St. Johns Ship Building – Job Description
Position Title: Naval Architect
Reports To: Director of Engineering (or Chief Naval Architect, as applicable)
Department: Engineering
Location: Palatka, Florida
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Summary:
The Naval Architect will provide technical expertise in the design, analysis, and production support of steel and aluminum vessels built at St. Johns Ship Building. This role involves translating customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and shipyard production capabilities into efficient, buildable designs that support cost, schedule, and quality goals. The position will interface daily with project management, production, supply chain, and quality teams to ensure seamless integration from design through delivery.
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Key Responsibilities:
· Develop and review vessel design documentation, including general arrangements, structural models, equipment foundations, stability analyses, weight estimates, and systems layouts.
· Ensure all designs comply with customer specifications, ABS/USCG/NAVSEA requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
· Support production by generating detailed construction drawings and resolving engineering issues encountered on the shop floor.
· Perform structural reviews hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, and stability calculations; support inclining experiments and trials.
· Review vendor data packages and coordinate integration of equipment and systems.
· Participate in design reviews and production readiness reviews.
· Provide engineering input for proposals, cost estimates, and technical clarifications for new contracts.
· Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams (structural, mechanical, electrical) to optimize vessel performance and producibility.
· Support configuration control, document management, and change control processes within the shipyard’s engineering systems.
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Required Qualifications:
· Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Architecture
· 3+ years of shipyard or marine design office experience (steel and/or aluminum vessels preferred).
· Proficiency in AutoCAD, Rhino, and/or ShipConstructor (Inventor, SolidWorks, or equivalent experience acceptable).
· Working knowledge of ABS, USCG, and SOLAS regulations.
· Familiarity with weight control, hydrostatics, and stability analysis tools.
· Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
· Ability to work collaboratively across engineering, production, and project management teams in a dynamic shipyard environment.
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Preferred Qualifications:
· Master’s Degree in Naval Architecture preferred.
· Experience supporting the construction of Steel and Aluminum commercial or government vessels (e.g., barges, logistics support craft, etc.).
· Familiarity with modular construction and digital ship design workflows.
· Experience supporting shipyard production and field engineering during vessel assembly and launch.
Work Environment:
· Primary work is performed in an office environment within the shipyard, with regular visits to production areas.
· Must be able to climb ladders, access confined spaces, and work around typical shipyard conditions as needed.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Physical Demands Lift/Carry
Stand O (Occasionally) Walk O (Occasionally)
10 lbs or less F (Frequently) 11-20 lbs O (Occasionally)
Sit F (Frequently) Handling / Fingering O (Occasionally) Reach Outward O (Occasionally) Reach Above Shoulder O (Occasionally) Climb O (Occasionally) Crawl O (Occasionally) Squat or Kneel O (Occasionally) Bend O (Occasionally)
21-50 lbs O (Occasionally) 51-100 lbs N (Not Applicable) Over 100 lbs N (Not Applicable) Push/Pull
12 lbs or less N (Not Applicable) 13-25 lbs N (Not Applicable) 26-40 lbs N (Not Applicable) 41-100 lbs N (Not Applicable)
N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this occupation.
O (Occasionally) Occupation requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5+ hrs/day)
F (Frequently) Occupation requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5+ hrs/day)
C (Constantly) Occupation requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5+ hrs/day)
Other Physical Requirements
Vision (Near, Distance, Color, Peripheral, Depth Perception)
Sense of Sound (hear alarms and radios)
Sense of Touch
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Indoor Environment/Office Environment/Heated/Air Conditioned
Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities.
Please complete Employment Application http://www.stjohnsshipbuilding.com/uploads/files/Employment-Application.pdf
The Company has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the Company reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the Company may deem appropriate.
St. Johns Ship Building is a full-service shipyard located in Palatka, Florida, specializing in the construction and repair of steel and aluminum vessels for commercial and government customers. The yard is undergoing a significant modernization and expansion effort focused on modular fabrication, renewable energy support vessels, and Jones Act–compliant workboats for America’s maritime future.