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.

Ability to read and interpret technical documents, drawings, safety requirements, company procedures, and government regulations.

Familiarity with ISO 9001 quality systems and structured root-cause/corrective-action methods.

Strong written and verbal communication, organization, coaching, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.

Experience leading apprenticeship, trade-development, or multi-shift workforce programs.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Project.

Experience preparing executive production dashboards and recovery plans.

Key Performance Indicators

• Safety and environmental performance, including timely closure of identified corrective actions.

• Production schedule attainment and milestone achievement.

• Labor performance against budget, forecast, and approved recovery plans.

• First-time quality, rework reduction, inspection flow, and completion discipline.

• Work-package, drawing, material, tooling, and workspace readiness.

• Workforce staffing, qualification, attendance, development, and retention.

• Accuracy and timeliness of production reporting, risk escalation, and corrective action execution.

Working Conditions

• Work is routinely performed in an active shipbuilding and heavy-manufacturing environment with exposure to moving machinery, sharp tools, dust, fumes, airborne particles, temperature extremes, elevated noise, work at height, confined spaces, and incomplete vessel structures.

• The position requires regular movement throughout production areas and vessels, including standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, climbing, crouching, speaking, hearing, and maintaining the visual capability required to inspect work and navigate the workplace safely.

• Required personal protective equipment must be worn. The role may require extended hours, shift support, overtime, weekends, holidays, and travel based on production and program needs.

• Physical requirements and reasonable accommodations will be administered in accordance with applicable law and Birdon policy.

Relationships

• This role works closely with production leaders and craft personnel and collaborates daily with Program Management, Planning, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Test and Trials, Facilities, Finance, Human Resources, subcontractors, and customer representatives.

• The Production Manager is expected to protect Birdon's values and interests in all internal and external communications and to provide fact-based, timely escalation of issues affecting safety, quality, cost, schedule, or customer commitments.

Birdon offers a full benefits package including:

Health/Dental/Vision

EAP/Life

STD/LTD

401(k) with company match (pre- and post-tax options)

Vacation/Sick accrual and holiday pay

Tuition reimbursement program

Employee referral program

Pet Insurance

Birdon is committed to the HEALTH and SAFETY of our workforce and to the ENVIRONMENT we expect this same commitment from all employees.

As a Federal Contractor, Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background and drug screening, conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

*At our Pensacola, FL location you must also successfully obtain a TWIC card for location access.