Production Manager

Gulf Copper LLC•Galveston, TX

10d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for the safe execution of all production, fabrication, assembly, erection, and outfitting activities supporting ship newbuilding and major marine construction programs. The role involves directing and overseeing all production trades and phases of vessel construction, including steel fabrication, sub-assembly, block assembly, erection, outfitting, and painting, in accordance with work instructions and master schedules. A key aspect is maximizing financial returns through effective workforce planning, cost control, resource allocation, and production execution, ensuring work is completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with contractual and quality requirements. The position requires continuous monitoring of production workforce levels, equipment, facilities, and construction methodologies to meet current and future program needs. Collaboration with Production Planning, Production Engineering, Procurement/Supply Chain, Quality, and Subcontractor Management is essential for aligning activities with the master schedule and ensuring material availability. The role also involves feeding field conditions and constructability issues back to engineering and planning for documentation and schedule adjustments, and ensuring compliance with the company's Mission Statement and Quality Management System. Planning, directing, and coordinating daily production operations, executing the detailed production schedule, and providing progress and labor-actuals reporting are core duties. The position requires providing motivation and support to employees, participating in change-order impact assessments, and ensuring work execution maximizes safety, quality, productivity, schedule performance, and customer satisfaction. Oversight extends to steel fabrication, sub-assembly, block erection, outfitting, painting, and test/commissioning support, including first-line workmanship self-verification. Compliance with regulatory, classification society, environmental, and customer workmanship requirements is mandatory. Developing strong working relationships with various departments and subcontracted labor is crucial for efficient production execution. Identifying and prioritizing material shortages and coordinating with Human Resources for hiring and development of production personnel are also key responsibilities. The role includes providing leadership, motivation, guidance, performance evaluations, coaching, and professional development for direct reports and their teams, as well as leading continuous improvement efforts and promoting a culture of accountability, teamwork, innovation, and operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and extensive trade/supervisory experience.
Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible production or operations leadership experience in shipbuilding, vessel construction, heavy industrial construction, offshore fabrication, or marine project environments.
Demonstrated experience managing large, multidiscipline production trade workforces (welding, fitting, outfitting, electrical, paint) on complex newbuild vessel programs.

Nice To Haves

Lean manufacturing/Six Sigma certification, journeyman-level trade credential, or advanced technical degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Responsible for the safe execution of all production, fabrication, assembly, erection, and outfitting activities supporting ship newbuilding and major marine construction programs in accordance with the company's overall safety goals, objectives and policies.
Direct and oversee all production trades and phases of vessel construction - including steel fabrication, sub-assembly, block assembly, erection, outfitting, and painting - in accordance with the work instructions and master schedule released by Production Engineering and Planning.
Maximize financial returns on capital resources and human resources through effective workforce planning, cost control, resource allocation, and production execution.
Ensure production work is completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with all contractual and quality requirements.
Continuously monitor production workforce levels, equipment, facilities, and construction methodologies across steel fabrication, sub-assembly, erection, outfitting, paint, and test/commissioning to ensure capability to meet current and future program requirements.
Work closely with Production Planning, Production Engineering, Procurement/Supply Chain, Quality, and Subcontractor Management to ensure production activities align with the master schedule, released work instructions, and material availability; feed field conditions, constructability issues, and engineering queries back to Production Engineering and Planning to support as-built documentation and schedule adjustment.
Ensure compliance with Gulf Copper Mission Statement and Quality Management System.
Plan, direct, and coordinate all daily production operations across shipbuilding and marine construction trades.
Execute the detailed production schedule issued by Production Planning and provide daily and weekly progress and labor-actuals reporting back to Planning; shift-level task sequencing is delegated to Production, but the master and detailed schedule of record remains owned by Production Planning.
Provide proper motivation and support to all reports and Production department employees to ensure the proper systems and processes are followed for accurate and efficient reporting of work and activities.
Participate in joint change-order impact assessments with Production Planning, Production Engineering, Procurement, and Quality, providing production-execution input prior to Corporate Legal Counsel review and execution.
Ensure production work is executed to maximize safety, quality, productivity, schedule performance, and customer satisfaction.
Oversee steel fabrication, sub-assembly, block erection, outfitting, painting, and test/commissioning support activities, including first-line workmanship self-verification within the shared Inspection and Test Plan, to ensure successful and timely vessel delivery.
Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory, classification society, environmental, and customer workmanship requirements in production activities.
Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Production Planning, Production Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and subcontracted trade labor to ensure efficient, well-coordinated production execution.
Identify and prioritize production material and component shortages into the joint Material Readiness Review; external supplier expediting is channeled through Procurement rather than direct floor-level vendor contact.
In coordination with the Corporate Human Resources Department, interview, hire, develop, and retain production supervisors, foremen, and craft personnel supporting shipbuilding and construction programs.
Provide leadership, motivation, guidance, performance evaluations, coaching, and professional development for direct reports and their subordinate teams.
Lead continuous improvement efforts related to production methods, lean manufacturing practices, facility layout, workforce development, and capital equipment investments.
Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence throughout all production activities.