Project Coordinator I PDSS - SDCA

Austal USA; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Austal USA seeks an experienced manager for ship repair coordination in San Diego, directing milestones, cost control, and safety compliance. The role requires frequent travel and close collaboration with project and production teams.

This position emphasizes adherence to schedules, government contracts, and quality standards, with daily site presence to monitor progress and lead improvements across multiple repair efforts.

Qualifications

• 3 years shipbuilding industry or 5 years technical repair experience required.
• Some advanced education preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to read and comprehend engineering drawings and data.
• Willing to travel 25–35% annually.
• Must be able to work autonomously with strong communication.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate repair work to meet milestones, cost, and schedule.
• Maintain daily presence aboard ship to monitor work progress and safety.
• Participate in meetings with Project Leadership and assign tasks.
• Ensure work aligns with schedules, contracts, and quality expectations.
• Validate status reports against production line items and milestones.
• Maintain compliance with quality procedures and documents.
• Support variance analysis and reporting to leadership.

Skills

MS Office

Engineering drawings

Autonomy

Excellent communication

Travel 25-35%

Government contracts

Education

Some advanced education preferred

Job description

REPORTS TO

PDSS Manager

SUPERVISES

None

AUTHORITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide coordination to ensure that the work performed enables successful and efficient repair of the vessel with focus on milestone achievements, cost and schedule performance for PDA/IPDA and BOA. Coordinate daily status reports and ensure projects and personnel are charging to correct charge codes per guidelines and contract.

Maintain a daily presence aboard ship to monitor the work in progress for compliance with guidelines for safety, housekeeping, work progress, and staff performance. Participate in meetings as deemed appropriate by Project Leadership. Assigned action items and task to ensure repair schedules, cost and quality maintained. Take corrective actions to ensure schedules are met, cost are controlled and quality is maintained or explain variances. Ensure the work in progress is in accordance with the published schedule(s) and contract(s) sequence and explain variances.

Perform random validation of status reporting against specific production line items and confirm the actual work being performed and in line with established schedules and project milestones. Maintain compliance with quality procedures and documents (such as work authorization forms, TIPS, WAF and CFR’s, e-work authorization forms, LOTO, etc.). Maintain daily communication and interaction with the Project Leadership to report status and concerns and support variance analysis and reporting. Monitor and validate resource requirements for actuals against planned work in progress. Monitor and validate use of rework and lessons learned processes and initiatives to promote continuous improvement.

This position may be required to support multiple repair efforts in various offsite locations with multiple and sometime conflicting work project timelines. Complies with Austal’s employee handbook general guidelines, company procedures and policies.

QUALIFICATIONS / KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE

• Some advanced education preferred
• Three (3) year’s shipbuilding industry or five (5) year’s technical repair experience required.
• (Six (6) years’ prior relevant military experience maybe considered in lieu of shipbuilding building or technical repair experience).
• Computer literacy required, with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to read and comprehend engineering drawings and data
• Proven ability to work autonomously, set tasks for self
• Excellent communication skills
• Must be available and able to travel approximately 25%-35% in a calendar year.
• Working knowledge of Government Shipbuilding Contracts preferred.

TOOLS

Not applicable

LIAISES WITH

All production departments and support departments, program team, project team, client, suppliers, subcontractors, and class and flag authorities

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

The ability to obtain and maintain a DoD clearance may be required if deemed necessary in the scope of your position responsibilities.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY)

Candidates must meet the following employment eligibility guidelines to be considered for employment with Austal USA:

• 18 years of age or older at time of application
• Able to provide proof of US Person Status
• No felony convictions of Theft/Deception or Violent crimes within seven years from disposition date
• No felony convictions of Drug crimes within three years from disposition date
• Willing to submit to a drug screen
• Willing to submit to a background check

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be able to tour all vessels and work sites. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is often required to stand, walk, utilize hands to manipulate, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb and balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to work at a computer station.

• Must have the ability to bend, squat, stoop, crawl, and kneel
• Withstand periods of prolonged standing
• Ability to turn head from side to side and about the vertical axis
• Ability to turn body at the waist from side to side and about the vertical axis
• Lift/push/pull up to 75lbs on an occasional basis
• Lift/push/pull up to 20lbs on a frequent basis
• Must have the ability to climb in a safe manner (climbing as a minimum includes stairs, scaffolding, ladders, and ramps)
• Ability to work at heights above 12’ while working from ladders, scaffolding and/or man lifts
• Able to work at a variety of levels (ex. waist, eye, overhead)
• Demonstrate the ability to safely and appropriately use required tools and equipment
• Demonstrate good balance while working on uneven surfaces and maneuvering obstacles
• Possess sufficient handgrip and coordination to carry and operate tools and equipment
• Ability to utilize personal protective equipment (hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, goggles, respirator, safety harness, safety line, flotation gear, etc.) safely per OSHA standards
• Ability to withstand cold and hot temperatures
• Ability to enter 18” x 36” openings and work in confined spaces for prolonged periods of time
• Able to respond to verbal and audible sounds/commands
• Able to utilize adequate visual skills
• Ability to fully extend the arm while reaching overhead, reaching out, reaching to the side, and reaching down
• Ability to perceive attributes of an object/material such as size, shape, temperature and texture by means of receptors in the hands and fingers

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be granted to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions required for the position.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to humid conditions, bright flashing lights, moving mechanical parts, high precarious places, outside weather conditions, and extreme heat.
• The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes and/or airborne particles at or below the PEL, toxic or caustic chemicals, and heat and cold.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually very loud, + 90 dB.

SAFETY

Must comply with federal, state, local, and company safety and environmental rules and regulations while performing daily position duties.

COMPENSATION

Salary depends on relevant experience: $62,437.85 - $86,633.60 per year.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT COMMITMENT

Any qualified individual with a disability who is having difficulty in completing an application because of incompatible technology or other disability-related application issues may contact us at the following phone number for assistance: 251-445-1932.

Austal’s commitment to equal employment opportunity applies at all levels of employment, in all job titles, including the executive level, and to all employment actions, including but not limited to decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, training, and promotion.

ABOUT AUSTAL USA

Austal USA is a ship manufacturer headquartered in Mobile, Ala., with service centers in San Diego and Singapore and a technology center in Charlottesville, Va. With the most modern steel panel line in the shipbuilding industry, Austal USA’s facility is capable of supporting the manufacture of both aluminum and steel ships. Austal USA leverages a moving module production line and strict adherence to lean manufacturing principles to consistently deliver on-schedule and on-budget.

Austal USA is currently under contract for several programs, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), the TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ships, the Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), the Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ships (T-ATS), the Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS), the Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium (AFDM), and the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), and is supporting Navy unmanned vessel programs leveraging its advanced machinery control system. Austal USA’s service business provides global support to U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command and other customers.

Austal USA’s San Diego Service Center includes a waterfront facility that will have the capability to drydock small combatants and similar sized ships.

Earning 23 safety excellence awards, Austal USA continues to be one of the safest shipyards in America.