Vessel Production Manager

ACUA Ocean; England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vitality health insurance (dental)

Gym membership discounts

Mental health cover

Global health coverage

Leave: 24 days + holidays

Job summary

ACUA Ocean Limited is hiring a Vessel Production Manager to lead the build of our uncrewed surface vessels within a growing engineering team. Hybrid work model across Isle of Wight/ Hampshire and WFH, with flexibility to visit shipyards and supplier facilities.

You will coordinate budgets, schedules, and risk, own the BOM, and liaise with clients, classification societies, and shipyard partners to deliver high-quality, compliant vessels on time.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in shipbuilding, marine engineering, or related field with product management or project leadership.
• Experience with ship design, construction processes, lifecycle management, and shipyard operations.
• Proficiency with Agile, Scrum, or Stage-Gate methods.
• Ability to work remotely at shipyards and supplier facilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of the build of ACUA’s uncrewed surface vessels.
• Serve as primary contact for clients, classification societies, and shipyard partners.
• Manage budgets, schedules, and risk to keep projects on track.
• Own the BOM, materials ordering, and logistics with Site Operations.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Negotiation

Data-driven decisions

Agile methods

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/ Naval Architecture/ Marine Engineering or related field

MBA or MSc (advantage)

Tools

CAD/PLM systems

AutoCAD

AVEVA

NAPA

Job description

Vessel Production Manager at a fast growing startup

Hybrid; Isle of Wight/ Hampshire and WFH

Overview

Founded in 2020, ACUA Ocean is a fast-growing and dynamic start-up sitting at the intersection of clean tech, ocean autonomy, and maritime security. Our scalable, intelligent USV platform addresses critical needs: climate and environmental monitoring, offshore infrastructure resilience, coastal protection, and marine surveillance with minimal human or environmental footprint. We are hiring a Vessel Production Manager to work within our growing Engineering Team developing cutting edge technology to use in our uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).

A successful candidate must be a team player with a passion for sharing knowledge and be ready to be at the grassroots of this growing business supporting the growth of a robust and diverse team delivering results that will revolutionise the way we protect and monitor our oceans.

Who you are:

• Able to work and lead teams of colleagues from diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge, levels of experience and expertise. You build strong working relationships and communicate effectively with your colleagues across various functions
• Able to work autonomously with a proactive mindset
• You balance commercial considerations with a drive for quality, evaluating the data to inform your decision making
• You are confident in your skills and know your area of expertise with an eye for innovation
• Delivery focussed and work to successful outcomes
• An innovator and entrepreneurial thinker who solves problems, not just identifies them

What you’ll do:

• Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, Principle Robotics Engineer and Senior Naval Architect you will oversee all aspects of the build of ACUA’s uncrewed surface vessels
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including clients, classification societies, and shipyard partners, ensuring clear communication and alignment throughout the project lifecycle.
• Manage budgets, schedules, and risk, proactively identifying and resolving issues to keep projects on track and within scope.
• Own the Bill of Materials, materials ordering and work with the Site Operations on logistics and inventory management

What you’ll need:

• UK citizenship. We will not sponsor visas.
• 5+ years of experience in shipbuilding, marine engineering, or a related industry, with at least 2 years in a product management or project leadership role.
• Ability to work remotely for extended periods from our shipyards and suppliers facilities
• Strong knowledge of ship design, construction processes, and lifecycle management, including familiarity with shipyard operations and modular construction methods.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and manage stakeholder expectations.
• Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: Strong analytical thinking to troubleshoot issues during design and build phases, and make data-driven decisions under pressure.
• In-depth understanding of maritime regulations and classification society standards (e.g., SOLAS, IMO, ABS, DNV), and experience with compliance management.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, with a results-driven mindset and capability to manage complex technical projects under tight deadlines.
• Preferable but not essential depending on experience is a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or related field; advanced degree (MBA or MSc) is a plus.
• Proficiency in product management tools and methodologies, such as Agile, Scrum, or Stage-Gate, and use of CAD/PLM systems and ship design software (e.g., AutoCAD, AVEVA, NAPA).
• £65-80K salary (depending on experience)
• UK citizenship. We unfortunately cannot sponsor visas for this role.
• 24 days annual leave plus bank holidays plus Christmas closure
• Comprehensive benefits package from Vitality - access to full health insurance including dental coverage
• Awesome perks such as discounted gym memberships, mental health cover and global health coverage