Engineering & Design
The Future is Yours to Design
Through hard work, integrity and collaboration, our team of Designers and Engineers provide the technical details required to build and support the most advanced surface combatants in the world.
Our ships are complex by nature, and it takes the expertise and talent from many areas of engineering and design to see our ships come to life.
Which career field are you interested in?
Browse our career portal for available opportunities
Engineering Careers at BIW
From performing structural analyses of our ship’s hulls to providing guidance to Manufacturing in the shipyard, our Engineers play a crucial role in building U.S. Navy ships.
Engineering Disciplines
Our Engineers tackle a wide range of technical challenges that fall within these five disciplines.
Systems Integration
BIW is an industry leader in developing total ship concepts into operational products for the US Navy. Management of total ship concepts includes development of organic ship capabilities as well as integration of more autonomous capabilities such as aviation and special operations.
Marine and Naval Engineering
BIW Engineers have extensive experience and skills across the full spectrum of program phases, from concept design through production support to lifecycle support, and within all naval engineering disciplines of Structures, Propulsion, Electrical, Auxiliaries, Outfitting and Combat, Command and Surveillance Systems.
Technical Procurement
As a total ship integrator, our engineers manage Technical Procurement activities from a vast inventory of component and subsystem suppliers. Related activities include developing shipboard test and repair procedures, reviewing the qualifications of suppliers, managing detailed interface designs and approving test plans.
Test and Production Support
Our Engineers develop and implement total ship comprehensive test plans, support the construction and delivery of the final product and manage ship trials. This is accomplished by establishing practical plans for verification and validation of product conformance to requirements and customer needs.
Program/Project Management
BIW strives to develop straightforward, practical plans that push management responsibilities for achieving cost, schedule and quality targets directly to the teams that will accomplish the work. These management practices are designed to provide visibility to real time indicators of progress and facilitate near continuous dialogue between program/project stakeholders.
Some Engineering Positions We Offer
Interested in becoming a BIW Engineer?
Mechanical Engineer
The Mechanical Engineering Department supports the design, construction, and testing of fluid systems and equipment on naval surface combatants.
Hull/Structural Engineer
Structural engineers perform calculations to determine the weight and loading capacity for the major frame of the ship, they ensure that the hull can withstand the forces that are applied from weight of equipment, fuel, and even the force of the water acting on the ship.
Electrical Engineer
Electrical engineers are responsible for all of the distributive power systems of the ship. They make sure that all of the systems of the ship have sufficient power, and that the ship can perform all of its functions in a variety of challenging conditions.
Noise, Shock and Vibration Engineer
NSV Engineers evaluate various types of wave forms (acoustic, kinetic, etc.) and make determinations on how these signatures affect the performance of the ship under different operating conditions.
Naval Architect
Naval Architects are responsible for the form, strength, and stability of the Hull form. They Determine the structural integrity of the hull, it’s buoyance and displacement, and work to ensure that the configuration meets the requirements of its maximum payload.
Design Careers at BIW
Working closely with engineers and naval architects, the Design Team develops new concepts and hull forms for future ships as well as giving liaison support to manufacturing.
Training Opportunities
BIW provides training on one of the most advanced 3D solid modeling CAD platforms (Dassault Systems CATIA V5) to design the most complex warships in the world.
Southern Maine Community College also provides a free Marine Design course where qualified candidates receive an interview with BIW after completing the program.
Join Us in a Mission That Matters
Interested in becoming a Marine Designer for BIW?
Life Cycle Services Careers at BIW
Our Planning Yard consists of engineers and designers who provide fleet services to the ships currently in the U.S. Navy’s fleet, helping them stay at sea longer and at less cost.
- We provide Life Cycle Services around the world.
- Our Homeport Reps help maintain the Navy fleet and their responsibilities include performing ship checks, developing ship alteration drawings and responding to emergent waterfront issues. They also act as a liaison between our Navy customer and our Engineers and Designers in Maine.
I strongly believe that the work we do at BIW Planning Yard plays a vital role in our national security. Having served at all levels of U.S. Navy Ship Engineering Departments, my motivation is knowing that by going to work each day, I am directly contributing to the security of our country.
Dennis WrightDesign Supervisor and U.S. Navy Veteran in Mayport, FL
Interested in a career in Life Cycle Services?
Bath-Built Ships
A Tradition of Naval Architecture Excellence
As the nation’s premier naval combatant design agent, BIW has a long tradition of naval architecture excellence.
Through collaboration with our customer, we provide a full array of services including concept design, detail design and manufacturing support. We support the new construction efforts for the DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer as well as future programs.
The latest from BIW
Check out the latest from the BIW team.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Celebrates Start of Fabrication for Thomas G. Kelley (DDG 140)
BATH, Maine – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works celebrated the start of fabrication of the future USS Thomas G. Kelley (DDG 140) today, May 21 at the shipyard’s Structural Fabrication…
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Celebrates Start of Fabrication for J. William Middendorf (DDG 138)
BATH, Maine – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works celebrated the start of fabrication of the future USS J. William Middendorf (DDG 138) today, May 19 at the shipyard’s Structural Fabrication…
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Breaks Ground on Workforce Housing
BATH, Maine –General Dynamics Bath Iron Works formally broke ground today on a workforce housing development at 150 Congress Avenue in Bath, Maine. With funding support from the United States…
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Christens Future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr.
BATH, Maine – On Saturday, September 27, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works christened the U.S. Navy’s newest guided missile destroyer, the future USS Louis H. Wilson (DDG 126). The ship,…
BIW Employees Ride Metro BREEZ for Free until Sept. 30
Bath Iron Works teamed up with MaineDOT, Greater Portland Metro and the City of Bath to formally launch commuter bus transportation between Portland and Bath. In celebration, Metro Executive Director Glenn Fenton announced…
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Awarded Contract for Additional DDG 51 Destroyer
BATH, Maine – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), announced today that the U.S. Navy has exercised an option to add an additional DDG 51…
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