Vice President of Fabrication Operations

Location: Monterey Park, CA

Employment Type: Full-Time | Executive Leadership

Reports To: Ownership

Compensation: Competitive Executive Salary, Based on Experience

Scope of Leadership: The VP of Fabrication Operations will have executive oversight of the following departments and functions:

• New Business & Sales Coordination
• Estimating & Preconstruction
• Project Management
• Technical Design & Engineering Coordination
• Fabrication Production
• Carpentry & Millwork
• Metal Fabrication
• Scenic Painting & FinishingCNC Machining
• Facilities, Warehouse & Logistics
• Installation & Field Operations

Executive Leadership & Operational Management: Lead all fabrication operations, ensuring alignment between departments, project teams, and company objectives. Translate ownership's strategic direction into actionable operational plans and measurable results. Develop, implement, and continuously improve standard operating procedures, management systems, and reporting structures. Establish clear departmental expectations, performance standards, and accountability. Directly manage department heads and senior managers, building a leadership team capable of operating independently. Oversee organizational planning, staffing, resource allocation, and operational capacity.

Project & Production Oversight: Maintain executive-level oversight of all active projects, from initial opportunity and estimating through fabrication, installation, and closeout. Ensure effective coordination between New Business, Estimating, Project Management, Technical Design, and Production. Lead and oversee operational meetings, including production planning, bid approaches, build approaches, daily stand-ups, and staffing coordination. Evaluate project budgets, fabrication methodologies, production schedules, labor requirements, and operational risks. Ensure projects meet established quality, schedule, and profitability objectives. Identify operational challenges proactively and drive timely resolution through the appropriate department leaders.

Financial Performance & Operational Systems: Establish and monitor operational KPIs, departmental performance metrics, and project financial reporting. Oversee labor utilization, production efficiency, project budgets, and resource forecasting. Develop and maintain operational dashboards, spreadsheets, and reporting systems that provide clear visibility into company performance. Improve estimating accuracy, production planning, project handoffs, and financial predictability. Implement scalable systems that support efficiency, accountability, and sustainable growth.

Required Qualifications: 10+ years of experience in experiential fabrication, themed entertainment, immersive environments, scenic fabrication, or complex custom fabrication.5+ years of senior operational leadership experience overseeing multiple departments and management teams. Proven experience managing multimillion-dollar fabrication operations with multiple simultaneous projects. Exceptional project management knowledge, including estimating, budgeting, scheduling, production planning, procurement, and installation. Strong technical understanding of multidisciplinary fabrication, including carpentry, metal, CNC, scenic finishes, and technical design. Demonstrated success developing and implementing operational processes, reporting systems, and organizational improvements. Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets, operational reporting, and project management systems. Strong financial acumen, including project profitability, labor forecasting, resource allocation, and operational budgeting. Proven ability to lead department heads, develop managers, establish accountability, and make independent operational decisions. Excellent communication, organizational, problem-solving, and executive leadership skills. Industry experience is mandatory. Candidates with backgrounds exclusively in commercial construction, residential construction, or general contracting without substantial relevant fabrication experience will not be considered.

The Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate has successfully led a complex, multidisciplinary fabrication organization and understands how every department contributes to successful project execution. You are equally comfortable evaluating a multimillion-dollar project, reviewing an estimating strategy, leading a production meeting, developing operational systems, and holding senior managers accountable. You possess a comprehensive understanding of the fabrication project lifecycle but recognize that effective executive leadership requires delegation, organizational visibility, and management through established systems rather than direct involvement in every project. You bring proven methodologies, strong financial discipline, sound technical judgment, and the ability to turn strategic objectives into consistent operational performance. Most importantly, you understand the difference between managing projects and managing an entire fabrication company. About 3RD AVE3RD AVE is a full-service experiential design, production, and fabrication company specializing in branded environments, immersive experiences, themed installations, scenic fabrication, and complex custom builds. Our integrated capabilities include in-house carpentry, metal fabrication, CNC machining, scenic painting, technical design, interactive technology, and installation. We partner with leading brands, agencies, and entertainment organizations to bring ambitious physical experiences to life. As we continue to expand, we are seeking an accomplished operational executive to help lead the next phase of our company's growth.

How to Apply: Please submit your resume and a brief overview of your relevant executive leadership experience, including the types of fabrication operations you have managed, approximate annual revenue and team size under your oversight, and examples of operational improvements you have successfully implemented. Only candidates with substantial experiential, themed entertainment, or related custom fabrication leadership experience will be considered.