Job Title: Technology & Innovation Lead
Location: Raceland, LA
Position Overview: The Technology & Innovation Lead drives the identification, evaluation, and advancement of manufacturing technologies and process improvements that enhance productivity, quality, safety, labor efficiency, and operational performance across Bollinger Shipyards.
Working closely with production, shipyard leadership, Industrial Engineering, and technical stakeholders, this role identifies operational challenges, researches emerging technologies, evaluates potential solutions, and develops practical business cases that support informed investment decisions. The position combines technical expertise, creativity, and strong collaboration skills to advance innovation while ensuring solutions are practical, scalable, and aligned with operational needs.
Key Responsibilities:- Develop and maintain a manufacturing technology roadmap aligned with business objectives and operational priorities.
- Research emerging technologies including automation, robotics, advanced tooling, digital manufacturing, and material-handling solutions.
- Identify opportunities to improve throughput, quality, safety, labor efficiency, and cost performance.
- Monitor industry trends and best practices in shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing.
- Challenge existing processes and champion innovative solutions to operational constraints.
- Collaborate with production leaders, craft personnel, Industrial Engineering, and shipyard management to understand manufacturing challenges.
- Translate operational issues into technology and process improvement opportunities.
- Support process assessments and establish performance baselines for improvement initiatives.
- Build relationships with technology vendors, equipment manufacturers, research institutions, and industry partners.
- Evaluate new technologies for technical feasibility, operational value, scalability, integration requirements, and return on investment.
- Coordinate demonstrations, proof-of-concept activities, and technology assessments.
- Benchmark solutions and practices from shipbuilding and related industries.
- Develop data-driven recommendations and business cases for technology investments.
- Present findings and recommendations to leadership.
- Maintain a prioritized pipeline of innovation opportunities.
- Partner with implementation teams to support pilot programs, deployment activities, and performance evaluations.
- Capture lessons learned and identify opportunities to expand successful technologies across facilities.
Qualifications:- 8+ years of experience in shipbuilding, manufacturing, industrial engineering, automation, or related technical environments.
- Experience identifying, evaluating, or implementing manufacturing technology improvements.
- Proven ability to work with production operations in a shipbuilding setting.
- Experience developing technical recommendations and business cases for capital or technology investments.
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field preferred.
- Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- Regular travel between Bollinger facilities is required. The role includes time spent in active shipyard and manufacturing environments.
Skills & Abilities:- Strong understanding of manufacturing and shipyard production processes.
- Demonstrated creativity, analytical thinking, and problem-solving ability.
- Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and determine practical business value.
- Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder-influencing skills.
- Ability to build productive relationships with both internal and external partners.
- Knowledge of financial analysis, process improvement, and performance measurement.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and innovation initiatives simultaneously.
Bollinger is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, females, veterans and disabled individuals, and without regard to sexual orientation and gender identity
