Manufacturing Engineering Manager

LED FastStart • Franklin, LA

6d

About The Position

As the Shipyard Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Saronic-Franklin, you will lead the technical execution and operational integration of Manufacturing Engineering activities across the shipyard. You will ensure vessel construction activities are technically sound, production-ready, efficiently executed, and aligned with quality, schedule, and safety objectives.

You will oversee a Manufacturing Engineering team that supports workstation tooling, processes, and improvements, operates the machine shop, and develops manufacturing facility improvements. Working directly with Design Engineering and Production Engineering leadership, you will help ensure cross-functional agreement on product design improvements. The role is critical to enabling scalable and repeatable vessel construction in a fast-paced maritime manufacturing environment.

Requirements

• 10+ years of shipbuilding, heavy manufacturing, or maritime industrial experience.
• Experience leading vessel construction, production operations, or manufacturing engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of modular construction, production sequencing, and waterfront operations.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams that include production, engineering, planning, and quality.
• Demonstrated success improving production efficiency, throughput, quality, and schedule performance.
• Strong understanding of shipyard production operations, vessel construction sequencing, manufacturing processes, and marine production systems.
• Ability to lead cross-functional engineering and production teams in a fast-paced shipbuilding environment.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, production work packages, technical specifications, and vessel integration requirements.
• Ability to make operational decisions concerning production workflows, staffing, manufacturing methods, tooling, and engineering priorities.
• Effective communication with executive leadership, engineering teams, production personnel, suppliers, and shipyard stakeholders.
• Strong technical aptitude, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain administrative records, technical documentation, and operational reporting.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced maritime manufacturing environment.
• Professional conduct and effective communication with vendors, coworkers, subordinates, leadership teams, and other customers.
• Commitment to following shipyard safety policies and maintaining a clean, organized, and safe work area.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in advanced manufacturing, industrialization, automation, or digital production systems.
• Experience supporting Navy and commercial vessel programs.
• Engineering degree or equivalent shipyard construction leadership experience.
• Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage, train, and motivate manufacturing engineering personnel, including hiring, performance evaluations, and professional development.
• Ensure manufacturing engineering deliverables support efficient vessel construction, including work packages, installation planning, technical issue resolution, and production readiness.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives related to production flow, scheduling, planning, build sequencing, and technical operations performance.
• Develop and optimize manufacturing processes, tooling strategies, workflow layouts, and resource utilization to improve workstation efficiency, reduce waste, and support scalable shipyard operations.
• Coordinate with production engineering leadership on structural assembly, vessel systems integration, outfitting coordination, and product design improvements.
• Ensure engineering and manufacturing activities comply with company standards, shipyard procedures, regulatory requirements, and applicable maritime industry specifications.
• Work with the EHS team to enforce workplace safety protocols and ensure production activities follow Saronic EHS guidelines and company policies.
• Monitor and report KPIs related to production efficiency, engineering throughput, build execution, schedule performance, labor utilization, downtime for repair, and technical issue resolution.
• Ensure Manufacturing Engineering teams fulfill their roles, responsibilities, and operational objectives.
• Advise leadership on team performance, staffing needs, organizational structure, and operational improvements.
• Resolve and document technical production issues affecting vessel construction, manufacturing operations, quality, or schedule performance.
• Manage technical resource utilization to meet or exceed production and operational efficiency goals.
• Drive continuous improvement focused on manufacturing efficiency, production scalability, technical execution, and operational excellence.
• Provide operational documentation, technical status updates, engineering issue reporting, and shift-turnover communication.
• Collaborate with product design, project management, and production engineering teams to align product design with scaled production goals, including resolving design-versus-production conflicts.
• Facilitate as-built drawing updates and design-for-production improvements, and derive, track, and implement lessons learned.
• Follow shipyard safety policies, including proper PPE use, fire prevention, and confined-space protocols.
• Support training and development of engineers and engineering management on site.
• Communicate and collaborate with shipyard departments to support vessel production integration.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area and represent Saronic professionally with customers.
• Take accountability for EHS results and contribute to defined operational goals.
• Promote a supportive, productive workplace and a culture of technical excellence, operational discipline, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical insurance; Saronic pays 100% of employee premiums and 80% of dependent premiums.
• Dental and vision insurance; Saronic pays 100% of the basic-plan employee premium and 80% of dependent premiums.
• Generous paid time off and holidays.
• Paid maternity and paternity leave.
• Competitive salary with opportunities for performance-based bonuses.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Stock options.
• Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Discounted pet insurance, including a 24/7 telehealth helpline.
• Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed