Shipbuilding Process Specialist

Why Austal
Austal is Australia's global shipbuilder, Defence prime contractor and maritime technology partner of choice, designing, constructing, and supporting defence and commercial vessels for the world's leading operators. The company operates in Australia, the USA, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Austal Australia is delivering multiple naval shipbuilding and sustainment programs for the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Border Force, and the Department of Defence, employing approximately 1,000 people in facilities in located Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.

About The Opportunity
Austal and the Commonwealth of Australia are currently negotiating a landmark Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement (SSA) that will support the Continuous Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Enterprise and the delivery of multiple new defence force shipbuilding projects, such as Landing Craft-Medium and Landing Craft-Heavy for the Australian Army.

Once signed, the SSA will drive significant growth across our industry and workforce, as we deliver both existing and new programs under a long-term partnership. It will also enable the design and construction of vessels at our Henderson shipyard and marks a major step forward in establishing enduring shipbuilding capability within the Henderson Defence Precinct and across Western Australia.

To achieve this, we are building a highly skilled team, to engage with local industry and supply chains, and work on complex, large-scale projects that reflect Austal's proven capabilities and trusted performance.

Austal Defence Shipbuilding Australia is seeking a
Shipbuilding Process Specialist
to join our Capability team as a key technical authority in shipbuilding operations. This is a strategic role with accountability for defining and documenting the operational planning and production process baselines that underpin all shipbuilding tasking under the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement (SSA).

What's Involved

• Lead development, maintenance and standardisation of documented processes that support operational consistency and workforce development
• Drive measurable improvements in shipbuilding productivity and capability
• Champion the implementation of modern shipbuilding methods, including digital technologies and advanced manufacturing practices to uplift productivity and capability
• Influence alignment of enabling functions supporting the Shipbuilding Value Chain
• Support executive and operational decision making by delivering data driven analysis in making recommendations on process performance and improvement opportunities
• Facilitate capability uplift across teams to foster a culture of excellence, accountability and innovation in process execution

You'll Need

• Bachelor of Engineering or a Masters of Science in Industrial Engineering or Shipbuilding Production Trade Certificate along with Production Management experience
• 5-10 years' experience in shipbuilding, heavy engineering, or process-driven manufacturing environments
• Experience with Quality Assurance systems and process development and documentation
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including report-writing competency. Digital media and illustration skills are highly desirable
• Maturing in operating in a production environment, working and interacting with Production stakeholders
• Ability to represent the business and build cross-function relationships across a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Awareness of Lean Six-Sigma, Kaizen systems and continuous improvement frameworks are highly desirable

Why Austal

• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• A supportive and dynamic work environment.
• Opportunities for career advancement within our growing organisation.

Our global team is guided by a universal set of values that describe the focus of our efforts. Our goal is for all our decisions and actions to reflect these core values. We believe that putting our values into practice creates the greatest benefits for our shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and communities in which we serve.

Excellence - Customer Focus - Integrity - Team Work

At Austal we are committed to providing a safe and inclusive work environment for all. We believe that achieving greater diversity will enhance our operations and as such we actively encourage Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, people of all backgrounds, ages, sexual orientation, and those with Disability to apply.