Insulator

Job Description

Job Description

Insulat or

Location: Shipyard / Maritime Facility

Shift: 3rd Shift (40 hours/week; Overtime upon approval)

Position Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

We are seeking a skilled and safety-minded Insulation Improver to join our shipyard team. Operating with minimal supervision under the guidance of a supervisor or journeyman, you will perform the installation and removal of insulation on various components onboard vessels.

In this role, you will cut, fabricate, and apply insulation materials to bulkheads, overheads, piping, ducts, machinery, and equipment to minimize heat transfer, prevent moisture condensation, and deaden sound. Work spans all phases of ship repair and modernization across US Naval Vessels, Military Sealift Command, and commercial ships and barges.

Key Responsibilities

General Duties & Compliance

• Safety First: Maintain strict compliance with OSHA standards, BAE best safety practices, and shipyard policies, ensuring work areas are kept clean and safe at all times.
• Shift Expectations: Arrive on time, work assigned shifts/overtime, execute daily assignments, and provide clear status updates for shift turnover.
• Technical Standards: Interpret and follow NAVSEA, ABS, Coast Guard standards, and manufacturer technical manuals to complete insulation tasks.
• Quality & Reporting: Provide Objective Quality Evidence (OQE) as required. Assist with drafting Condition Found Reports (CFR) detailing material conditions and recommended corrective actions.
• Leadership & Teamwork: Provide guidance and direction to assigned Helpers, communicate effectively with supervisors and journeymen, and foster a respectful work environment compliant with non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.

Daily Work Tasks

• Prepare work areas to ensure a safe environment.
• Safely remove existing insulation and lagging remnants from ships as specified.
• Cut to size and install all types of structural and piping insulation, including insulation pads.
• Run and remove temporary lines and leads in compliance with safety standards.
• Execute Lock-Out / Tag-Out procedures for assigned tasks.

Qualifications & Capabilities

• Experience: Minimum of four (4) years of related insulation experience, with at least two (2) years in a maritime environment.
• Trade Skills: Hands-on experience applying hullboard, Armaflex, Cal-sil, ventilation insulation, and insulation pads.
• Tool Proficiency: Proven ability to safely operate trade-specific hand and power tools.
• Shipyard Knowledge: Working knowledge of ship repair terminology and compartment location nomenclature.
• Document Comprehension: Ability to understand instructions, technical drawings, schematics, and general correspondence.
• Mathematics: Proficient in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, fractions, and decimals (US customary system), alongside a basic understanding of the metric system.
• PPE Capability: Physically and medically capable of wearing all required OSHA-mandated PPE (hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toe boots, goggles, respirator, safety harness, safety line, flotation gear, etc.).

Work Environment

Shipyard environments vary significantly depending on the assignment:

• Conditions: Range from standard indoor spaces to outdoor sites subject to precipitation, wind, extreme heat/cold, and high humidity. Vessel interiors may be smoky, tight, cold/hot, or dimly lit.
• Surroundings: Loud noise levels (especially inside vessels), heavy equipment operations, power tools, and potential hazards like falling objects or moving mechanical parts.
• Spaces: Tasks occur in diverse settings—ranging from high platforms (scaffolds, ladders, mechanical lifts) to confined spaces accessible only through small manholes.

Physical Demands & Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Must be able to navigate all vessels, piers, docks, and shipyard work sites.

• Lifting/Pushing/Pulling: Occasional (0–33%) lifting of 50–100 lbs ; frequent (34–66%) lifting of up to 20 lbs .
• Stamina & Agility: Prolonged standing (2–3 hours at a time); frequent bending, squatting, crouching, crawling, kneeling, and full extension of arms overhead, down, or to the side.
• Heights & Confined Spaces: Ability to work at heights exceeding 12 feet (ladders, scaffolding, lifts) and enter/work in confined spaces via 18” x 36” openings for 33–66% of the shift.
• Coordination & Balance: Excellent balance on uneven surfaces and obstacles; sufficient handgrip strength and tactile perception to safely maneuver tools and materials.
• Sensory: Able to respond to visual, verbal, and audible commands/signals.

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid holidays
• Paid sick leave

*The benefits listed above are subject to eligibility requirements*

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About LEAD Staffing

Lead Staffing, established in 2010, specializes in Construction, Industrial and Marine Staffing of Skilled Tradespeople throughout the United States of America. Our goal is to work with regional and national contractors that share our commitment towards safety and to provide long term rewarding work assignments for our valued employees.

LEAD is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

LEAD is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a growing national company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.