What are the responsibilities and job description for the Advanced Designs & Technology Manager position at Austal USA LLC?
REPORTS TO: Director, Business Development SUPERVISES: Engineers as assigned DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES: Serve as technical lead for Business Development & External Affairs department; support customer engagement and capture efforts across all Lines of Business including Surface Programs, Submarine Programs, Repair & Services, Solutions, & Advanced Technologies Lead business Austal USA’s technology and concept design efforts. Track engineering review milestones across current Austal USA programs, highlighting technical challenges, schedule impacts, & mitigation strategies, & translate technical insights into actionable information for sales, engineering, & other functions as appropriate Lead the assessment & identification of new vessel concept designs for ships, craft, & unmanned / autonomous platforms & drive technical sales activities through pre‑sale engineering support, including review of customer vessel requirements & mission profiles Translate complex vessel design & performance data into compelling technical value propositions to support solution development Develop & deliver technically compliant responses to requests for information (RFIs), sources sought, proposals, feasibility studies, & cost estimates Assist in the creation & presentation of briefs to customers & Austal USA senior leadership team in support of Austal USA’s Business Development Process including: Scope Verification: Review the technical scope & confirm all solution components, design specs, deliverables, & materials are accounted for in the pricing Gap Identification: Flag any technical elements that may be underpriced, over-priced, or missing relative to the proposed solution Clarify Technical Narrative: Help craft or review slides that explain how the solution satisfies requirements & supports value‑added claims Highlight Differentiators: Emphasize unique technical advantages—like proprietary design features, performance metrics, or lifecycle cost benefits Lead the evaluation and implementation of all department technology and software initiatives Attend industry events, trade shows, & conferences as appropriate QUALIFICATIONS / KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE: Bachelor's degree in naval architecture or marine engineering or related discipline Five (5) years’ work experience in ship building, ship repair, or ship acquisitions Exceptional communication, project management, and leadership skills - capable of preparing technical proposals, conducting detailed presentations, & negotiating with engineering & executive stakeholders Sound understanding of vessel design & production processes DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS Working knowledge of US Navy, US Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, International Maritime Organization (IMO), & other regulations & requirements Commercial &/or government/Department of Defense shipbuilding experience Strong proficiency with CAD tools (ShipConstructor, AutoCAD, Rhino, SolidWorks), plus FEA/ship motion analysis software. Program management experience Estimating experience in ship construction &/or ship repair Foreign Military Sales (FMS) experience Familiarity with monitoring & control systems for vessel machinery & systems Experience in design of oceangoing steel & aluminum vessels (including multi-hull, high-speed) Proficiency with naval architecture software required ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES: Candidates must meet the following employment eligibility guidelines to be considered for employment with Austal USA: 18 years of age or older at time of application Able to provide proof of US Person Status No felony convictions of Theft/Deception or Violent crimes within seven years from disposition date No felony convictions of Drug crimes within three years from disposition date Willing to submit to a drug screen Willing to submit to a background check TOOLS: Microsoft Office (Power Point, Access, Excel); naval architecture software; Adobe Creative Suite DIRECTION EXERCISED: DISCRETION EXERCISED: LIAISES WITH: All Austal USA departments Navy clients, teammates, external stakeholders Major subcontractors & suppliers WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to humid conditions, bright flashing lights, moving mechanical parts, high precarious places, outside weather conditions, & extreme heat. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes &/or airborne particles at or below the PEL, toxic or caustic chemicals, & heat & cold. The noise level in the work environment is usually very loud, 90 dB. SAFETY Must comply with company, federal, state, & local safety & environmental rules & regulations while performing daily job tasks. Equal Employment Commitment Any qualified individual with a disability who is having difficulty in completing an application because of incompatible technology or other disability-related application issues may contact us at the following phone number for assistance: 251-445-1932. Austal’s commitment to equal employment opportunity applies at all levels of employment, in all job titles, including the executive level, and to all employment actions, including but not limited to decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, training, and promotion. Austal USA is a ship manufacturer headquartered in Mobile, Ala., with service centers in San Diego and Singapore and a technology center in Charlottesville, Va. With the most modern steel panel line in the shipbuilding industry, Austal USA’s facility is capable of supporting the manufacture of both aluminum and steel ships. Austal USA leverages a moving module production line and strict adherence to lean manufacturing principles to consistently deliver on-schedule and on-budget. Austal USA is currently under contract for several programs, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), the TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ships, the Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), the Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ships (T-ATS), the Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS), the Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium (AFDM), and the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), and is supporting Navy unmanned vessel programs leveraging its advanced machinery control system. Austal USA’s service business provides global support to U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command and other customers. Austal USA’s San Diego Service Center includes a waterfront facility that will have the capability to drydock small combatants and similar sized ships. Earning 23 safety excellence awards, Austal USA continues to be one of the safest shipyards in America.
