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Austal USA

Designs and builds U.S. Navy vessels

A Class Structural Fitter

Full-Time
$40/hr
Junior
Mobile, AL, USA
In Person
Manufacturing & Production OperationsWelding & Metal Fabrication

About the job

Requirements
  • A minimum of 1 year as a B-Class Fitter at Austal or 2 years in a related industry is required.
  • Pass the approved A-Class Fitter Test for aluminum and/or steel.
  • Demonstrate acceptable proficiency and competency to Austal supervision for an A-Class Fitters position.
  • Demonstrate the ability to interpret and work from construction drawings, job specifications, instruction manuals, manufacturer’s handbooks, change orders, and contract specifications.
  • Have thorough knowledge of equipment, work processes, and techniques used in measuring and fitting aluminum and/or steel components, modules, and vessels.
  • Be able to perform basic arithmetic and measure using the metric system.
  • Have knowledge of shipyard terminology, including general ship structure and vessel layout.
  • Have knowledge of edge preparation and weld joint details.
  • Have advanced working knowledge of engineering drawings and sketches.
  • Be able to work any shift or overtime as required; the schedule must be flexible.
  • Meet employment eligibility guidelines: be at least 18 years old at application; provide proof of U.S. Person Status; meet the stated felony-conviction restrictions; submit to a drug screen and background check.
  • Meet the physical requirements, including prolonged standing; bending, squatting, stooping, crawling, kneeling, climbing, and working at heights above 12 feet; occasional lifting, pushing, or pulling 50–75 pounds and frequent lifting, pushing, or pulling up to 20 pounds; working in confined spaces, at varying levels, and in hot or cold conditions; and safely using required tools and personal protective equipment.
  • Comply with company, federal, state, and local safety and environmental rules and regulations.
Responsibilities
  • Complete daily work assignments, including completion and signatures for work completion and quality.
  • Maintain a working environment compliant with quality, safety, environmental, and health regulations and policies.
  • Rig plates and equipment safely.
  • Understand directions and follow instructions.
  • Maintain cleanliness and organization on assigned job sites.
  • Safely and effectively use craft-related tools and equipment, including milling discs, sanders, grinders, burr motors, band saws, skill saws, reciprocating saws, cutting torches, arc gougers, plate magnets, general fitting aids, come-alongs, and chain falls.
  • Obtain GMAW ABS B-Class weld certification for aluminum applications and/or FCAW/GMAW B-Class weld certification for steel applications.
  • Perform basic layout of plates, materials, and weldments using basic engineering sketches, drawings, and diagrams with minimal supervision.
  • Perform shipfitting functions, including fitting up structures, cutting, sniping, sanding, grinding, arc gouging and back gouging steel welds through mechanical, flame, and arc-gouging processes, preparing surfaces (including paint removal in weld areas), tacking, and fitting plates with minimal supervision.
  • Perform fitting operations with limited supervision using standard shipfitting equipment to complete fabrication and ship repair duties.
  • Monitor the working environment for compliance with quality, safety, environmental, and health regulations.
  • Monitor steel preheat, interpass temperatures, and heat input to ensure they remain within applicable steel welding procedure parameters.
  • Monitor steel heat distortion and apply appropriate changes to counteract it.
  • Monitor heat shrinkage during the fit and weld process and apply appropriate changes to control it.
  • Work with and train lower-skilled workers.
  • Work any assigned shift and perform additional tasks, including tasks outside the craft, as required.
  • Tour vessels and work sites and perform the job’s essential functions in the stated work environment.

About the company

Austal USA builds and maintains ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, covering aluminum and steel hulls and a lifecycle of maintenance and modernization. Ships are designed and constructed with modular manufacturing and in-house capabilities, supported by a large, continuously operating facility and a Repair & Services division. The company also develops advanced technologies—autonomy, unmanned surface vessels, AI, and submarine modules—with partnerships like Electric Boat, plus an Advanced Technology division that runs the Navy’s additive manufacturing efforts. Its goal is to deliver and sustain modern vessels, broaden its maritime footprint, and advance defense-focused autonomous and additive manufacturing technologies.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

N/A

Founded

1999

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • September 16, 2026 dry-dock contract expands emergency maintenance work and utilization.
  • March 19, 2026 Master Boat subcontract broadens distributed T-ATS production capacity.
  • A new 192,000-square-foot assembly building completes by early 2027, boosting OPC and TAGOS-25 throughput.

What critics are saying

  • DOJ criminal trial starts October 5, 2026; conviction threatens debarment from Navy contracts.
  • Wildcat and Hanwha takeover fights distract management and expose ownership uncertainty.
  • Reuters reported A$202.8 million 2026 U.S. business EBIT loss; margin pressure remains severe.

What makes Austal USA unique

  • Mobile yard builds steel and aluminum warships for Navy and Coast Guard.
  • Austal USA leads Virginia and Columbia submarine module fabrication since 2022.
  • West Coast repair yard and certified dry dock extend recurring sustainment revenue.

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Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours

Company News

Austal
Sep 29th, 2026
Austal launches into Land Forces for the first time.

