General Manager – Steel Fabrication & Engineering

Competitive executive package + super + fully maintained vehicle + substantial performance incentive

About the opportunity

Fabwest is seeking a hands-on General Manager to take full responsibility for the performance, growth and day-to-day management of our Western Australian steel fabrication and engineering business.

This is an opportunity for an experienced fabrication or engineering industry leader to genuinely run a business with significant authority, accountability and responsibility.

You will report directly to the Board and be accountable for profitable business growth, commercial performance, project delivery, workshop operations, people leadership, financial performance, systems and continuous improvement.

The shareholders' objective is to progressively step away from routine operational management and move into a Board and advisory role. We are therefore looking for someone who wants genuine responsibility for the business and is capable of operating with a high degree of ownership and self-management.

This is a hands-on SME leadership role. It will suit someone comfortable working closely with customers, estimating, projects and workshop operations rather than managing through multiple corporate departments.

This role will not suit someone seeking to manage from a distance or rely on several layers of management beneath them.

What you will own

- Take responsibility for the profitable growth of Fabwest, including developing existing customers, winning new customers, building key accounts and increasing repeat business.

- Maintain a healthy RFQ and tender pipeline and ensure Fabwest is actively pursuing the right work.

- Participate directly in customer meetings and develop solid industry relationships and networks.

- Own the estimating and commercial process, including RFQ review, estimate review, fabrication methodology, labour allowances, material strategy, pricing recommendations, commercial risk, contract review and estimated-versus-actual performance.

- Have overall responsibility for all live Fabwest work from handover through delivery.

- Oversee production planning, project coordination, workshop capacity, delivery commitments, labour performance, material readiness, procurement coordination, quality, subcontract processing, variations and customer communication.

- Monitor WIP, job profitability, cost-to-complete and project performance.

- Lead the Fabwest team and establish clear expectations, accountability and professional management behaviour.





- Manage direct reports and ensure managers genuinely manage their areas of responsibility.

- Own business performance including revenue, gross margin, operating profit, labour utilisation, overhead, job costing, WIP and budget performance.

- Prepare clear monthly performance reporting for the Board.

- Work closely with the Workshop Manager/Supervisor on day-to-day shop-floor execution.

- Drive practical improvement in estimating, job preparation, production planning, DBA Manufacturing, BOMs, routings, labour data, job-cost visibility and workshop flow.

- Identify problems early, make decisions and follow actions through to completion.

Support available

Fabwest has existing workshop management, experienced trades, administration, quality and technical support resources.

Two shared technical/drafting resources are available across the wider business to assist with:

- CAD

- DXFs

- material take-offs

- BOMs

- DBA routings

- job cards

- drawing registers

- job packs

- technical documentation

- estimate preparation

The General Manager is not expected to personally prepare every drawing, job card or take-off, but is accountable for ensuring the estimating, job-preparation and delivery process works effectively.

About you

You will ideally have significant experience in one or more of the following:

- steel fabrication

- industrial fabrication

- mechanical fabrication

- pipework

- structural steel

- heavy manufacturing

- process equipment

- mining services

- water infrastructure

- industrial maintenance

- related engineering industries

You may currently be a:

- General Manager

- Operations Manager

- Fabrication Manager

- Production Manager

- Commercial / Operations Manager

- Senior Project Manager

- Senior Estimator / Project Manager

- Engineering Manager

- highly capable Workshop Manager ready to take the next step

Strong step-up candidates are encouraged to apply.

We are more interested in demonstrated capability, commercial judgement and industry experience than job title.

You will need to demonstrate that you:

- take genuine ownership

- operate effectively without constant direction

- are highly organised





- enjoy coordinating multiple jobs and priorities

- understand fabrication

- understand estimating and job costing

- understand gross margin and profitability

- can develop customer relationships

- are comfortable pursuing new work

- can make sound commercial decisions

- can lead tradespeople, supervisors and managers

- deal professionally with difficult situations

- identify problems early

- make decisions rather than simply escalate them

- follow actions through to completion

- can build practical systems and accountability

- are comfortable working in an SME environment

- want substantial responsibility for building and running a business

What success looks like

Within the first 12 months, we would expect the successful candidate to have:

- taken effective control of the day-to-day management of Fabwest

- established clear accountability across the business

- developed a strong understanding of key customers and opportunities

- built a credible and active RFQ / tender pipeline

- strengthened customer relationships and repeat business

- established reliable operational and financial reporting

- improved visibility of job profitability

- strengthened estimating and job-cost feedback

- established clear workshop-management accountability

- developed a practical growth plan

- improved operational discipline and systems

- materially reduced the shareholders' involvement in routine operational management

What we offer

- Competitive executive base salary

- Superannuation

- Fully maintained company vehicle

- Phone and laptop

- Substantial annual performance incentive

- Potential longer-term value-creation incentive for exceptional performance

- Genuine authority to shape and run the business

- Direct access to the Board

- Established workshop, workforce and customer base

- Technical and drafting support

- Opportunity to build a larger and more profitable business

- Genuine step-up prospect for a strong industry manager ready for full business leadership

About Fabwest

Fabwest is a Western Australian steel fabrication and engineering business servicing industrial, mining, water, infrastructure and process-sector clients.

Our capabilities include industrial pipework, structural and custom fabrication, process equipment and related steelwork.

Fabwest has established workshop capability, experienced trades, technical support resources, quality systems and an existing customer base.

The next stage is to develop the business into a larger, stronger and more

📌 General Manager – Steel Fabrication & Engineering (Fremantle)
🏢 FabWest
📍 Fremantle