Director of Outfit Trades

Job Description

Job Description

The Director of Outfit Trades is a high-visibility leadership role accountable for overseeing all outfit trade operations including Electric Shop, Machine Shop, Tin Shop, Carpenter Shop, Pipe Shop, Insulating and Paint Shop. This position reports to the VP, Operations and is responsible for the safety, quality, schedule adherence, cost performance, and personnel management across all outfit trades. Operating under the BIW Business Operating System (BOS), the Director manages trade operations, ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and performance standards while coordinating with production areas to meet overall construction milestones.

Key Responsibilities

Safety Leadership:

Drive safety culture and performance across all outfit trades

Enforce consistent safety standards and procedures

Lead workplace safety initiatives and housekeeping standards

Ensure proper trade certification and qualification compliance

Address safety concerns across trade operations

Project Execution:

Direct all outfit trade operations and resource allocation

Manage work execution and trade coordination

Coordinate work sequencing between trades and areas

Monitor trade productivity and quality metrics

Execute production schedules across trades

Balance trade resources across construction stages

Operations Management:

Lead Trade Superintendents and front-line supervision

Manage trade workforce planning and development

Implement trade standard work processes

Monitor trade metrics and cost performance

Drive first-time quality initiatives

Training and Development:

Through collaboration with the Training Department, oversee trade qualification programs

Mentor and develop supervision and trade leadership

Implement skill development initiatives

Team Collaboration and Communication:

Coordinate with planning and engineering

Lead trade coordination meetings

Interface with production areas and facilities

Maintain effective communication across trades

Participate in construction milestone planning

Continuous Improvement:

Implement BOS practices across trades

Lead process improvement initiatives

Drive productivity and quality improvements

Standardize work practices across trades

Foster innovation in trade execution

Required/Preferred Education/Training

Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, marine engineering or related technical field required

MBA and advanced degrees preferred

Required/Preferred Experience

Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible production/trade management experience

Experience managing multiple trade groups in shipbuilding preferred

Proven track record in production leadership

Strong understanding of trade processes and methods

Experience with lean manufacturing implementation

Proficiency with production management systems

Strong track record of operational performance improvement

Experience with Navy programs and requirements

Demonstrated success in safety leadership

Strong labor relations experience

Proven ability to lead large teams

Experience with Lean manufacturing principles