Austal launches into Land Forces for the first time. September 29, 2026 Building on 38 years of sovereign shipbuilding and as the Landing Craft Medium (LCM) and Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) programs commence as part of the Australian Army's littoral manoeuvre capability, Austal will make its debut at the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition for the first time. The Land Forces Exposition is taking place from 6 to 8 October 2026 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) and provides a unique opportunity for Austal to demonstrate how its extensive shipbuilding experience and innovative technology can support defence partners in the littoral environment. Following two decades of global littoral capability development, which has seen the company deliver landing craft and littoral combat ships for use by the US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Army, Austal is turning its attention to the domestic customer. Headquartered in Henderson. Western Australia, Austal is building 8 Landing Craft Heavy and 18 Landing Craft Medium vessels for the Australian Army under the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement. As part of these programs, Austal is undertaking a major recruitment campaign to hire hundreds of people across trades and office-based roles over a 12-month period and recruitment representatives will be at the Austal stand (2L16) to talk about career opportunities, including apprenticeships and early careers programs. Outside of the landing craft builds, the company has also been working on integrated autonomous solutions and decision support tools to provide commanders with advanced decision making during littoral operations. A new tool has been developed in house by Austal's R&D team to integrate vessel and environmental data, including mobility, cargo loading and beach conditions, supporting faster, better-informed and actionable decisions. Delivered in partnership with Greenroom Robotics, visitors to the Austal stand can also immerse themselves with a new digital command table, replicating the bird ops table. It will showcase manned unmanned teaming (MUM-T) in support of landing craft missions through Austal's AROS autonomy architecture and Vantage-class Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels. Major General (Retired) Kathryn Toohey AM CSC will host a thought leadership panel session delivered by the Austal team between 1130 - 1230 on Thursday, 8 October. Under the theme Advancing Littoral Capability: Austal's Integrated Advantage, the panel will explore how Austal's experience designing, constructing and sustaining world class maritime platforms helps deliver integrated solutions for its customers. Throughout the event, representatives from Austal's senior leadership, business development, technology, supply chain, human resources and sustainment teams will be available to discuss the company's capabilities and answer questions. "Austal is delighted to be participating in Land Forces 2026 for the first time, especially in WA, where we are beginning work on landing craft programs that mark the start of a continuous naval shipbuilding future in this state." "Land Forces is an important opportunity for Austal to emphasise the work and recruitment underway to build Australia's future defence fleet at Henderson, and the decades of experience and innovation that have led us to this point." Austal CEO Paddy Gregg "We look forward to welcoming our defence partners, the international community and stakeholders from across government and industry to the Austal stand and our thought leadership session, where we'll be highlighting the design, construction, sustainment and autonomy expertise that provides our customers with a unique integrated advantage in littoral capabilities."

Australian Defence Magazine
Sep 9th, 2026
Wild card bids for Austal USA.

Wild card bids for Austal USA. By Max Blenkin | Canberra | 9 September 2026 2 / 3 free articles left. Australian shipbuilder Austal has received a second bid to buy its US subsidiary Austal USA. That follows a bid for Austal USA from Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of South Korean defence and industrial powerhouse Hanwha Aerospace. The latest bid comes from Miami-based Wildcat Infrastructure which has put forward a non-binding bid to Austal's board to buy Austal USA, comprising the company's US entities and shipyard at Mobile, Alabama. Their proposal values Austal USA at between $US 1.25 billion (approx. A $1.73 billion) and $US 1.35 billion (approx. A $1.87 billion). That's a big step up on the Hanwha bid which values Austal USA at US $1.05 billion (approx. A $1.45 billion) to US $1.2 billion (approx. A $1.66 billion). Not much is known about Wildcat Infrastructure. The company website says Wildcat Equity Partners is a privately held family investment firm "focused on businesses where long-term capital, management expertise and perseverance can make all the difference." According to its LinkedIn profile, Wildcat Infrastructure "builds and acquires next-generation companies driven by the global demand for critical infrastructure, specifically Energy (clean and renewable), Information (5G), Transport (bridge and roads) and Water Infrastructure (clean water and wastewater systems)." Wildcat Infrastructure president and executive director is businessman George Nicolaides whose entry on LinkedIn shows a background in the oil sector. In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Austal said Wildcat had indicated it intended to operate the company as a standalone platform, retaining the Austal brand and the company's US operations. "The board and its advisers will consider the transaction proposed by Wildcat," the statement said. Like the Hanwha bid, this was good news for shareholders with Austal shares jumping 6.4 per cent to $4.63, their highest level since April. Austal is the largest Australian owned defence company operating in the US, building a numbers of ships for the US Navy, including the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships and Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels. In 2024, Hanwha made an unsuccessful takeover bid for all of Austal. The company rejected the offer citing concerns that regulatory approvals from the US and Australia would not be forthcoming. But at the time, Austal said they remained open to "further engagement if Hanwha is able to provide certainty on whether a transaction would be approved." Hanwha subsequently withdrew the offer. However, Hanwha does own almost 20 per cent of Austal in Australia. Wildcat's bid could open the way for a bidding war. Another issue is whether the US would approve a sale to South Korea, considering the Trump administration's strong America first stance. As well, Trump ordered a scaling back on joint exercises because of South Korea's refusal to assist the US in its conflict against Iran.