Waterways Cutter Program Leader

Birdon America, Inc.; Bayou La Batre (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EAP/Life

STD/LTD

401(k) with company match

Vacation/Sick accrual and holiday pay

Employee referral program

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Birdon America Inc. is seeking a WCC Program Manager in Bayou La Batre, AL to lead the Waterways Commerce Cutter program. You will oversee the Integrated Program Team, manage budgets, schedules, and contract performance, and coordinate with the U.S.

Coast Guard Project Resident Office. The role requires strong leadership, risk management, and cross-functional collaboration in a regulated defense environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, program management, operations, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive program or project management experience in shipbuilding, marine construction, defense acquisition, or another complex regulated environment.
• PMP certification or equivalent.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams across engineering, supply chain, production, quality, finance, contracts, and test activities.
• Prior U.S. Coast Guard, DHS, or DoD shipbuilding program experience.
• Experience managing contract scope, budgets, schedules, forecasts, risks, changes, deliverables, and customer commitments.
• Experience delivering lead ships and transitioning to repeat production.
• Working knowledge of integrated master scheduling, earned value, cost control, risk management, and configuration/change control.
• Experience with government-compliant earned value, accounting, and audit environments.
• Ability to interpret contracts, specifications, drawings, schedules, financial reports, and performance data.
• Knowledge of ABS classification, trials, logistics, warranty, and vessel delivery.
• Strong executive communication, negotiation, problem-solving, conflict-management, and decision-making skills.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or formal continuous improvement qualification.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and program scheduling, ERP, reporting, and collaboration tools.
• Experience with P6, Business Central, Power BI, or equivalent systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the WCC Integrated Program Team and establish clear roles, responsibilities, authorities, decision rights, and operating cadences across all program functions.
• Develop and maintain the program strategy, documents, and integrated master schedule.
• Align leaders to program priorities, baselines, commitments, and performance expectations.
• Chair program reviews and maintain logs for actions, decisions, risks, issues, and commitments.
• Provide direction, coaching, and development opportunities to program personnel.
• Serve as primary interface with U.S. Coast Guard Project Resident Office and coordinate communications.
• Ensure work is executed per prime contract, specs, drawings, data requirements, regulatory requirements, and changes.
• Lead preparation for PM reviews, design readiness reviews, customer briefings, audits, inspections, and executive reviews.
• Document, track, and close customer action items, commitments, and decisions.
• Partner with Contracts to develop contract strategies and protect Birdon’s interests.
• Own the integrated execution framework linking engineering, materials, production, testing, logistics, and delivery.
• Validate Integrated Master Schedule integrity and use as primary planning tool.
• Drive resolution of cross-functional constraints and establish recovery plans.
• Coordinate configuration and change across data, cost, schedule, material, production, and vessel configuration.
• Lead development and control of budgets, forecasts, and cash-flow plans.
• Review costs, commitments, accruals, earned value, and forecast changes for accuracy.
• Provide explanations of variances and corrective actions to protect performance.
• Coordinate milestone evidence, invoicing, and acceptance activities.
• Establish risk and opportunity processes with escalation and closure.
• Capture lessons learned for repeatable improvements.
• Champion safety and quality and ensure compliance with regulatory and contractual requirements.
• Integrate quality planning, inspections, nonconformance, and corrective actions.
• Support audits and ensure findings are closed.
• Ensure program security, records management, and data rights are maintained.
• Monitor subcontractor and supplier compliance.
• Plan for production completion, trials, delivery, and post-delivery support.
• Coordinate turnover of technical data, certificates, logistics, spares, and records.
• Support final customer acceptance and lifecycle support.

Skills

Leadership

Executive communication

Contract management

Risk management

Cross-functional leadership

Negotiation

Decision making

Problem solving

Lean Six Sigma

MS365 / collaboration tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/business/PM/operations

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

P6

Power BI

Business Central

ERP systems

MS Excel

Job description

Birdon America Inc. is seeking a WCC Program Manager in Bayou La Batre, AL to lead the Waterways Commerce Cutter program. You will oversee the Integrated Program Team, manage budgets, schedules, and contract performance, and coordinate with the U.S.

Coast Guard Project Resident Office. The role requires strong leadership, risk management, and cross-functional collaboration in a regulated defense environment.