Director, Naval Shipbuilding Programs

Austal; Rottnest Island; On-site; AUD 230,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Professional development opportunities

Supportive and dynamic work env

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

Austal Defence Australia (ADA) invites an experienced Program Director to lead the General Purpose Frigate program. You will act as the primary client interface, guiding design assurance and build phases, while steering a multi-disciplinary team to deliver safely, on time and within budget.

With 10+ years in defence shipbuilding leadership, you will manage contracts, financials and risk, drive onshoring strategies, and ensure robust governance and data transfer to support the technical baseline.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in a Shipbuilding Leadership role within a Defence Program of similar complexity.
• Experience in leading a dispersed Shipbuilding build strategy.
• Strong management skills and team building capability.
• A thorough understanding of CASG contract mechanisms.
• Excellent influencing skills.
• Effective communication skills, and proven stakeholder management ability.
• Program, Business or Engineering Degree.
• Eligibility for a Defence Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary interface with the client, supporting contract negotiations and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with key stakeholders including the Commonwealth, MHI, ATLA, and suppliers.
• Lead the successful delivery of the General Purpose Frigate (GPF) Program, ensuring outcomes are achieved safely, on time, within budget, and to required quality standards.
• Oversee contract performance, ensuring all deliverables, milestones, KPIs, and reporting requirements are met or exceeded.
• Manage program financials, including cost estimation, budgeting, forecasting, and achieving agreed financial performance targets.
• Establish and maintain effective risk management and governance frameworks, ensuring risks are mitigated and opportunities are identified.
• Drive the development and implementation of program strategies, including onshoring, build strategy, and incorporation of international best practices and lessons learned.
• Ensure the transfer and management of technical data, intellectual property, and capability knowledge to support a robust technical baseline.
• Provide leadership and direction to multidisciplinary teams, fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture aligned with organisational objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Management

Stakeholder management

Influencing skills

Defence security clearance eligibility

Education

Program, Business or Engineering Degree

Job description

Austal Defence Australia (ADA) invites an experienced Program Director to lead the General Purpose Frigate program. You will act as the primary client interface, guiding design assurance and build phases, while steering a multi-disciplinary team to deliver safely, on time and within budget.

With 10+ years in defence shipbuilding leadership, you will manage contracts, financials and risk, drive onshoring strategies, and ensure robust governance and data transfer to support the technical baseline.