Marine Production Engineer – Boatbuilding

United Plastic Fabricating Inc; Ocala (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Life insurance

401K with employer match

Gainsharing

Job summary

Tideman Marine, a division of United Plastic Fabricating, designs and builds HDPE vessels on-site in Ocala, FL. The Marine Production Engineer will provide hands-on engineering support on the production floor for small boats used in military and commercial applications.

The role involves working closely with supervisors, welders, technicians, naval architects, and design engineers to resolve issues, implement changes, and drive continuous improvement on the shop floor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering, Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or another applicable engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of engineering experience supporting physical product manufacturing, preferably in boatbuilding or marine manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting and resolving engineering/manufacturing problems on the shop floor.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, schematics, and technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day, hands‑on engineering support on the production floor during fabrication, assembly, outfitting, and testing of small boats.
• Troubleshoot structural, mechanical, electrical, and installation issues encountered during vessel construction.
• Review drawings and production requirements to assist interpretation and implementation.
• Assist with engineering changes and ensure proper documentation and communication in Production.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

Production floor

Troubleshooting

Engineering drawings

Cross-functional

Education

Naval Architecture

Marine Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Tools

Rhino 3D

CAD software

Job description

Description

Tideman Marine
Location: Ocala, Florida
Schedule: Monday–Thursday | Four 10-Hour Days | On-Site

Tideman Marine, a division of United Plastic Fabricating, designs and manufactures high-density polyethylene (HDPE) boats for military and commercial marine use. Based in Ocala, Florida, USA, Tideman Marine operates a cutting-edge facility dedicated to designing and constructing welded HDPE vessels and custom marine products.

Position Summary

Tideman Marine (TMMS) is seeking a Marine Production Engineer to provide hands‑on engineering support for the construction and outfitting of small commercial, military, patrol, workboat, and specialty vessels.

This is a hands‑on manufacturing engineering position supporting physical boat production on the shop floor.

The Marine Production Engineer serves as a key link between Engineering and Production. This position will spend significant time on the production floor, working directly with production supervisors, leads, welders, assemblers, technicians, naval architects, and design engineers to identify and resolve technical issues encountered during vessel construction.

The ideal candidate is an engineer who is comfortable moving between an engineering drawing and the actual vessel being built — identifying why something is not fitting, functioning, or being manufactured as intended and helping develop a practical solution.

This position will also support engineering changes, QA/QC, root‑cause analysis, project schedules, testing, commissioning, and continuous improvement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day, hands‑on engineering support on the production floor during the fabrication, assembly, outfitting, and testing of small boats.
• Troubleshoot structural, mechanical, electrical, fabrication, assembly, fit‑up, and installation issues encountered during vessel construction.
• Work directly with production supervisors, leads, welders, assemblers, technicians, and other production employees to identify practical solutions to technical problems.
• Review engineering drawings, specifications, schematics, and production requirements to assist Production with interpretation and implementation.
• Evaluate production problems to determine whether they are related to design, drawings, materials, fabrication, assembly, installation, or manufacturing processes.
• Identify design‑related production challenges and provide clear feedback and recommended changes to Design Engineering and Naval Architecture.
• Assist with engineering changes and ensure approved changes are properly documented, communicated, and implemented in Production.
• Develop practical and manufacturable solutions while maintaining engineering, quality, safety, and customer requirements.
• Provide engineering support during hull fabrication, vessel assembly, systems installation, outfitting, testing, commissioning, and final inspection.
• Review project schedules and production progress to identify technical issues that could affect milestones or vessel delivery.
• Assist with Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC), including inspections, documentation, nonconforming conditions, corrective actions, and verification of completed work.
• Perform root‑cause analysis of recurring production, design, or quality issues and assist with implementing corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Naval Architecture, Design Engineering, Production, Quality, and Project Management throughout the vessel construction process.
• Recommend improvements to vessel designs, manufacturability, production processes, standard work, tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing methods.
• Maintain accurate engineering and technical documentation related to production issues, engineering changes, and corrective actions.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, efficiency, manufacturability, and production flow.
• Perform other engineering duties and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering, Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, or another applicable engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of engineering experience supporting physical product manufacturing, preferably in boatbuilding, shipbuilding, marine manufacturing, fabrication, heavy equipment, transportation equipment, or another complex manufacturing environment.
• Hands‑on experience troubleshooting and resolving engineering or manufacturing problems in a production or shop‑floor environment.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, schematics, and technical documentation.
• Understanding of manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, and installation processes.
• Working knowledge of vessel or complex equipment construction, with experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Structural fabrication and assembly
  • Mechanical systems
  • Electrical systems
  • Vessel or equipment outfitting
  • Production/manufacturing engineering
  • Quality assurance and corrective action
• Strong troubleshooting and root‑cause problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to translate engineering requirements into practical manufacturing solutions.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with engineers, supervisors, skilled trades, technicians, and production employees.
• Comfortable spending a significant portion of the workday on the production floor and around vessels under construction.
• Ability to manage multiple technical issues and priorities in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Engineering experience in boatbuilding, shipbuilding, marine manufacturing, or vessel repair/overhaul.
• Experience with small commercial, military, patrol, workboat, or specialty vessel construction.
• Experience supporting a product or vessel from fabrication and assembly through testing and final delivery.
• Familiarity with marine structural, mechanical, and/or electrical systems.
• Experience with QA/QC, nonconformance investigation, root‑cause analysis, and corrective action.
• Experience working directly with production personnel to resolve design and manufacturing issues.
• Experience with engineering change processes and production documentation.
• Experience with Rhino 3D is preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with CAD models and drawings.

Work Environment

This is a fully on‑site position and is not a remote or hybrid engineering role. The Marine Production Engineer will work in both an office/engineering environment and an active boat manufacturing facility.

A significant portion of the position will involve working directly on the production floor, around vessels under construction, production equipment, fabrication activities, and skilled trades.

Schedule

Monday–Thursday | Four 10‑Hour Days

Additional Requirements

• Must successfully complete a pre‑employment drug screen and background check

Excellent benefits including Medical, Life, Dental, Disability insurance, 401K with employer match and gainsharing!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

This Employer uses E-Verify

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the US. We are unable to sponsor at this time.