Director of Outfit Trades

About the role

The Director of Outfit Trades is a high-visibility leadership role accountable for overseeing all outfit trade operations including Electric Shop, Machine Shop, Tin Shop, Carpenter Shop, Pipe Shop, Insulating and Paint Shop. This position reports to the VP, Operations and is responsible for the safety, quality, schedule adherence, cost performance, and personnel management across all outfit trades.

Responsibilities

• Safety Leadership: Drive safety culture and performance across all outfit trades, enforce consistent safety standards and procedures, lead workplace safety initiatives and housekeeping standards, ensure proper trade certification and qualification compliance, and address safety concerns across trade operations
• Project Execution: Direct all outfit trade operations and resource allocation, manage work execution and trade coordination, coordinate work sequencing between trades and areas, monitor trade productivity and quality metrics, and execute production schedules across trades
• Operations Management: Lead Trade Superintendents and front-line supervision, manage trade workforce planning and development, implement trade standard work processes, monitor trade metrics and cost performance, and drive first-time quality initiatives
• Training and Development: Oversee trade qualification programs through collaboration with the Training Department, mentor and develop supervision and trade leadership, and implement skill development initiatives
• Team Collaboration and Communication: Coordinate with planning and engineering, lead trade coordination meetings, interface with production areas and facilities, maintain effective communication across trades, and participate in construction milestone planning
• Continuous Improvement: Implement BOS practices across trades, lead process improvement initiatives, drive productivity and quality improvements, standardize work practices across trades, and foster innovation in trade execution

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, marine engineering or related technical field required
• MBA and advanced degrees preferred

Requirements

• Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible production/trade management experience
• Experience managing multiple trade groups in shipbuilding preferred
• Proven track record in production leadership
• Strong understanding of trade processes and methods
• Experience with lean manufacturing implementation
• Proficiency with production management systems
• Strong track record of operational performance improvement
• Experience with Navy programs and requirements
• Demonstrated success in safety leadership
• Strong labor relations experience
• Proven ability to lead large teams
• Experience with Lean manufacturing principles