Job Description
Job Description
Position Summary
Custom Valve Solutions is seeking an experienced Shop Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of our industrial valve repair and service facility on Mare Island in Vallejo.
The Shop Manager is responsible for coordinating shop workflow, supervising and developing technicians, allocating labor and resources, maintaining quality and schedule expectations, and working closely with Operations and Project Management to move jobs efficiently from receipt through completion.
This is a hands-on industrial leadership position requiring strong technical judgment and familiarity with valve repair, machining, mechanical service, or a closely related industrial environment. The successful candidate does not need to be the company's foremost technical expert in every valve type. Just as important are the ability to lead people, organize work, communicate effectively, develop employees, and draw upon the technical expertise of an experienced team.
Key Responsibilities
Shop Operations & Workflow
· Direct daily shop operations and establish work priorities based on customer requirements, schedules, available labor, and equipment.
· Coordinate technician assignments and adjust staffing as priorities and workloads change.
· Monitor jobs throughout the repair process and identify schedule, material, technical, or staffing issues before they cause delays.
· Coordinate closely with Operations and Project Managers regarding job status, customer requirements, deadlines, and changing priorities.
· Balance multiple simultaneous projects while maintaining quality and turnaround expectations.
· Support planning and coordination of field-service work when required.
Team Leadership & Development
· Provide clear daily direction and expectations to shop personnel.
· Supervise technicians, machinists, mechanics, and other shop personnel in a fair, consistent, and professional manner.
· Identify individual employee strengths and assign work appropriately.
· Develop less-experienced employees through coaching, cross-training, and increased responsibility.
· Encourage knowledge-sharing among experienced technicians and developing employees.
· Hold employees accountable for safety, quality, productivity, attendance, documentation, and workplace conduct.
· Help develop lead and supervisory personnel to strengthen the company's long-term management bench.
Technical Oversight
· Provide technical guidance and sound judgment during valve inspection, disassembly, repair, machining, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting.
· Review job requirements and help determine appropriate repair processes, labor needs, equipment, and technical resources.
· Recognize when specialized expertise is required and involve the appropriate internal technical resource.
· Support work involving industrial valves and related equipment, including gate, globe, check, butterfly, control and pressure-relief valves, MOVs and actuators.
· Ensure work is performed in accordance with applicable procedures, customer specifications, quality requirements, and industry standards.
The Shop Manager is not expected to personally perform or be the highest-level expert in every technical discipline. The ability to recognize expertise, utilize experienced personnel effectively, and make sound operational decisions is essential.
Quality, Safety & Documentation
· Reinforce a strong safety culture and ensure established safety procedures are consistently followed.
· Work closely with Quality personnel to ensure inspection, repair, testing, and documentation requirements are satisfied.
· Ensure required job paperwork is accurate, complete, and timely.
· Maintain orderly job tracking and effective communication regarding work status and outstanding requirements.
· Promote consistent processes and documentation so critical operational knowledge is shared across the organization rather than dependent upon any one individual.
Coordination & Communication
· Serve as a central point of communication between shop personnel, Operations, Project Managers, Quality, and company leadership.
· Communicate problems early and clearly, along with recommended solutions.
· Assist with customer and vendor communication when technical or operational input is required.
· Participate in job planning, scheduling, resource planning, and post-job review as appropriate.
Qualifications
Required
· Significant experience in industrial mechanical repair, valve service, machining, rotating equipment, refinery/power-generation maintenance, shipyard repair, or a closely related industrial environment.
· Demonstrated ability to supervise, lead, or coordinate skilled trades personnel.
· Strong mechanical aptitude and technical judgment.
· Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, work instructions, and technical documentation.
· Ability to organize multiple jobs and changing priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
· Strong verbal and written communication skills.
· Commitment to safety, quality, accountability, and professional treatment of employees.
Highly Desirable
· Direct experience with industrial valve inspection, repair, testing, or service.
· Experience with MOVs/actuators and/or control valves.
· Familiarity with manual machining and machine-shop operations.
· Experience supporting refinery, power-generation, maritime, or other heavy-industrial customers.
· Experience coordinating field-service crews.
· Experience developing technicians, leads, or supervisors.
What Success Looks Like
A successful Shop Manager will create a shop environment in which:
· Employees understand their priorities and responsibilities.
· Jobs move through the facility efficiently and problems are identified early.
· Quality and safety requirements are consistently maintained.
· Operations and Project Management have reliable visibility into job status.
· Experienced employees are used effectively as technical resources.
· Less-experienced employees continue developing their skills.
· Work and opportunities are assigned fairly and based on business needs and employee capabilities.
· Technical and operational knowledge is documented and shared.
· The shop can operate effectively without becoming dependent upon any single employee.
Leadership Profile
We are looking for a manager who combines technical credibility with strong leadership and organizational ability.
The ideal candidate is comfortable saying both "I know how to solve this" and "I know who on my team is best equipped to solve this."
For this position, the ability to build and lead a strong team is more important than being the most technically accomplished individual in the shop.