Shipyard Estimator

Join a well-established Rhode Island shipyard building and repairing complex commercial vessels, including barges, tugboats, ferries, and vessels supporting the offshore wind industry. This is a highly visible opportunity to lead detailed cost and schedule estimates, identify new business opportunities, and directly influence which projects enter the shipyard.

Benefits and Compensation

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Career development and continued education opportunities
• Stable, full-time position with an established Northeast shipbuilder
• Exposure to new vessel construction, major repairs, and offshore wind projects
• Collaborative environment where employees have a direct impact on project success

Requirements & Qualifications

• 10+ years of marine, shipyard, ship repair, or marine engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience preparing detailed bids, proposals, and cost estimates
• Strong understanding of commercial vessels and shipyard production processes
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, specifications, technical data, and drawings
• Working knowledge of marine classification society rules, USCG regulations, and applicable maritime requirements
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Project, Word, and Outlook
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in engineering, marine technology, construction management, or a related field preferred but not required
• Ability to travel to customer facilities and vessels as needed

Must Haves

• Develop complete labor forecasts, material takeoffs, equipment costs, subcontractor pricing, productivity assumptions, and project schedules for new construction and vessel-conversion opportunities
• Create detailed work breakdown structures and itemized scopes of work from customer specifications, technical drawings, and contracts
• Solicit and evaluate vendor quotations while comparing subcontracted work with internal shipyard production costs
• Identify long-lead materials, procurement risks, bonding requirements, insurance obligations, and regulatory considerations before bid submission
• Work with production and project management to develop practical execution plans, labor budgets, and schedules
• Prepare pricing for contract modifications and change orders
• Lead estimate turnover meetings following contract award to communicate scope, assumptions, exclusions, risks, and budget expectations
• Use historical cost and production-performance data to improve estimating accuracy and support bid/no-bid decisions

Preferred Background & Skills

• Commercial shipbuilding, ship repair, or vessel-conversion estimating experience
• Experience with passenger ferries, tugboats, barges, workboats, or other commercial vessels
• Knowledge of vessel systems, structural steel fabrication, marine outfitting, and shipyard production methods
• Familiarity with USCG, ABS, and other marine regulatory or classification requirements
• Experience with government or federally funded marine contracts
• Understanding of Buy America compliance requirements
• Contract administration, change-order estimating, and commercial risk-review experience
• Established marine vendor and subcontractor relationships
• Experience developing sourcing strategies and evaluating whether work should be completed internally or subcontracted
• Ability to use historical cost and performance data to strengthen future estimates