Field Fabrication Services Manager

Orbital Career•Houston, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Orbital is seeking a Field Fabrication Services Manager to lead the development and execution of a field fabrication services offering within our Heavy Industrial Services division. This role is intended to build a scalable, field-focused fabrication capability that supplements Orbital’s long history of engineered repairs for structural inspection findings as well as engineering designs for small capital and maintenance projects. Initial focus will be on structural steel fabrication and installation, with future expansion into broader field fabrication scopes as the service line grows. This is a hybrid position local to Houston, TX and will require up to 20% travel when needed. This position requires a leader who can operate as both a builder and an operator—someone capable of establishing the team, standards, workflows, estimating approach, and execution model needed to stand up and grow a new service offering. The successful candidate will work closely with Orbital’s engineering, inspection, and project teams to identify opportunities, define scopes of work, and execute field fabrication packages that solve real client problems in active industrial environments.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in industrial construction, field fabrication, steel erection, structural repair, or related heavy industrial field services.
Demonstrated experience leading field execution teams in active industrial facilities.
Strong knowledge of structural steel fabrication and installation , including repairs, retrofits, miscellaneous metals, and field fit-up challenges.
Experience developing scopes of work, cost estimates, and field execution plans for self-perform or subcontracted construction activities.
Practical understanding of constructability, sequencing, outage-driven work, and field coordination with engineering and inspection teams.
Working knowledge of applicable safety and quality expectations in industrial field environments.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and client-facing skills.
Ability to travel to project sites as required. 20% travel is anticipated.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting fabrication or construction scopes that originate from engineering studies, asset integrity findings, condition assessments, or inspection recommendations.
Familiarity with structural steel repair scopes in heavy industrial environments such as petrochemical, refining, power generation, utility, metals, manufacturing, or similar facilities.
Experience standing up or expanding a new field service, construction, or fabrication function.
AWS, CWI, steel inspection, field supervision, or related fabrication/construction credentials.
Experience managing subcontract fabrication and installation partners.
Familiarity with project controls, field productivity tracking, and schedule performance.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, implementation, and growth of Orbital’s field fabrication services offering, initially centered on structural steel repair, modification, small capital installation support, and field-driven fabrication scopes.
Build the operational framework for the service line, including execution procedures, resource planning, subcontractor strategy, field quality expectations, safety requirements, and performance metrics.
Work closely with the engineering and asset integrity teams to understand field findings and engineered repair concepts into construction estimates and execution.
Support development of field fabrication work packages, including scope narratives, labor assumptions, sequencing plans, constructability input, material needs, and installation approach.
Lead and manage field execution of structural steel scopes including repairs, reinforcements, equipment support steel, platform and access modifications, framing changes, and other miscellaneous steel packages in heavy industrial facilities.
Schedule, organize, direct, and review field resources and activities
Provide technical and operational leadership for fabrication crews, field supervisors, and subcontractors performing steel fabrication and installation activities.
Establish and execute operational plans for the group with respect to routine, tools, processes, staffing, and resource deployment to support consistent execution and long-term growth.
Develop estimating and execution strategies for fabrication opportunities, including support for proposals, cost estimates, schedules, assumptions, exclusions, and risk identification.
Perform field walkdowns and site assessments to evaluate access, interferences, safety concerns, existing conditions, and constructability considerations prior to execution.
Interface with clients as a technical and execution resource
Support business development efforts by helping identify repeatable fabrication opportunities that naturally follow Orbital’s engineering and inspection services, especially where clients need a practical path from findings to installed solutions.
Develop and implement field fabrication standards, work practices, quality controls, and documentation requirements to support consistent delivery and future scaling of the service line.
Promote Orbital’s safety culture through active field engagement, planning, and compliance oversight.
Ensure all operational and project activities are completed in accordance with Orbital’s Quality Management System and project execution practices.
Identify staffing needs, support recruiting and onboarding, establish expectations, and build the field organization required to expand this service line over time.