AmeriQual Foods -Tool Shop Manager

What You’ll Do

Lead the Shop and the Team

· Supervise all shop personnel: assign work, set expectations, coach, and address performance.

· Build a culture of craftsmanship, accountability, safety, and respect; cross-train team members and develop future leads.

· Approve time, overtime, and schedules within budget, and partner with HR on hiring, onboarding, and employee relations.

Plan, Schedule, and Deliver Work

· Receive, prioritize, and schedule work requests across machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, and controls.

· Set realistic delivery commitments and communicate changes before due dates are missed.

· Lead installation and commissioning of new shop equipment; establish preventive maintenance, tool crib, and inventory controls.

· Participate in operating system tier meetings and planning reviews to keep shop work aligned with plant priorities.

Own Quality, Safety, and Cost

· Establish inspection, first-article, and calibration practices, including food-contact stainless work that meets sanitary and food safety standards.

· Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action on rejected work.

· Enforce PPE, lockout/tagout, hot work, rigging, and powered-equipment rules; conduct safety walks and investigate incidents.

· Prepare or approve quotes, track job cost, purchase materials within approved limits, and document savings versus outside vendors.

· Provide weekly status reporting on deliveries, quality, safety, spending, and staffing, and contribute to the annual budget.

· Identify new work the shop could support, along with the equipment or skills required.

What You’ll Bring

· 10+ years of machining and/or fabrication experience, including at least 3 years leading a shop.

· Working knowledge of CNC milling and turning, manual machining, MIG/TIG welding of carbon and stainless steel, and fabrication methods.

· Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and weld symbols, and to produce shop drawings or sketches.

· Experience quoting and estimating job-shop work and managing job cost.

· Demonstrated ability to lead people, resolve conflict, and hold a team to a standard.

· Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments.

· Proficiency with shop management software, spreadsheets, and email; forklift and overhead-lifting competence; valid driver’s license.

· Preferred: food, beverage, or pharmaceutical equipment fabrication, including sanitary stainless work; PLC, automation, or machine-build exposure; CAD/CAM experience (SolidWorks, Mastercam, or Fusion); experience starting up a shop or installing major equipment.

Physical Requirements

Work is performed primarily on the shop floor in an industrial environment that is partially non-air-conditioned, with exposure to noise, metal dust, welding fumes, coolant, and moving machinery. Required PPE must be worn at all times. The employee must be able to stand and walk for most of the shift, lift up to 50 pounds unassisted, and operate forklifts, lifts, and rigging equipment. Occasional travel to AmeriQual facilities, vendors, and equipment suppliers is required.