Marine Systems Installer – Ballast & Hydraulics

South Portland, Maine | Independent Contractor (1099) | $45-60/hr

About Rudder Industries

Rudder Industries designs, fabricates, and integrates rugged marine systems end-to-end in Portland, Maine. We are a small team that values people who own their work and drive projects to completion. Work covers hull fabrication and outfitting, power and propulsion, hydraulics and mechanical systems, and the control interfaces that make those systems usable at sea. Learn more at rudder-industries.com.

The Role

Rudder Industries is building a state-of-the-art vessel on a compressed timeline, and we are looking for a hands-on marine systems installer to take our ballast and hydraulic systems from design to working hardware. You will own the install-to-test path: routing piping and hose, fitting pumps, manifolds, tanks and valves, coordinating weld-ins and penetrations, and proving the finished systems through pressure, leak and functional testing.

This is a build role for someone who likes solving problems in the yard and seeing a system work in the real world.

What You’ll Do

• Install ballast systems: Build out pumps, manifolds, valves, tank lines, pickups, penetrations and mounts from the existing design, with clean, maintainable marine plumbing and routing.
• Install hydraulic systems: Install hydraulic power units, manifolds, hose sets, solenoids, valves and actuators from drawing through pressurized function.
• Own testing and closeout: Lead pressure and leak checks, valve stroke testing, ballast fill/empty testing, hydraulic function testing and punch-list closeout. You own the system through acceptance.
• Solve shop-level integration details: Determine routing, brackets, weld-in details, hose lengths and interference fixes within the approved design framework. Escalate conflicts early with a proposed solution and capture as-built changes.
• Support materials and field changes: Translate install needs into accurate part numbers, lengths, fittings and consumables, and document redlines so field knowledge makes it back into the design.
• Coordinate across the yard: Sequence work with fabrication, welding, floor support and engineering so structure, piping, cable routes and engine-room layout work together.
• Deliver testable control interfaces: Ensure valve actuators, pump contactors, solenoids and sensor taps are installed, labeled and ready for controls integration.
• Work safely and build for quality: Follow strong practices for hot work, pressure testing, fluid handling, hose and fitting installation, and weld quality. Build systems that are serviceable and made to last.

What Success Looks Like

• Ballast and hydraulic install plans are translated into clear routing, weld-in and need-by plans.
• Critical long-lead fittings, hose, valves and pumps are specified and moving through procurement.
• Tank penetrations, manifold mounts and other critical hardware are installed in metal, not just represented on paper.
• Acceptance test procedures are ready and used to prove ballast fill/empty and hydraulic function.
• Design, fabrication and floor teams have a clear working cadence, with conflicts surfaced and resolved early.

What We’re Looking For

• Hands-on experience installing marine plumbing, piping or hose systems on boats, ships, or comparable industrial fluid systems.
• Hydraulic system installation experience, including power units, manifolds, hose, valves and actuators.
• Experience with ballast, bilge, tank or similar wet systems, including pumps, manifolds, tank connections and leak-tight installation.
• Welding and metal fabrication skills sufficient for brackets, mounts and weld-in penetrations, or the ability to lead fit-up and quality while working with a welder.
• Experience personally running pressure, leak and functional tests and closing punch lists.
• Comfort working hands-on in a fast-moving yard environment, including confined spaces and prototype build conditions.

Strongly Preferred

• Shipyard, boatbuilder, marine systems superintendent or pipefitter background.
• Experience fitting systems into an existing structural/design package.
• Experience with floodable-compartment hardware practices.
• Defense or commercial workboat program experience.
• Ability to produce simple shop drawings, isometrics and as-builts.

Work Environment & Engagement

• Location: Onsite in South Portland, Maine.
• Engagement: Independent contractor (1099), full-time during the prototype build.
• Timeframe: Approximately mid-October through mid-December, with potential future onsite visits as the test schedule requires.
• Reports to: Head of Product & Engineering.
• Physical environment: Active prototype yard work that may include welding, grinding, plumbing, climbing into tanks and working in confined spaces.
• Tools/insurance: Contractor is expected to bring agreed-upon yard tools and personal kit and maintain required liability and workers’ compensation coverage.
• Compensation: Commensurate with experience and skill level.

What We Offer

• A generous employer contribution toward health insurance
• The opportunity to join a dedicated, collaborative team building innovative marine systems
• Meaningful ownership and the ability to see your work through from assembly to deployment

Export Control / ITAR Requirements

This position is limited to individuals who qualify as a “U.S. person” under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Rudder Industries is unable to obtain or sponsor export-control authorization for this position. 

Applicants must be permanently authorized to work in the United States. Rudder Industries is unable to sponsor employment visas.

How to Apply

Interested in joining Rudder Industries? Send your resume and a brief note about your relevant experience to jobs@rudder-industries.com. Please include the position title in the subject line.