Production Manager

Job Description

Job Description

WCC Production Manager

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Production Manager is responsible for the safe, disciplined, and efficient execution of production activities supporting the Waterways Commerce Cutter program. The role leads and integrates multiple skilled trades through vessel construction, coordinating labor, work packages, materials, facilities, and production support to achieve approved schedule, budget, quality, and contractual objectives.

 

This position directly and indirectly leads production superintendents, supervisors, foremen, craft personnel, and subcontracted resources. The Production Manager establishes clear priorities, removes barriers to execution, and ensures work is performed in accordance with approved drawings, specifications, work instructions, safety requirements, quality controls, and environmental obligations.

The ideal candidate is a visible, hands-on leader who combines deep shipbuilding and heavy-manufacturing experience with strong people leadership, production planning discipline, and continuous improvement capability. The role requires timely decision-making, factual performance reporting, and close collaboration with program management, planning, engineering, quality, supply chain, test and trials, facilities, and human resources.

Safety, Environmental and Operational Discipline

• Lead by example and ensure production activities comply with Birdon policies and applicable federal, state, and local safety and environmental requirements.

• Establish clear expectations for pre-task planning, housekeeping, hazard identification, stop-work authority, incident reporting, and corrective action closure.

• Coordinate with Health, Safety and Environment personnel to address trends, verify controls, and strengthen a proactive safety culture.

• Ensure production areas, tools, equipment, access routes, and temporary services remain suitable for safe and efficient work.

Production, Execution and Schedule Performance

• Direct day-to-day execution across structural fabrication, welding, piping, machinery, electrical, outfitting, coatings, and subcontracted production work.

• Translate the approved production sequence and integrated schedule into clear daily and weekly priorities for each work center.

• Monitor progress against planned hours, milestones, quantities, and completion criteria; implement recovery actions when performance deviates from plan.

• Coordinate work-area access, trade sequencing, shift coverage, and constraint removal to maintain production flow and minimize interference.

• Support vessel testing, trials, turnover, and delivery activities as assigned.

Workforce Leadership and Development 

• Lead, coach, and develop production leaders and craft teams, reinforcing accountability, respect, collaboration, and high standards of workmanship.

• Plan manpower requirements and deploy resources based on priorities, trade qualifications, workload, and schedule needs.

• Participate in recruiting, selection, onboarding, training, certification, performance management, and succession planning in coordination with Human Resources.

• Set measurable expectations, conduct regular performance discussions, recognize strong performance, and take timely corrective action when required.

• Promote cross-training, apprenticeship development, and skills progression to strengthen workforce capability and retention.

 

Quality and Right-First-Time Performance

• Ensure work is completed to approved technical requirements and presented for inspection at the appropriate stage.

• Coordinate with Quality personnel to maintain inspection flow, close nonconformances, and prevent recurrence of defects.

• Monitor rework, repair, inspection rejection, and incomplete-work trends; lead practical corrective actions that improve first-time quality.

• Protect traceability, workmanship records, completion documentation, and configuration status throughout production.

 

Cost, Productivity and Performance Control

• Manage labor and production resources within approved budgets and delegated authority.

• Monitor planned versus actual hours, productivity, overtime, consumables, rework, and other controllable production costs.

• Provide accurate, timely production status, forecasts, risks, constraints, and recovery actions to program and site leadership.

• Use objective performance data to set priorities, drive accountability, and support monthly program and job-cost reviews.

• Identify and implement opportunities to reduce production hours and cost without compromising safety, quality, or contractual compliance.

Cross-Functional and Customer Support

• Maintain effective working relationships across Program Management, Planning, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Test and Trials, Facilities, Finance, and Human Resources.

• Support customer, regulatory, and classification-society reviews, inspections, and production status discussions when requested.

• Communicate clearly and professionally with employees, subcontractors, suppliers, customer representatives, and senior leadership.

• Perform other reasonable duties consistent with the purpose and accountability of the position.

 

Qualifications / Skills / Experience 

 

Essential

Preferred

High school diploma or GED equivalent. 

Trade, technical, associate, or bachelor’s qualification in marine construction, production, engineering, operations, or a related discipline. 

Minimum 15 years of progressive production experience, including at least 6 years in shipbuilding and demonstrated supervision of multiple trades. 

Experience supporting U.S. Government shipbuilding, repair, or other highly regulated maritime programs. 

Demonstrated ability to lead supervisors, foremen, craft personnel, and subcontractors in a complex production environment. 

Experience with steel and aluminum vessel construction, modular construction, outfitting, test, trials, and delivery. 

Working knowledge of shipbuilding methods, terminology, drawings, specifications, work instructions, production controls, and OSHA requirements. 

Formal Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, or project management training. 

Experience planning and forecasting labor, material, equipment, facility, and production-support requirements. 

Experience using ERP, MRP, scheduling, earned value, or digital work-package systems.