
• Coordinate with Plant Manager, Quality, and Engineering to resolve drawing, fit-up or sequencing issues that impact throughput.

Welding Quality & Technical Oversight

• Ensure all welding is completed in accordance with CWB certification requirements, approved welding procedures (WPS) and relevant codes/standards (e.g., CSA W47.1/W59).
• Monitor and verify weld quality through in-process checks and visual inspection; work with Quality/Inspection to support NDE and final inspections as required.
• Support welder qualification testing and continuity; identify skill gaps and arrange for coaching or retraining.
• Drive best practices in weld joint preparation, distortion control, sequence planning, and finishing for bridge products.

Health, Safety & Housekeeping

• Promote and enforce safe work practices, including proper use of PPE, safe handling of welding equipment, cranes, and lifting devices.
• Identify, investigate, and follow up on safety and environmental concerns in the welding and fabrication areas; participate in incident investigations and corrective actions.
• Ensure housekeeping standards are maintained (organized work areas, safe cable management, clean walkways, proper storage of consumables and gases).

People Leadership & Labour Relations (Unionized Environment)

• Provide day-to-day direction, support, and coaching to employees in a unionized environment, fostering a respectful, inclusive workplace.
• Assign work, manage overtime, and schedule staff in accordance with the collective agreement, company policies, and operational requirements.
• Address performance, attendance, and behavioural issues promptly and fairly; participate in progressive discipline and documentation as required.
• Work collaboratively with union stewards and HR to address workplace concerns and support positive labour-management relations.

Training & Continuous Improvement

• Identify training needs (technical welding skills, safety, quality, new processes) and support development plans for team members.
• Train employees on new welding procedures, equipment, and fabrication methods as products and processes evolve.
• Recommend and implement improvements to welding methods, jigs/fixtures, workflow, and material handling to increase productivity and reduce rework/scrap.
• Support initiatives to optimize lead times and quality for modular/prefabricated bridge systems used in accelerated bridge construction projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of welding/fabrication experience in structural steel, heavy manufacturing, or a closely related field (bridge or large structural fabrication preferred).
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory or lead hand experience overseeing welders and/or fitters.
• CWB Welding Supervisor certification (or eligibility) is strongly preferred; familiarity with CSA W47.1/W59 requirements.
• Experience working in a unionized environment with demonstrated ability to apply a collective agreement fairly and consistently.
• Strong ability to read and interpret fabrication and shop drawings, weld symbols, and work instructions.
• Solid understanding of welding processes (e.g., FCAW, GMAW), welding defects and their root causes, and corrective/preventive measures.
• Proven leadership, coaching, and team-building skills with a focus on safety, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills for interacting with shop employees, supervision, Engineering, Quality, and HR.
• Good computer skills for production reporting, email, basic spreadsheets and documentation (MS Word, Excel, ERP or production systems).
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a willingness to challenge existing practices and implement improved methods where appropriate.