Fabrication Floor Manager

About the Role

Ideum is seeking a skilled and dedicated Fabrication Floor Manager to lead daily operations in our fabrication shop. This full-time, on-site role is essential to maintaining an efficient, clean, and safe facility while ensuring project schedules are met and quality standards upheld. The Floor Manager works under the direction of the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and collaborates closely with exhibit designers, producers, technicians, industrial designers, and fabricators to manage workflows, review production readiness, and support the successful execution of one-of-a-kind exhibit components. The role also involves streamlining the production of two touch table products produced in small batches. Our clients include world-famous museums, zoos, aquariums, and Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

This position focuses on reviewing, interpreting, and marking up fabrication drawings, coordinating shop activities, and ensuring both traditional and digital fabrication tools are operational. The ideal candidate is an experienced fabricator with deep knowledge of analog and digital fabrication methods who thrives in a leadership role on the shop floor. This in-person position is based at Ideum’s studios in Corrales, New Mexico (near Albuquerque and an hour from Santa Fe).

Responsibilities

• Manage daily scheduling of fabrication work based on project priorities and deadlines.
• Monitor progress and proactively adjust workflows to meet production milestones.
• Maintain clear and regular communication with producers and design leads about project needs, shop capacity, and scheduling constraints.
• Ensure all work aligns with the project scope, fabrication drawings, and quality expectations.
• Maintain all fabrication shop equipment, including traditional woodworking tools, CNC machines, laser cutters, and hand tools.
• Ensure the shop is clean, safe, and organized at all times.
• Schedule preventative maintenance and repairs, and track tool usage and condition.
• Support safety protocols and enforce safe working practices among all staff and collaborators.
• Review and interpret production drawings for completeness and constructability.
• Identify fabrication concerns early and work with designers to resolve challenges before production.
• Ensure adherence to ADA, client, and museum-grade quality standards.
• Coordinate with shipping and installation teams to support packing and readiness of finished items.
• Provide daily leadership on the shop floor, acting as the primary point of contact for fabrication staff during active builds.
• Mentor junior and mid-level fabricators, sharing best practices in tool use, material selection, and fabrication methods.
• Support training in both traditional and digital fabrication techniques.
• Encourage a culture of precision, problem-solving, and accountability.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years’ hands-on experience in fabrication, including both traditional shop practices and digital fabrication (CNC, laser cutting, etc.).
• Strong familiarity with a range of materials, including wood, plastics, and metals.
• Excellent working knowledge of shop tools and safety protocols.
• Demonstrated experience managing people and coordinating complex build schedules.
• Ability to read and interpret CAD files and fabrication drawings.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across teams.
• Self-motivated and organized, with the ability to manage shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in museum exhibit fabrication or custom fabrication for public environments.
• Knowledge of CAD for drafting and tool paths.
• Familiarity with basic AV integration or mechanical systems.
• OSHA certification or safety training credentials.

About Ideum

We are a multidisciplinary experience design firm that focuses on using emerging technologies in creative and unexpected ways. We create visitor-centric exhibits that evoke wonder, awe, and surprise while telling important stories about science, art, history, and culture. Our clients include museums, educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and other entities throughout North America and worldwide.

Our firm provides design services, custom software development, media systems design and installation, and custom fabrication. Our multitouch tables and touch displays are designed for social environments where they encourage interaction and collaboration. We take pride in reliability and performance to create products that last. Ideum has been a leader in touch table development for nearly 15 years and is located in scenic Corrales, New Mexico (near Albuquerque and an hour from Santa Fe).

Benefits

Compensation between $65,000 - $75,000, depending on experience.