Shipbuilding Engineering Lead

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily technical execution of the engineering organization, ensuring high-quality design, analysis, and delivery across all active programs.
• Act as a player-coach by managing and mentoring engineers while actively contributing as a hands-on engineer when required.
• Oversee multidisciplinary engineering teams, including structural, mechanical, and electrical disciplines, and coordinate complex technical workflows.
• Directly lead 8 to 10 internal engineers while fully overseeing an external subcontractor engineering firm with approximately 40 engineers on the project.
• Own the engineering, design, and fabrication processes for maritime vessels, particularly those on the threshold between boats and ships.
• Regularly walk the production floor to collaborate with hourly shipbuilders and production workers, demonstrating empathy and respect for their expertise.
• Execute red-line changes on the shop floor in real time, integrate updates into 3D CAD models, and ensure the Bill of Materials is accurately maintained.
• Manage subcontractor and resource allocation to ensure alignment with program requirements, schedules, and quality standards.
• Serve as the primary technical voice in front of customers, confidently leading high-intensity technical discussions on structural analysis, fatigue life, system upgrades, and related topics.
• Utilize tools such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Rhino, ShipConstructor, PDMS, PDM, ERP systems, and other engineering software to support design, modeling, and documentation.
• Support program management activities by coordinating engineering deliverables, tracking progress, and contributing to overall program execution and profitability.
• Drive a culture of accountability, execution, and radical ownership of product quality and team performance throughout the engineering organization.
• Lead and influence a cultural transformation within the organization, helping to improve processes and behaviors while maintaining a constructive and resilient approach.
• Represent engineering interests in cross-functional discussions and ensure alignment between engineering, production, and other operational teams.
• Participate in and lead design reviews, technical risk assessments, and engineering support activities to ensure robust, reliable vessel designs.
• Maintain eligibility for and adherence to security clearance requirements due to the classified nature of the programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering is required, preferably in Naval Architecture, Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Electrical Engineering; Civil Engineering may be considered but is less ideal.
• Definitive maritime or shipbuilding experience, with hands-on involvement in engineering, designing, and fabricating vessels on the edge between boats and ships.
• Strong electrical engineering competency, with the ability to lead and guide electrical design and integration efforts across complex maritime systems.
• At least 4 to 8 years, ideally 10 or more years, in a true engineering leadership role overseeing multidisciplinary teams in structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering.
• Prominent capability to manage and coordinate subcontractor engineering firms and internal engineering resources, including oversight of teams of significant size.
• Experience in naval shipyards, naval systems, naval aviation, and Navy-related maritime programs.
• Experience in maritime and boat building, including familiarity with complex vessel systems and integration.
• Experience with design review processes and engineering support for production environments.
• Exposure to program management practices, including planning, tracking, and reporting for engineering deliverables.
• Knowledge of ship constructor tools and related shipbuilding design platforms.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with a proactive, hands-on approach to solving problems and improving processes.
• Ability to act as a customer-facing technical voice, leading discussions on fatigue life, structural analysis, and system upgrades.
• Diplomacy and resiliency in driving cultural change, with the ability to “break glass without nuking the place” by challenging the status quo while maintaining constructive relationships.