Production Lead - Finishing

Company History: Fathom is one of the largest digital manufacturing platforms offering on-demand manufacturing in North America. With more than 90 large-platform industrial-grade 3D printing machines and a national footprint with more than 500,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity across 10 facilities, Fathom seamlessly blends in-house capabilities across plastic and metal additive technologies, CNC machining, injection molding & tooling, urethane casting, sheet metal fabrication, and design and engineering.

With over 50 years of industry experience, Fathom is at the forefront of the industry 4.0 digital manufacturing revolution serving clients in the technology, defense, aerospace, medical, automotive and IOT sectors. Fathom’s extensive certifications include ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 Design, ISO 13485:2016, AS9100:2016, NIST 800-171 and ITAR.

Position Overview

The Production Lead – Finishing is a hands-on, working leadership role responsible for executing direct part finishing while overseeing daily finishing floor operations, quality output, and workflow efficiency at Fathom Manufacturing’s Hartland facility. This position combines personal production output with departmental leadership—directly finishing precision components, managing workforce allocation, ensuring compliance with cosmetic and dimensional standards, and driving throughput across major high-precision accounts (including aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors).

Key Responsibilities

& Essential Functions Direct Finishing & Hands-On Execution (Working Component) Hands-On Post-Processing: Personally execute manual and automated finishing operations on production parts, meeting daily individual yield targets and strict quality specifications. Surface Preparation & Material Finishing: Perform detail sanding by and hand Air powered tools ( using various sandpaper grits), precision Bondo application, deburring, polishing and other surface prep on complex additive and traditional components.

Specialized Substrates & Assembly: Fit, handle, and finish specialized materials including 3D printed plastics, fiberglass, plywood, metal, and other composites. Department Floor Leadership & Oversight Workforce & Task Allocation: Balance personal finishing workload while directing daily floor assignments across full-time finishers, Painters, and temporary technicians to meet concurrent account demands Training & Onboarding: Onboard, train, and mentor new hires and temporary technicians on post-processing techniques, shop tools, safety protocols, and quality standards.

Quality Verification & Inspection: Conduct inline and final cosmetic inspections on completed parts to prevent quality holds and ensure 100% engineering print compliance. Process Optimization & Operations Support Continuous Improvement: Participate in process optimization initiatives, including Value Stream Mapping to eliminate floor bottlenecks and increase throughput.

Capacity Planning & Reporting: Track shop capacity and equipment needs (e.g., scaling production to X+ parts/week) and deliver routine labor and capacity updates to operations leadership. HR & Staffing Coordination: Assist leadership and HR with temp onboarding logistics, performance tracking, and resource alignment for upcoming project ramps.

Qualifications

& Key Requirements Experience: 3–5+ years of experience performing hands-on post-processing, industrial finishing, surface preparation, or technical model making within a fast-paced manufacturing environment; prior team lead or supervisory experience preferred. Technical Mastery: Demonstrated skill in manual surface finishing, power tool operation (grinders, pneumatic sanders, precision drills), and blueprint reading.

Leadership & Multi-Tasking: Proven ability to maintain direct personal production output while simultaneously directing work, training temporary labor, and auditing quality across the floor. Physical Requirements: Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, stand for extended periods, and wear PPE as required and needed (e.g. steel toes, glasses, respirator, hearing protection).