Director of Workforce Development and Talent Strategy

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy for building and sustaining a high-performing skilled trades workforce across all craft disciplines.
• Oversee apprenticeship programs, trade schools, pre-hire training, and partnerships with community colleges, technical institutions, and workforce agencies.
• Develop structured career pathways for welders, pipefitters, electricians, shipfitters, and other critical trades.
• Align training content with production needs, quality standards, safety requirements, and industry certifications.
• Collaborate with Operations and Production leadership to forecast long-term workforce needs and capacity.
• Implement workforce readiness pipelines to support major hiring surges associated with shipbuilding milestones.
• Build and execute a comprehensive L&D strategy covering onboarding, compliance, technical training, leadership development, and career progression.
• Modernize learning delivery through blended learning, hands-on training, simulation, and digital learning platforms.
• Establish metrics to evaluate training effectiveness and impact on productivity, quality, and retention.
• Lead initiatives that support leadership capability at all levels, including new leader development and future leader programs.
• Foster a continuous learning culture aligned to BIW’s Business Operating System and Safely Executing High Quality Work.
• Lead the strategy for enterprise talent acquisition, ensuring the organization attracts and selects the best talent across skilled trades, engineering, and professional roles.
• Develop sourcing pipelines for critical trades, STEM talent, and hard-to-fill positions.
• Strengthen employer branding and workforce marketing to position the company as an employer of choice in the shipbuilding industry.
• Drive efficiency, equity, and consistency in hiring processes and candidate experience.
• Partner with workforce development leaders to align pre-hire and post-hire training programs.
• Advise senior leadership on workforce trends, labor market conditions, and long-range talent risks.
• Lead, mentor, and develop teams in workforce development, L&D, and TA strategy.
• Manage budgets, vendor relationships, and technology platforms supporting talent and training.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across HR, Operations, Planning, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance.
• Champion a culture of safety, learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Required/Preferred Education/Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business, Industrial Technology, or related field required, Master’s preferred.

Required/Preferred Experience

• 10–15+ years of progressive experience in workforce development, L&D, talent acquisition strategy, or talent management.
• Experience in heavy manufacturing, shipbuilding, defense contracting, aerospace, or other complex industrial environments strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success building skilled trades pipelines and technical training programs.
• Deep understanding of adult learning principles, technical training, and workforce capability-building.
• Proven ability to partner with senior operational leaders and support large-scale workforce planning.
• Strong communication, analytical, and project management skills; ability to drive change in a complex environment.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Workforce Planning
• Operational & Business Acumen
• Talent Development & Succession Planning
• Leadership & Influence
• Skilled Trades Development Expertise
• Change Management
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Collaboration & Relationship-Building