Lead Naval Architect

Gulf Copper & Mfg. and Sabine Surveyors•Galveston, TX

42d

About The Position

The Lead Naval Architect for the Arctic Security Cutter program is responsible for providing technical direction, oversight, and leadership for all naval architecture activities supporting the design, development, production, test and life cycle planning of Arctic-capable vessels. This role ensures the hull form, structural design, stability, hydrodynamics, and overall vessel performance meet program requirements, regulations, and operational needs in extreme Arctic environments. The Lead Naval Architect will manage design integration with other engineering disciplines, production teams, and external partners while guiding a growing technical team to meet schedule, quality, and compliance expectations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or a related field.
Seven (7+) years of experience in naval architecture within ship design, shipbuilding, defenses programs, or related maritime projects.
Professional Engineer license or eligibility.
Strong knowledge of stability structures, hydrodynamics, hull design, and classification/regulatory standards.
Familiarity with Polar Code, Arctic operations, or military/Coast Guard cutter programs.
Familiarity with modeling tools (GHS, Rhino, NASTRAN, ShipConstructor, FEMAP, etc.).
Experience working with classification societies or government agencies (ABS, USCG, NAVSEA, etc.)
Ability to lead technical efforts and manage multiple design tasks in fast-paced program environment.
Strong communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

Lead all naval architecture efforts for the Arctic Security Cutter program, including hull design, hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, structural analysis, and vessel performance.
Oversee the development, review, and approval of technical calculations, drawings, and design documentation.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (Class, Flag State, USCG, SOLAS, IMO Polar Code, and applicable miliary standards).
Provide technical expertise for ice-class design considerations, cold-weather operability, and Arctic mission capability.
Collaborate with marine, mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers’ teams to ensure design compatibility across all disciplines.
Support the development of general arrangements, weight estimates, load calculations, and stability documentation.
Lead design reviews, technical evaluations, risk assessments, and configuration changes throughout the project lifecycle.
Support model testing, simulations, and analytical validation of vessel performance.
Act as primary naval architecture contact for internal leadership, shipyard teams, customers, and government stakeholders.
Assist with schedule planning, resource forecasting, and prioritization of design deliverables.
Troubleshoot design challenges affecting cost, schedule, or engineering execution and developing effective solutions.
Participate in production support activities, including addressing design inquiries and verifying as-built conditions.
Provide mentorship, coaching, and daily guidance to junior naval architects and designers.
Promote best practices in design methodology, documentation, modeling, and analysis.
Support talent development, process improvements, and knowledge sharing within the engineering team.