Composites Manager / Composites Specialist (Expat only)

Purpose of the Role

The Composites Manager / Composites Specialist serves as the technical authority and quality anchor for all composite and lamination technologies across the company. Following the transition of day-to-day workshop and lamination team management to the Lamination Manager (who oversees shop-floor execution and personnel), this role focuses on technical excellence, quality assurance, process engineering, training, and innovation.

This role is responsible for establishing, certifying, and approving lamination plans, engineering specifications, and procedures. Additionally, the role oversees technical support for plug, mold-making, and mold maintenance teams, leads technical troubleshooting, introduces advanced composite technologies, and optimizes structural composite processes to ensure high performance, safety, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

1. Quality Assurance, Certification & Lamination Approval

• Lamination Plans & Procedures: Review, approve, and formally certify all lamination schedules, ply books, vacuum bagging procedures, resin infusion strategies, and core-bonding specifications prior to production release.
• Quality Auditing & QA Integration: Partner with Quality Assurance to set rigorous testing protocols (e.g., glass fraction tests, cure monitoring, thermal imaging, burn-off tests) and audit lamination output to ensure total compliance with design specifications.
• Structural Integrity: Serve as the final technical sign-off authority for composite structural integrity and process validation across all vessel models.

2. Technical Troubleshooting & Mold / Tooling Support

• Technical Troubleshooting: Provide expert-level technical support and root-cause analysis for complex manufacturing defects, resin infusion failures, exotherm issues, or structural laminate anomalies.
• Plug & Mold Fabrication: Direct technical oversight for the plug and mold-making team, ensuring tooling designs, gelcoat application, laminate build-ups, and thermal tolerances meet exact dimensional and durability requirements.
• Tooling Maintenance: Oversee mold maintenance and repair schedules, establishing technical standards for mold surfacing, release systems, structural re-conditioning, and vacuum integrity.

3. Advanced Composite Technologies & Optimization

• Technology Transfer: Research, evaluate, and introduce modern composite technologies, new resin systems, dry reinforcements, prepregs, core materials, and automation/dispensing equipment to keep the business at the forefront of marine composites.
• Process Optimization & Lean Integration: Partner with the Continuous Improvement Department (CID) to optimize resin-to-glass ratios, reduce part weight, lower cycle times, and minimize material waste.
• Cost & Weight Optimization: Continuously evaluate current laminates to optimize weight-to-strength ratios and reduce material costs without sacrificing structural performance or safety margins.

4. Training, Mentorship & Standards

• Technical Training: Lead formal technical training and skill development programs for the lamination team, supervisors, and the local Lamination Manager on advanced vacuum infusion, bagging techniques, fiber orientation, and defect prevention.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Write, refine, and maintain standardized technical work instructions, lamination manuals, and composite processing guidelines.

5. Cross-Departmental Collaboration & Warranty Technical Support

• Design & Engineering Alignment: Work closely with Naval Architects and Design & Technical teams to review laminate stack-ups, ensure manufacturability, and update Bill of Materials (BOM) specifications.
• Supply Chain Technical Support: Assist Supply Chain in technical evaluations of raw materials (resins, gelcoats, cores, fabrics) and alternative supplier approvals.
• Field & Warranty Root-Cause Analysis: Support Customer Service and Warranty teams by conducting technical investigations into structural or laminate field claims, developing permanent technical countermeasures.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Shipwright Trade Qualification, Degree in Composite Engineering, Naval Architecture, or equivalent hands-on master-level composite qualification.
• Experience:
  • 10+ years in advanced marine composite manufacturing, lamination engineering, or technical leadership.
  • Deep technical expertise in resin infusion, vacuum bagging, RTM, prepreg, structural core bonding, gelcoats, and tooling/mold making.
  • Proven track record in troubleshooting complex composite manufacturing defects and optimizing laminate processes.
• Technical Skills:
  • In-depth understanding of laminate analysis, composite material properties, resin chemistry, and cure kinetics.
  • Ability to interpret, refine, and approve structural laminate drawings, ply schedules, and technical work instructions.
  • Familiarity with non-destructive testing (NDT), quality control tools, and material testing methods.

Core Competencies

1.    Technical Expertise – In-depth knowledge of composite materials, lamination techniques, and production processes.

2.    Problem-Solving – Ability to troubleshoot complex issues in lamination and composite manufacturing.

3.    Mentorship & Communication: Strong capability to train, technical-coach local workshop leaders, and communicate across international design and production teams.

4.    Collaboration – Works effectively with Design, Supply Chain, Production, and CID to drive efficiency.

5.    Innovation – Identifies and implements new techniques to improve product quality and manufacturing efficiency.

6.    Technical Authority: Decisive and meticulous in setting structural and procedural standards