Deputy Program Manager, Shipbuilding

Description

The company builds autonomous and intelligent ships for maritime operations at production scale, and fields them across a wide range of missions.

The deputy program manager will own execution and delivery of major shipbuilding programs, with accountability for cost, schedule, scope and customer outcomes from contract award through delivery and sustainment.

Shipbuilding capacity sits at the company's shipyard in Franklin, LA and at Port Alpha in Brownsville, TX.

The role balances production throughput against mission flexibility, since one common hull is configured, reconfigured and sustained for different customers.

This person is a customer-facing stakeholder who works closely with the company's growth, engineering, production and quality teams, manages government stakeholders and contracts, and supports technical decisions that fit customer needs and contract requirements.

Responsibilities

• Run the daily execution rhythm of a commercial and/or government shipbuilding program, owning cost, schedule, scope and quality from award through delivery and sustainment.
• Act as the steward of the customer contract, including deliverables, milestones, CDRLs and contractual obligations.
• Carry out the integrated program plan by lining up production schedules, engineering milestones and integration timelines with customer commitments.
• Manage program risks and opportunities, escalating and resolving issues that threaten cost, schedule or performance.
• Prepare reporting and briefings on program health, forecasts and decisions for company leadership and customers.
• Work with the Franklin and/or Port Alpha production team to plan and deliver rate production of large ships, autonomous or manned, from long-lead procurement through hull construction, outfitting and delivery.
• Track build sequencing, work breakdown and production milestones to protect throughput while meeting quality and acceptance criteria.
• Monitor and reduce production risks in supply chain, labor, tooling and facilities that are specific to large vessels.
• Work with Quality and Production to confirm that build configurations and acceptance events meet customer and contract standards.
• Define the configuration strategy for the ship class across mission packages, kits and payloads on a common production hull.
• Work with Mission Package Integration Managers to fit bespoke and commercial off-the-shelf kits into the production and delivery flow.
• Balance standard production against mission-specific variation so throughput holds while flexibility is preserved.
• Make sure integration timelines, dependencies and configuration baselines appear in the master program plan.
• Pass mission-package lessons learned back into production and product roadmaps.
• Serve as the main contact for customers, managing their expectations, requirements and relationships for the full program lifecycle.
• Draw out changing mission needs and turn them into clear program and technical direction.
• Lead program reviews, delivery events and technical exchanges with government stakeholders, operators and evaluators.
• Give leadership and customers clear, concise program updates and after-action reports.
• Coordinate a cross-functional team across Production, Engineering, Software, Mission Services and Forward Deployed Engineering.
• Work with cross-functional and technical partners so technical work stays aligned with programmatic commitments.
• Weigh trade-offs across capability, schedule, cost and risk.
• Keep configuration management disciplined across vessels, kits, payloads and software versions.

Requirements

• Hold a bachelor's degree in engineering, naval architecture or a related technical field.
• Have 4-6+ years of program management experience on large-scale production, shipbuilding or complex defense development programs.
• Experience managing unmanned surface vessel programs is highly desirable.
• Communicate well in writing and verbally, with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Have shown ownership of cost, schedule and scope on large, complex programs.
• Experience running production at rate, including supply chain, build sequencing and delivery of large or complex hardware, is highly desirable.
• Have a proven record of managing government or defense customers, contracts and deliverables.
• Be able to own a large, complex program end to end while balancing throughput against mission flexibility.
• Be able to link production and configuration decisions to overall program cost, schedule and mission outcomes.
• Be able to turn changing customer requirements into disciplined, workable program plans.
• Have led high-performing, cross-functional and distributed teams.
• Have a consistent record of clear, accurate communication with peers, leaders and external stakeholders.
• Be comfortable guiding customers through unclear or shifting requirements and shaping practical solutions.
• Physical demands: long periods of sitting at a desk using a computer; occasional standing and walking in the office; manual dexterity for keyboard, mouse and office equipment; visual acuity to read screens and documents; occasional reaching, bending or stooping; occasionally lifting and carrying up to 20 pounds.

Conditions

Work is based at the Franklin, LA and/or Port Alpha, Brownsville, TX sites.

If the role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require U.S. Person status, which covers U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and certain protected classes of asylees and refugees under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

The company does not discriminate in hiring or benefits on the basis of any characteristic protected by law and provides reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical insurance, with the company paying 100% of the employee premium and 80% of the dependent premium.
• Dental and vision insurance covering routine dental check-ups, orthodontics and vision care, with the company paying 100% of the basic plan premium for employees and 80% for dependents.
• Generous PTO and holidays.
• Paid maternity and paternity leave.
• Industry-standard salary with performance-based bonus opportunities.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Equity options in the company.
• Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Discounted pet insurance, including a 24/7 telehealth helpline.
• Free lunch and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office.