Shop Lead Hand

Company: Applied Compression Systems

Location: Cranbrook, BC

Schedule: Full-Time, Monday to Thursday (4x10s – 3-day weekends)

About Applied Compression Systems

Applied Compression Systems has a robust focus on custom-designed and fabricated compressor packages for specialized applications in the oil, gas, petrochemical, alternative fuel, waste-to-energy, research, power generation, mining, and manufacturing industries. Our shop handles the full lifecycle of custom equipment—from structural skid fabrication and mechanical assembly to complete package testing and delivery.

About the Role

ACS is looking for a hands-on Shop Lead Hand to guide day-to-day operations on our shop floor in Cranbrook, BC. In this role, you will lead by example "on the tools" while directing the shop crew, keeping projects on schedule, and ensuring a smooth, organized flow of work through every stage of fabrication and assembly.

This position works closely with our assembly crew, electrical team, and engineering staff to drive shop efficiency, eliminate bottlenecks, and maintain high standards of quality and craftsmanship.

Responsibilities

- Hands-on Leadership: Work actively alongside fabricators, assemblers, and technicians on the shop floor while providing daily technical guidance, direction, and mentorship.
- Workflow & Schedule Management: Keep crew members aligned with project schedules and production milestones, ensuring work proceeds efficiently from kickoff to testing.
- Process Improvement: Actively evaluate fabrication and assembly methods to identify bottlenecks, suggest workflow enhancements, and improve overall shop throughput.
- Shop Organization & Housekeeping: Maintain a well-organized, orderly, and efficient shop layout, ensuring tooling, consumables, and parts staging support seamless production.
- Cross-Department Collaboration:



Serve as a shop-floor communication link between the floor crew, mechanical designers, electrical teams, and project engineers to resolve layout challenges and build questions.
- Quality & Safety Compliance: Ensure all work is executed with an uncompromising commitment to shop safety and quality assurance standards.

Qualifications & Experience
- Relevant Practical Experience: Demonstrated background in industrial mechanical assembly, custom fabrication, package assembly, or rotating equipment manufacturing (formal Red Seal certification is not required; strong, verifiable hands-on experience is key).
- Leadership Capability: Proven ability to direct, motivate, and mentor shop workers in a collaborative team setting.
- Technical Aptitude: Strong ability to read and interpret mechanical assembly drawings, shop prints, and technical schematics.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Practical, hands-on mechanical troubleshooting skills with a solution-oriented mindset.
- Organizational Skills: Demonstrated ability to organize work areas, manage competing priorities across multiple skids, and track shop flow.
- Safety Culture: Strong commitment to shop safety protocols, proper PPE usage, and clean work practices.

What We Offer
- Compressed Work Week: Monday to Thursday 4x10s schedule, offering consistent 3-day weekends.
- Competitive Compensation: Hourly wage commensurate with practical experience and leadership capabilities.
- Dynamic Work Environment: Direct involvement in custom, engineered-to-order industrial packages across diverse energy and manufacturing sectors.
- Collaborative Culture: An open, supportive shop environment where practical input and process improvements are recognized and valued.

To Apply Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume highlighting relevant hands-on fabrication/assembly and lead hand experience.

Pay: From $30.00 per hour

Expected hours: No less than 40.0 per week

Work Location: In person

📌 Shop Lead Hand (Cranbrook)
🏢 Applied Compression Systems
📍 Cranbrook