Senior Naval Architect

Location: Norfolk, VA: Onsite Preferred, Hybrid, or Remote Considered

About the Opportunity

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Naval Architect to join a growing engineering team supporting complex commercial and government vessel programs. This is an excellent opportunity for an engineering professional who enjoys solving real-world shipbuilding challenges and working directly with production teams to deliver practical, executable engineering solutions.

This position offers exposure to new construction, vessel modernization, repair, and lifecycle support projects involving some of the maritime industry’s most complex platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead naval architecture and structural engineering efforts for vessel design, modification, and modernization projects.

• Perform structural assessments, finite element analysis (FEA), load calculations, and engineering evaluations.

• Develop and review engineering drawings, calculations, reports, and technical design packages.

• Produce and maintain 3D ship models using industry-standard CAD and modeling software.

• Conduct shipboard inspections, ship checks, and field verification activities.

• Work closely with engineering, production, and program teams to resolve technical issues during construction and installation.

• Support engineering change documentation, configuration management, and design reviews.

• Ensure designs comply with applicable regulatory, classification society, and customer requirements.

• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary project teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture from an accredited university.

• 10+ years of naval architecture experience within commercial or government shipbuilding.

• Strong knowledge of vessel structures, stability, structural analysis, and marine engineering principles.

• Experience supporting vessel design, construction, repair, or modernization programs.

• Proficiency with 3D modeling and engineering software such as Rhino, ShipConstructor, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or similar platforms.

• Experience performing structural analysis using FEA software is highly desirable.

• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to travel as project requirements dictate.

• U.S. Citizenship may be required for certain programs.

Preferred Experience

• Shipyard engineering and waterfront support.

• Vessel modernization and repair programs.

• Classification society and regulatory compliance.

• Shock, vibration, and survivability analysis.

• NAVSEA or other government maritime program experience.

• Marine systems integration and structural design.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate combines strong technical engineering expertise with practical shipbuilding experience. This individual understands how engineering decisions impact production and can develop solutions that are technically sound, practical to build, and delivered on schedule.

If you are looking for an opportunity to work on challenging marine engineering projects alongside experienced professionals in the maritime industry, we’d welcome the opportunity to speak with you.

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