Preservation Production Control & Inspections Manager

Posting number: 26DOT-WSF-9W158r

Department: Dept. of Transportation

Division: Washington State Ferries

Job classification: MARINE-FERRY SYSTEM

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Engineering, Transportation, Management

Summary

About WSDOT

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. Our dedicated workforce plans, designs, builds, and operates an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 20,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT leads an award-winning Active Transportation Plan, manages the world's longest floating bridge, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation!

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is an essential part of Washington's transportation network. Every year, we carry nearly 20 million passengers across Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands on more than 400 sailings a day. Our dedicated teams with over 2,100 people work together to serve our communities and shape the future of ferry travel. 

The Opportunity

WSF, a division of WSDOT, is currently seeking a Preservation Production Control & Inspections Manager to provide strategic leadership over fleet-wide vessel preservation, production control, and inspection operations that support the long-term reliability, safety, and operational readiness of Washington State Ferries' vessels. Collaborating with vessel engineering, maintenance, operations, and shipyard partners, this position ensures preservation and maintenance activities are executed in accordance with established engineering, quality, and regulatory standards. This unique leadership opportunity oversees fleet-wide preservation and inspection programs supporting 21 passenger and vehicle ferries, with a growing fleet expected to expand to 26 vessels by 2035, while leading a multidisciplinary team of inspection and quality professionals and serving as the technical authority for preservation inspection standards. The role plays a critical part in the successful execution of vessel preservation, maintenance, drydock, layup, retrofit, and recapitalization projects, directly influencing approximately $250 million in vessel preservation and maintenance contracts each biennium. Through inspection oversight and quality assurance activities, this position helps protect Washington State Ferries' long-term capital investments while ensuring safe, reliable service for millions of passengers each year and advancing the agency's mission of fleet reliability, operational readiness, and continuous improvement.

As we navigate a once-in-a-generation transformation to decarbonize our system — guided by our core values Serve, Respect, Trust, Grow Navigate— and bold strategic priorities Service Excellence, Improved Communication and Empowered People — there’s never been a more meaningful time to come aboard at Washington State Ferries.

What to Expect

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, you/the Preservation Production Control & Inspections Manager will:

• Track preservation project progress, milestones, testing, trials, acceptance criteria, and compliance with safety, environmental, material, and procedural standards across the WSF fleet. 
• Assign and coordinate inspectors for preservation, retrofit, and recapitalization projects based on technical expertise while balancing workloads across facilities and project types. 
• Supervise Construction Project Coordinators, Inspector Specialists, and Eagle Harbor quality and scheduling staff supporting fleet maintenance and preservation production activities. 
• Manage investigations, root cause analyses, quality assurance, corrective actions, and resolution of contract nonconformance and systemic production deficiencies. 
• Recruit, train, mentor, evaluate, and develop inspection staff, including succession planning and advancement of Inspector Specialists into leadership and engineering support roles. 
• Establish and maintain fleet-wide preservation inspection standards and ensure consistent inspection quality, documentation, and technical compliance across shipyards and facilities. 
• Monitor workforce capacity, resource sufficiency, and fleet material condition trends, and provide technical reporting and staffing recommendations to leadership as fleet demands expand. 
• Serve as the subject matter authority on preservation inspection practices, lifecycle cost impacts, and emerging maritime maintenance and preservation trends.

Qualifications

To be considered