Machining and Fabrication Manager

Company Information:

Rock Exotica (Thompson Manufacturing, Inc) was founded in 1987 by Rock Thompson, whose passion for rock climbing and inventive spirit led him to build the company from his parent’s garage with a rebuilt WWII milling machine and a groundbreaking product—the Soloist. Since then, Rock Exotica has continued to revolutionize technical equipment for professionals, staying true to its roots of innovation, safety, and quality. Proudly designed, manufactured, and assembled in Utah, USA, we remain committed to pushing boundaries while honoring the craftsmanship that started it all.

Join the team that’s redefining safety. At Rock Exotica, we don’t just manufacture safety and rescue equipment, we lead the industry with groundbreaking Innovation and first-to-market products Trusted by first responders, arborists, and the entertainment world. We’re looking for Dedicated individuals who value quality, precision, and the mission of helping others stay safe. If you're driven by purpose and inspired by Excellence, Rock Exotica is where your impact begins!!

**Pre-employment Drug Screen Required**

**Must be 18+ years of age to apply**

We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for all employees and customers. As part of our commitment to safety, we evaluate all candidates based on their ability to uphold our workplace standards, including the safety and well-being of those we serve. All hiring decisions are made in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

Job Summary:

The Machining and Fabrication Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing all machining and fabrication operations to ensure safe, high-quality, on-time, and cost-effective production. This role is accountable for hands-on leadership, operational execution, continuous improvement, and performance management across the machining and fabrication areas and all shifts. The Machining and Fabrication Manager will be responsible for presenting key performance indicators (KPIs) to executive leadership and works cross-functionally to support company objectives. This role requires full alignment with EOS Gets It, Wants It and Capacity To Do It principles.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Operations and Production Management

• Plan, schedule, and oversee daily machining and fabrication operations to meet production, quality, and delivery targets.
• Balance safety, quality, productivity, cost, and morale to achieve operational goals.
• Coordinate labor, materials, and equipment to maximize efficiency and minimize downtime.
• Collaborate with Scheduling and Supply Chain to ensure customer orders ship on time.
• Ensure ERP/Epi-Cor data accuracy and timely reporting.
• Monitor machining and fabrication equipment performance and maintenance needs.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance and repairs to reduce downtime.
• Manage departmental expenses, budgets, and cost controls.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and R&D to resolve design, tooling, and fixturing issues that affect machining and fabrication.

Leadership and People Management

• Lead, coach, develop, and hold machining and fabrication team members accountable.
• Provide consistent leadership and direction across day, swing, and graveyard shifts.
• Mentor leads, setup personnel, and operators to build technical capability and a strong leadership pipeline within the team.
• Partner with HR on hiring, onboarding, training, performance reviews, employee relations, and corrective action.
• Establish department goals and clearly communicate expectations.
• Foster a positive, engaged, and high-performing work environment.
• Responsible for hiring, scheduling and timecard management in HRIS system (Paylocity).

Continuous Improvement & Lean Manufacturing

• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and control costs.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles and data-driven problem solving.
• Analyze KPIs, scrap, downtime, and efficiency metrics to drive improvement.
• Prepare and present KPIs related to safety, quality, delivery, efficiency, and cost.
• Prepare and present weekly and monthly KPI reports to the CEO.
• Communicate operational risks, constraints, and improvement plans to leadership.

Quality, Safety and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001 standards, quality systems, and inspection requirements.
• Drive a strong culture of safety and enforce safety policies and PPE requirements.
• Partner with the Safety Committee and Quality team to reduce incidents and defects
• Follows 5S Methodology