Recruitment Consultant - Shipbuilding & Skilled Trades

Atlas NextWave; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Atlas NextWave in Houston is seeking an experienced Recruitment Consultant to develop our shipbuilding and skilled-trades desk. You will own the desk, build talent pipelines and deliver qualified tradespeople to fast-moving client projects.

You will assess practical trade experience, safety credentials, availability and site suitability, coordinating interviews, onboarding and mobilization while managing multiple vacancies.

Qualifications

• Experience recruiting craft, trade, industrial or blue-collar personnel.
• Exposure to shipbuilding, marine construction, fabrication, manufacturing, energy or industrial construction.
• Strong candidate sourcing and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to assess practical trade experience and jobsite suitability.

Responsibilities

• Recruit craft and blue-collar personnel for live requirements.
• Build talent pipelines across shipbuilding, ship repair, fabrication and marine construction.
• Source via referrals, databases, job boards, social platforms and direct outreach.
• Screen candidates for trade experience, credentials, availability and site suitability.
• Coordinate interviews, onboarding and mobilization.
• Manage multiple vacancies and changing project priorities.
• Maintain accurate candidate and vacancy data.

Skills

Trade recruitment

Sourcing

Relationship building

Site assessment

Job description

Atlas NextWave is growing in North America and looking for an experienced Recruitment Consultant to develop our shipbuilding and skilled-trades desk.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a growing specialist market while working within an established Houston team. Your focus will be building strong talent pipelines and delivering qualified craft personnel into fast-moving client projects.

The role

You will recruit skilled tradespeople for shipbuilding, ship repair, marine construction and related industrial projects. Working closely with other Recruitment Consultants and clients, you will respond to live workforce requirements—often against tight project deadlines.

You’ll need to look beyond the résumé and assess practical trade experience, previous projects, safety credentials, work authorization, availability and suitability for site-based work.

What you’ll be doing

• Recruiting craft, trade and blue-collar personnel for live requirements.
• Building talent pipelines across shipbuilding, ship repair, fabrication and marine construction.
• Sourcing through referrals, databases, job boards, social platforms and direct outreach.
• Screening candidates for trade experience, credentials, availability and site suitability.
• Building trusted relationships with skilled tradespeople.
• Coordinating interviews, onboarding, compliance and mobilization.
• Managing multiple vacancies and changing project priorities.
• Maintaining accurate candidate and vacancy information.

Typical positions

• Welders, shipfitters and fabricators
• Pipefitters and mechanical fitters
• Marine electricians and cable installers
• Machinists, millwrights and maintenance technicians
• Riggers, crane operators and material handlers
• Blasters, painters, insulators and scaffolders
• Supervisors, foremen and craft leads

What we’re looking for

You may come from a recruitment agency, staffing company, shipyard, marine contractor or industrial business. What matters most is your ability to identify credible tradespeople and deliver recruitment at pace.

You will ideally have:

• Experience recruiting craft, trade, industrial or blue-collar personnel.
• Exposure to shipbuilding, marine construction, fabrication, manufacturing, energy or industrial construction.
• Experience with high-volume recruitment, workforce ramp-ups or urgent project staffing.
• Strong candidate sourcing and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to assess practical trade experience and jobsite suitability.
• A proactive, resilient and well-organized approach.

An existing skilled-trades network or knowledge of shipyard access, safety requirements, trade testing and site onboarding would be a strong advantage.

Why Atlas Nextwave?

Atlas NextWave connects specialist talent with businesses across the energy, marine, shipbuilding and industrial sectors.

You’ll join an international staffing business with an established Houston team and ambitious plans for growth. You will have real ownership of your market, with the opportunity to expand your responsibilities as the desk develops.

If you understand skilled-trades recruitment and want to build your own specialist market within a supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.