Manager

Office Manager — Portsmouth, VA

Hutco has specialized in marine staffing since 1986, connecting skilled craftsmen with the nation's leading shipbuilders. We support both commercial and military shipyards with the labor they need to get the job done safely and on time. Relationships are at the center of everything we do — with our shipyard partners and with the tradespeople we employ. When you join Hutco, you're joining a team that treats staffing as a partnership, not a transaction.

About the Role

The Portsmouth office is a high-volume, fast-paced branch that recruits and places skilled personnel in military and commercial shipyards. We're looking for an Office Manager who brings order, speed, and consistency to front office operations, stays organized amid constant activity, and keeps recruiting, hiring, and daily workflows running smoothly.

This is not a desk job in the quiet sense — you'll be juggling multiple priorities daily: candidates coming in the door, paperwork that has to be right the first time, calls from shipyards needing labor now, and a team that depends on you to keep things moving.

What You'll Do

• Oversee day-to-day front office operations, ensuring a smooth, professional experience for candidates, employees, and shipyard clients
• Manage and speed up the recruiting pipeline — from application intake through hiring — to meet urgent shipyard staffing needs
• Coordinate hiring paperwork, background checks, drug screens, and onboarding documentation with accuracy and full compliance
• Maintain organized, audit-ready personnel files and records (physical and digital)
• Support terminations and offboarding processes in line with company policy
• Track open orders, fill rates, and candidate pipelines; report status to branch and regional leadership
• Serve as a point of contact for shipyard clients regarding staffing needs, schedules, and issues
• Manage front office administrative functions: phones, scheduling, supplies, vendor coordination
• Identify and help implement process improvements to reduce redundancy and speed up front-office workflows
• Ensure office operations support a strong safety culture and comply with military/commercial shipyard access and security requirements
• Assist with basic bookkeeping/administrative reporting as needed (timesheets, invoicing support, expense tracking)

What We're Looking For

• Highly organized — you can manage multiple moving pieces, deadlines, and personalities without dropping the ball
• Comfortable in a high-paced, high-volume environment with shifting daily priorities
• Strong communication skills — professional with clients, approachable with tradespeople
• Detail-oriented, especially with compliance paperwork, documentation, and recordkeeping
• Problem-solver who can make sound decisions independently
• Proficient with standard office software (Microsoft Office); comfortable learning new systems
• Experience with customer VMS (Vendor Management System) platforms is a strong plus
• Experience with ATS (Applicant Tracking System) platforms is a strong plus
• Experience with staffing, recruiting, or HR processes is a strong plus
• Familiarity with shipyard, marine, industrial, or skilled trades environments is a plus, but not required
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information appropriately
• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree preferred

What Success Looks Like

• Recruiting and hiring timelines are consistently faster than branch benchmarks
• Front office processes run smoothly with minimal errors or backlog
• Shipyard clients and craftsmen alike see the Portsmouth office as responsive and reliable
• Office operates profitably and in good standing with all compliance requirements

Why Hutco, Inc.

• Be part of a company with a 35+ year legacy supporting America's shipbuilding industry
• Work that directly supports both commercial shipbuilding and national defense readiness
• A team-oriented, relationship-first culture
• Opportunity to grow with the company as we expand toward becoming one of the premier shipyard staffing providers in the U.S.

Hutco, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.