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Austal USA

Designs and builds U.S. Navy vessels

Production Planning Work Packager - Fitout

Full-TimeUpdated
No salary listed
Junior
Associate's
Mobile, AL, USA
In PersonMust provide proof of U.S. Person Status; DoD clearance may be required.
Operations & LogisticsProduction Planning & Scheduling

About the job

Requirements
  • An associate’s degree from an accredited college in a related discipline, or equivalent experience/combined education with 2 years of professional experience.
  • Aptitude to learn shipyard planning and a score of 20 or higher on the Cognitive Criteria Aptitude Test.
  • Ability to understand production engineering drawings.
  • Strong computer skills in Microsoft Excel and ability to learn the basics of scheduling concepts.
  • One year of experience in structural fabrication for the Structure discipline.
  • One year of experience in pipe trade for the Pipe discipline.
  • One year of experience in Fitout, HVAC, and/or pipe trade for the Fitout/HVAC discipline.
  • One year of experience in the electrical trade for the Electrical discipline.
  • One year of experience in machinery installation trade for the Mechanical discipline.
  • Must be at least 18 years old at the time of application and provide proof of U.S. Person Status.
  • Must have no felony convictions for theft/deception or violent crimes within seven years from disposition, and no felony convictions for drug crimes within three years from disposition.
  • Must be willing to submit to a drug screen and background check.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD clearance may be required if deemed necessary for the position.
Responsibilities
  • Compile the work package information production needs into the Work Package document, including drawing information, detailed work scope and associated budget, material allocation to create pick lists, and PDF documents for production use.
  • Build work packages by establishing task steps, electronically assigning material, assembling applicable drawings, creating PDF documents, and sending documents to Document Control for issue.
  • Incorporate internal and external changes into work packages.
  • Populate the planning database with work scope items and their attributes, including location, budget, drawing information, and product types.
  • Compile lessons learned from work packages.
  • Assist with implementing lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.
Desired Qualifications
  • Knowledge of Earned Value Management System (EVMS) and performance measurement techniques.
  • Knowledge of Master Production Schedule (MPS) and material requirements planning (MRP) systems.
  • Experience with lean manufacturing.

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

Naval Technology
Oct 29th, 2026
Propulsion systems contract for the US Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter programme.

Propulsion systems contract for the US Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter programme. Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract with Austal USA to supply its Promas propulsion system to the next four ships in the United States Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Heritage Class programme. The Coast Guard's new OPC program represents a significant investment in maritime capability and is expected to run up to 25 ships. The new vessels will replace the Coast Guard's medium endurance cutters and meet the need for long-term offshore capability to maintain current and future mission effectiveness. Promas combines rudder and controllable pitch propeller into one propulsion system which optimises the hydrodynamic properties of the ship and delivers increased efficiency and thrust while using less energy. For the OPC, as well as twin Promas, Kongsberg Maritime is contracted to supply steering gear, rudders, fin stabilisers and tunnel thrusters. Lisa Edvardsen Haugan, CEO of Kongsberg Maritime, said: "Naval Technology is delighted to have been selected to supply four shipsets of its efficient and effective propulsion system suited to the challenging and varied operations of these new ships. "Its Promas systems typically deliver efficiency savings of around 6%, so vessels are able to extend their range, something which can be crucial on longer missions. "We're looking forward to working with the Coast Guard and Austal USA on delivering these highly-capable ships and continuing our proud history of supplying mission-critical technology to United States Coast Guard programs." The OPC vessels will be able to provide long-range patrol capability. At 360 feet long, they will have a displacement of 3,700 long tons, maximum speed of 22.2 knots, and a range of 9,050 nautical miles at 14 knots.

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.