What are the responsibilities and job description for the VP Engineering Services position at Birdon America, Inc.?
Vice President of Engineering Services
On-site position
The Vice President of Engineering Services serves as a key leader of the Engineering Services Department and is responsible for building, developing, and managing a high‑performing engineering team at Birdon. This role ensures the department is effectively staffed, supported, and aligned to organizational priorities. Working in close collaboration with the Ship Design Director, the Vice President of Engineering Services drives the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of high‑quality engineering solutions.
This position will initially be based in either our New Orleans, LA or Bayou La Batre, AL office, with transition to our new Pensacola, FL facility in 2027 (est.)
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
- Leadership & People Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Engineering Services team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide coaching and feedback, and create individualized development plans for staff.
- Ensure the department is structured, staffed, and equipped to meet organizational needs and future growth.
- Resource Planning & Workload Management
- Forecast staffing needs and adjust resources to support ongoing and upcoming projects
- Assign personnel to tasks and projects based on skill sets, development goals, workload balance, and organizational priorities.
- Operational Excellence & Process Oversight
- Track and report departmental KPIs related to productivity, quality, safety, staffing, and process compliance.
- Lead the adoption and integration of new engineering tools, technologies, and best practices across the department.
- Cross Functional Collaboration
- Partner with the Ship Design Director and other technical leaders to align engineering plans, resource needs, and project expectations.
- Ensure effective communication between Engineering Services and project management, production, quality, and external stakeholders
- Quality, Safety, and Compliance
- Uphold Birdon’s engineering quality standards and ensure all deliverables meet safety, regulatory, and customer requirements.
- Monitor compliance with relevant standards, documentation requirements, and internal governance processes.
- Innovation & Continuous Improvement
- Encourage curiosity and exploration of new engineering techniques, technologies, and workflows that enhance capability or efficiency.
- Lead change initiatives that improve tools, systems, processes, and team performance
- Strategic Support & Organizational Alignment
- Contribute to long-term departmental planning, including budgeting, capability development, and workforce planning.
- Support organizational transformation efforts by aligning engineering staff and processes with broader company objectives.
Qualifications / Skills / Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Management or related technical field.
- Minimum of 10-15 years of experience leading teams in complex, project-driven environment.
- Proven ability to manage resources, balance workloads, and align staff capabilities with project and organizational priorities.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across disciplines and organizational levels.
- Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality and continuous improvement.
Preferred
- Professional Engineer (PE) or Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Engineering Management, or a related field, to include Project Management certification such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar
- Experience managing engineering services within manufacturing, defense, marine, or other highly regulated industries
- Experience implementing ISO9001:2015, or AD9100D standards and familiarity with the Agile Manifesto and LEAN / Six Sigma techniques
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.
Birdon America Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Know Your Rights The Company invites any applicant and/or employee to review the Company’s written Affirmative Action Plan. This plan is available for inspection upon request by emailing hr@birdon.us. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact hr@birdon.us for further assistance.