Title:                 Shipyard Project Manager
Position:          Full-Time Salaried/Exempt
Reports to:      Director of Shipyard Maintenance
Division:          River
Location:         St. Rose, LA

 
About Marquette:
Headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky and founded in 1978, Marquette is a leading provider of inland marine transportation services. Our Company operates over 130 towboats on the Mississippi River System, Gulf-Intracoastal Waterway, and near-shore coastwise market. In addition, the Company controls over 1,000 dry cargo barges. The Company has additional offices in St Rose, LA, Lockport, LA and La Porte, TX. With over 1,500 vessel and shore-based employees, Marquette is the largest provider of independent towing services within the inland waterways. We are the only fully integrated fleet in the industry that can do what we do. 
 
General: 
Reporting to the Director of Shipyard Project Maintenance, the Shipyard Project Manager (“SPM”) will manage the scheduling, planning and execution of shipyard maintenance events for Marquette’s 60+ inland towboats ranging from 4,200 HP to 10,000 HP.  In fulfilling these duties, the SPM will service as the primary point of contact for coordinating shipyard repair/maintenance projects with (i) shipyards and vendors, (ii) Marquette’s Port Engineers and operations team, and (iii) the engineering management team.  The SPM role represents an exciting opportunity for individuals who enjoy detailed budgeting and project management, vendor negotiations, problem solving and developing an intimate understanding of the complex mechanical systems and structures in a large horsepower towboat.
 
Principal Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage scheduled maintenance shipyard plans for a group of Marquette vessels.
  • Develop detailed project scope in connection with Port Engineers, vessel Captains, vessel management teams and engineering management.
    • Task level resource planning, budgeting and scheduling
  • Select shipyards, solicit job quotes and negotiate pricing and terms.
  • Close oversight of project execution, including management of shipyard/other vendors and coordination with broader Marquette engineering team
  • Actively surfacing project issues and developing potential solutions
  • Delivering projects on-time / on-budget
• Assist Port Engineers with execution of unscheduled shipyard maintenance events.
  • Depending on magnitude of event, may include taking over project or just working “hand in hand” with VMT Port Engineer
• Coordinate activities and approvals with compliance and regulatory bodies (TVIB, USCG, etc.) and develop solid working relationships with these teams. 
• Clear communication with Marquette engineering team and senior management on project status and
• Ability to multitask – supervise multiple projects at the same time.
• Excellent price/service negotiator and communicator with shipyard managers, vendors, etc.
• Owning project results and look for continuous improvement opportunities.
• Work with team members, senior management, and external project contractors outlining job scope, goals, deliverables, required resources, budget, and timing.
• Obtain necessary qualifications and certifications to perform required regulatory inspections and reporting.

Key Skillsets:

• Strong detail orientation and project planning capabilities
  • Experience successfully managing the execution of complex projects.
  • Ability to manage project documentation and contract / scope changes internally and externally.
• Analytical; comfort using spreadsheets and completing financial project budgeting, analysis and contract negotiations.
• Excellent communication skills – ability to clearly communicate expectations and updates to team members, senior management, and external project contractors (shipyards/other vendors)
• Ability to present high level project progress updates of completion and budget.
• Knowledgeable in towboat equipment and major systems
  • Ability to understand project risks and issues.
  • Ability to evaluate quality of shipyard and vendor work product.
• Demonstrated problem solving strengths; ability to resolve any issues and solve problems throughout project lifecycle.
• Ability to lead, coach, and motivate project team members and external project contractors on a proactive basis.
• Ability to develop measurements for projects and complete post-project evaluations to determine how well results were achieved.
  • Develop tools and best practices for project management and execution.
• Ensure the end product is safe, reliable, and able to meet customer expectations.
• Excellent adaptability to changes in work environment, schedule, and demand.

 
 
Targeted Qualifications:

• Hands on engineering / maintenance experience with towboat equipment and major systems
• Strong analytical and organizational skills, detail oriented, with excellent verbal and written skills.
• Maritime or related industry experience in managing large scale and high demand projects.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Maritime related field preferred.

 
Marquette offers competitive pay, health, dental & vision insurance, 401K plan with company match, bonus plan, company paid life insurance, short- & long-term disability, flexible spending account, critical illness, accident insurance, and other incentives!