Fabrication Engineering Specialist

Company & Position Overview: JB Poindexter & Co (JBPCO) is a privately held diversified manufacturing company forecasting $2.5B+ in annual revenue and 9,000 team members in 2024. The nine operating subsidiaries, covering over 60 locations, are engaged in the production of commercial truck bodies, step-vans, utility trucks, funeral coaches, limousines, electric and alternative fuel vehicles, pickup truck bed enclosures, precision machining, and expandable foam packaging. For more information, visit As a key member of JBPCO's Advanced Manufacturing Engineering team, the Fabrication Engineering Specialist will be responsible for sheet fabrication process improvements, equipment, and related acquisitions across the JBPCO enterprise from concept to implementation. Develops sheet material fabrication techniques, procedures, and applications of equipment, automation, and related processes. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, identifying, justifying, writing the scope of work, selecting the preferred vendor/integrator, validation of system design, ensuring the equipment is aligned with JBPCO standards, and implementing the solution at the plant. The Fabrication Engineering Specialist will also be the subject matter expert, providing best practice advice to plant support engineers and maintenance technicians, providing ongoing technical support and training. The Fabrication Engineering Specialist will be executing multiple projects at one time, potentially in different facilities across North America. Within the JBPCO portfolio, the Fabrication Engineering Specialist could be leading projects that range across the areas of traditional blanking, cutting, punching, and bending but will be primarily responsible for advancing capabilities through the application of newer, more advanced technologies. JBPCO projects at their core are based around safety, labor dependency, quality, workflow, and delivery improvements. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Subject matter expert in sheet fabrication technologies, their application and design.
• Collaborate with Automation Engineers for successful implementation of all automated and semi-automated fabrication related projects.
• Working cross-functionally and collaboratively at all levels of the organization leads discussions with key stakeholders to determine capabilities, opportunities, strategies, and goals.
• Create and lead a Fabrication Engineering Technology Council to establish and maintain standards, commonality, improve quality, and upskill the Business Units in fabrication techniques, equipment, optimal design, and applications. Contribute to JBPCO equipment standards.
• Pursue and evaluate technological advancements fabrication technologies including panel bending, folders, punch-shear, punch-laser, AS/RS sorting and control and other forms of equipment. Implement as appropriate and develop procedures and standards.
• Prepares technical reports resulting from research and development and maintenance investigations.
• Champion advanced projects, utilizing a collaborative team approach, per the determined strategy that reduce risk, improve throughput, safety, quality, labor dependency, space efficiency, and cost effectiveness. Initiatives to drive commonality and scalability.
• Initiate and lead new process development projects using a collaborative team approach including driving product design changes / design for manufacturing (DFM).
• Performs proof of concept testing of new technology, driving technical innovation, and information sharing with plant level technical resources.
• Manages projects / processes, working independently with limited supervision.
• Utilize project management skills to maintain an appropriate level of project control with respect to project budget, timeline, resource allocation, document control, and issuance of purchase orders.
• Investigate, gather and analyze data, and troubleshoot fabrication systems relating to quality concerns, variability, reliability, maintainability, and other technical matters related to operations or materials. The fabrication engineering specialist must have the ability to identify and utilize proper tools, fixtures, and gauges to measure, identify and correct concerns.
• Develop equipment specifications with vendors to meet manufacturing, safety, and regulatory requirements as scalable solutions. Document procedures for configuration, setup, and operations for quick deployment.
• Informs and trains enterprise wide internal and external resources to JBPCO's standards, and equipment specifications and ensures compliance. Trains and enables the enterprise's fabrication resources to be self-sufficient at running, maintaining, and modifying equipment and automated systems.
• Coaching, mentoring, and reviewing the work of lower-level professionals.
• Act as a change agent driving technical innovation within Business Units, individual plants and across the enterprise including design for fabrication activities, assembly part reduction, weld and fastener reduction, and overall simplification through optimization of design.
• Actively participates in PFMEA and other Quality Risk Assessment activities.
• Adheres to JBPCO and industry safety policies and standards 100% of the time, including but not limited to, RIA, ANSI, ISO, IEEE, AWS, and NFPA.
• Execute or assist vendors/integrators with standardized Task-Based Risk Assessment in accordance with A3 and JBPCO (ANSI/RIA TR R15.306).
• Develop with maintenance operations policies, procedures, and spare parts.
• Lead and train the Business Units on safety standards, operation, and maintenance.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience required.
• 12+ years of directly related fabrication engineering experience.
• A self-starter with strong project leadership experience performing work under minimal supervision whether working collaboratively in a team or independently.
• Handles complex issues and problems referring only the most complex issues to higher-level staff.
• Ability to communicate (written and oral), collaborate, build rapport, and foster teamwork with personnel at all levels in a manufacturing environment.
• Expert knowledge of sheet fabrication processes, application, and design.
• Provides leadership, coaching, and mentoring to a subordinate group.
• Planning, analytical thinking, problem solving, decision making and leadership skills.
• Excellent fabrication/automation/electrical/mechanical/process integration aptitude.
• Detail oriented.
• Knowledge and comprehension of engineering tools, systems, and databases, part designs and prints. (SAP, SolidWorks, AutoCad, DraftSight, etc.)
• Understanding of manufacturing design elements/tools/systems, processes, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with Data Analysis, DOE, FMEA, DFM/DFA, PPAP.
• Proficient with programming and troubleshooting fabrication equipment, automation, and translation software.
• Experience in automation, process design, material presentation, and line balancing.
• Experience in a high-volume, complex manufacturing environment and/or high-mix, low volume manufacturing environment.
• Must have a passion for safety, workplace organization, and continuous improvement with a focus on Lean tools and Lean implementation.
• Proficient with computer systems and software packages such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power-Point, and Outlook (email).

• Preferred: Understanding of electrical standards for US, Canada, and Mexico.

Travel Expectation: 50%+

• Must have a valid driver's license and passport.

J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. #LI-EC1 Travel Required: Yes Virtual Job: false