Professional Development

Empowering Careers

Mentor with Organizational Leaders

The Professional Development and Engineering Development Programs are championed by BIW’s senior leadership and overseen by program sponsors and a program manager. Participants are mentored by an experienced employee. This creates a combined support network that advocates for participant learning as well as both technical and personal professional development.

BIW Professional Development Program

Vision

PDP graduates will lead BIW positively by impacting Safety, Quality, Project and Process Management.

Mission

Provide PDP participants with multiple learning experiences to build business acumen, foundational skills and leadership skills to become successful leaders at BIW.

Coming from roughly five years at sea working on tug and barges, I was ready to come shoreside. I knew I needed to learn more about how the marine industrial business is run. Within this program, I was able to rotate through many areas of BIW and develop a high-level understanding of how we build the greatest warships in the world. The program also afforded me the educational opportunity to take offsite classes such as project management and LEAN manufacturing. The connections during my rotations remain invaluable today in my current role as Assistant Dockmaster.
Shawn ShannonAssistant Dockmaster

This program allowed me to explore different styles of work from Production out on the ship to Strategic Planning interfacing with the Navy. Every department challenged me in different ways and provided connections, resources and job experience that has shaped my career and development at BIW.
Kylie SalvatoreProject Manager, Facilities

What truly set this program apart was the emphasis on networking. I was able to connect with experienced mentors, fellow participants, and leaders across the company, building relationships that have not only supported my growth but also opened doors for future opportunities. The exposure to such a diverse range of perspectives and expertise was transformative and has equipped me with the tools to succeed in this dynamic industry.
Alexander LeBlancArea Supervisor, Manufacturing

Building Skills for Tomorrow

Receive a 360-Degree View of BIW

Over an approximate two-year period, participants complete a set of core program rotations and a four-month work assignment that covers the most critical aspects of the shipbuilding process. Participants are able to gain valuable shipbuilding and maritime industry knowledge from a leadership perspective. Rotations are staggered to ensure areas are able to effectively support the highest levels of education and engagement. Additional rotations may be defined through the creation of an Individual Development Plan.

Learn more about Rotations

Professional Development

Program Information

External applicants can apply for the Professional Development Program each fall by going to our career portal and searching “Professional Development Program.” The requisition for current employees is usually posted in April in our internal applicant career portal.

External Applicants

Internal Applicants

General Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following (or closely related field): Maritime Engineering (Systems/Operations/Technology/Transportation), Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Facilities, Power Systems Engineering, Naval Architecture, Business/Logistics/Supply Chain Management
GPA of 3.0 preferred
Maritime academy education preferred
Basic understanding of maritime industry operations preferred

Rotations

Environmental Health & Safety, 4 weeks
Design Engineering or Functional Engineering, 8 weeks
Labor Relations. 4 weeks
Fabrication, 8 weeks
Facilities & Maintenance, 6 weeks
Materials & Procurement, 4 weeks
Outfit Trades & Machine Shop, 6 weeks
PO2 & Ultra Hall, 8 weeks
Planning, 6 weeks
Ships Completion, 8 weeks
Steel Trades & Ground Assembly, 8 weeks
Test & Delivery, 8 weeks
Program Management, 4 weeks
Work Assignment, 4 months

Engineering Development Program

Make the right decision for your future.

The Engineering Development Program is a two-year rotational program that provides engineers the opportunity to explore multiple departments and divisions across the company and gain a holistic view of how BIW teams come together to build complex destroyers.

Candidates must be current employees and are required to rotate through Operations, Planning, Engineering and Design departments to ensure they understand the interdependencies between engineering customers.

General Requirements

Engineering Development

Program Information

To learn more or apply to the Engineering Development Program, reach out to Director of Lifecycle Engineering & Support and EDP Program Manager Dru Khaira.

General Requirements