Vice President - Human Resources, EHS & Security

General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works; Bath (ME); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & Dental Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

FSAs/HSAs

Life & Disability Insurance

Company Holidays

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Health Coaching

Athletic Trainers

Employee Assistance Programs

Onsite Health Services

Job summary

General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works seeks a strategic Vice President, Human Resources, EHS & Security to lead people, safety, environmental and security strategies for a 24/7 manufacturing environment in Bath, ME. The role reports to the President and guides HR, Labor Relations, EHS, Security, Medical and Compliance functions.

You will drive organizational performance, labor relations, and safety culture while partnering with operations to achieve quality, cost and workforce stability objectives.

Qualifications

• Senior HR leadership in a large-scale manufacturing or defense environment is required.
• Experience leading HR, EHS, Security and Labor Relations functions is preferred.
• Strong executive communication and cross-functional collaboration skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead organization-wide people, safety, environmental and security strategies.
• Oversee labor relations, bargaining strategy and contract interpretation.
• Ensure OSHA compliance and oversee safety investigations and audits.
• Partner with operations to align people strategies with production needs.
• Drive performance culture and leadership development across the workforce.

Skills

Strategic HR Leadership

Labor Relations

Safety Leadership

Security Leadership

Manufacturing Partnership

Leadership Development

Education

Bachelor's in HR/Business

Master's in HR/Business

Job description

We offer a competitive salary for this role, with an expected range of $250,000-$300,000/yr. The final offer will depend on your experience, skills, and overall qualifications. General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works also provides a variety of benefits including medical & dental insurance coverage, 401(k) retirement savings plan, flexible spending accounts/HSAs, life and disability insurance, company paid holidays, paid time off (PTO), health coaching, athletic trainers, employee assistance programs and onsite health services.

The Vice President, Human Resources, EHS & Security is a strategic leadership role accountable for developing and implementing organization-wide people, safety, environmental, and security strategies that strengthen Bath Iron Works’ ability to meet its commitments to the U.S. Navy, the workforce, and the business.

This position reports directly to the President and is responsible to lead Human Resources, Labor Relations, Environmental Health & Safety, Security, Medical, and Compliance functions in a large-scale, unionized, 24/7 manufacturing environment. Operating under the BIW Business Operating System (BOS), the VP ensures that people, safety, and workforce strategies align with operational excellence goals, builds strong cross-functional relationships across the organization, and advances a performance-based culture focused on safety, workforce stability, and business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic People Leadership:

• Develop and execute organization-wide people strategies aligned with BIW’s business, operational, and workforce objectives
• Provide strategic workforce insights to senior leadership to guide business decision-making
• Ensure HR strategies support BOS principles and operational excellence goals
• Align people systems with continuous improvement and performance expectations
• Lead the integration of people strategies with major operational initiatives

Labor Relations Leadership:

• Lead collective bargaining strategy and major labor negotiations
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with union leadership
• Oversee grievance handling, arbitration strategy, and contract interpretation
• Ensure labor relations practices support workforce stability and attendance, performance and engagement goals
• Partner with operations and labor leaders to navigate complex union-related challenges

Environmental Health, Safety & Security Leadership:

• Ensure OSHA compliance and lead major safety investigations and regulatory interactions
• Oversee environmental compliance programs and support readiness for audits
• Strengthen safety culture and expectations across hourly and salaried workforces
• Lead Security operations including physical security, incident response, and risk mitigation
• Embed safety and security requirements into training, performance systems, and leadership expectations

Operational & Manufacturing Partnership:

• Serve as a trusted business partner to operations leaders in a high-volume, safety-critical manufacturing environment
• Understand and influence key operational drivers including labor cost, staffing models, productivity, throughput, and workforce readiness
• Support workforce strategies for 24/7 operations and large-scale industrial production
• Provide leadership during operational disruptions, workforce instability, or performance challenges
• Ensure people and safety strategies directly support quality, schedule, cost and workforce requirements

Business Outcomes & Organizational Performance:

• Drive improvements in Safety, Quality, Schedule, Cost, and People performance
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve workforce effectiveness and operational reliability
• Hold leaders accountable for performance, alignment, and leadership expectations
• Lead change efforts that strengthen organizational capability and performance culture
• Ensure people, safety, and workforce strategies support company-wide performance goals

Leadership Development & Culture:

• Build leadership capability across functions, including succession planning and development of future leaders
• Promote a culture rooted in accountability, trust, safety, and continuous improvement
• Coach leaders through complex and high-pressure situations
• Strengthen organizational culture through leadership expectations and performance management
• Ensure practices support an engaged, productive, and mission-focused workforce

Required/Preferred Education/Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, Safety, or related field required
• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related discipline preferred

Required/Preferred Experience

• 15+ years of progressively responsible HR leadership experience required
• Significant experience in unionized, large-scale manufacturing, industrial, shipbuilding, or defense environments
• Experience leading multiple functions including HR, EHS, Security, Labor Relations, or related domains
• Proven success driving business outcomes and aligning people strategies with operational requirements
• Experience leading organizational change, safety leadership, and workforce transformation
• Strong business acumen and ability to work cross-functionally with senior operational and technical leaders
• Demonstrated success in developing leaders and building high-performing teams
• Strong executive presence and communication skills across all organizational levels
• Previous operational experience beneficial