Director of Business Systems - IT/Manufacturing

Hanwha Defense USA Inc•Arlington, VA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Director of Shipbuilding Business Systems to lead the strategy, integration, and performance of enterprise IT platforms that support shipbuilding engineering, planning, production, supply chain, and business operations. This role oversees digital systems across the full manufacturing lifecycle—from design through construction, delivery, and sustainment—and ensures that systems enable efficiency, data integrity, and on‑time execution for complex naval and commercial shipbuilding programs. The ideal candidate brings strong experience in manufacturing systems, enterprise IT, digital transformation, and operational processes within a shipyard or heavy industrial environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Computer Science, Business Systems, or a related field; Master’s preferred.
10–15+ years of experience in manufacturing IT, business systems leadership, or digital transformation roles—preferably in shipbuilding, aerospace, or complex heavy manufacturing.
Strong knowledge of ERP/MRP, MES, PLM, and digital manufacturing ecosystems and how they integrate with engineering and production processes.
Proven experience managing large-scale software implementations, system integrations, and business transformation initiatives.
Understanding of shipyard workflows—work packages, planning, production control, material flow, scheduling, and quality.
Strong technical knowledge of databases, system architecture, interfaces/APIs, and data governance frameworks.
Familiarity with cybersecurity and compliance requirements for defense manufacturing (NIST 800‑171, CMMC, DFARS).
Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills with experience supporting operations in fast-paced industrial environments.
Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience with major enterprise platforms.
Background in continuous improvement, LEAN manufacturing, or digital lean initiatives.
Experience with analytics, BI tools (Power BI, Tableau), and data visualization platforms.
Project management certification (PMP, Agile/Scrum) or ITIL certification.
Experience in shipyard modernization or Industry 4.0 initiatives (IoT, machine data integration, automation).

Responsibilities

Lead the vision, roadmap, and governance for shipyard business systems, including manufacturing, planning, scheduling, engineering, ERP, MES, PLM, and quality systems.
Drive integration of IT and operational systems to create a cohesive digital thread from engineering design to production execution and lifecycle management.
Support operational excellence through improved workflows, system configuration, analytics, automation, and process optimization in partnership with Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain.
Oversee system reliability, cyber compliance, data governance, and scalability to support evolving shipbuilding program requirements.
Lead cross‑functional teams to implement and enhance core systems (ERP/MRP, MES, PLM, QMS, maintenance/asset systems, document management, etc.).
Evaluate new digital tools, architecture improvements, and technology investments; develop business cases, ROI assessments, and implementation plans.
Ensure alignment of system capabilities with production needs—work orders, materials, work instructions, labor tracking, scheduling, capacity planning, and configuration control.
Drive user adoption, training, change management, and process discipline across departments.
Partner with Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure teams to ensure compliance with DoD requirements (NIST 800‑171, CMMC, DFARS).
Manage vendor relationships, service-level agreements, license strategy, and system upgrade cycles.
Lead issue resolution, risk identification, and continuous improvement efforts for all business systems within the shipyard.
Build and mentor a high-performing team of Business Systems Analysts, Application Specialists, and ERP/MES/PLM experts.
Prepare reports, dashboards, and executive briefings that articulate system performance, project status, and strategic technology needs.