RIGGER ENTRY LEVEL - FOR 2026 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS OR GRADUATES

Req ID: 44052 
Team: X36 WTRFT SUPPORT SERV 
Entity: Newport News Shipbuilding

US Citizenship Required for this Position: Yes 

Full-Time
Shift: Multiple 
Relocation: Relocation assistance will be available 
Virtual/Telework Opportunity: No - Not eligible for telework 

Travel Requirement:  No 

Clearance Required: No - Clearance Not Required to Start 

 

Meet HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding
With more than 25,000 employees – including third-, fourth- and even fifth-generation shipbuilders – HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division is the largest industrial employer in Virginia. We’re the sole designer, builder and refueler of U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines. Our diverse and innovative team of professionals ranges from skilled trades to project managers, engineers and software developers to solution architects, technical subject matter experts, and system users. Anchored in our rich, 135-year history, we collaborate together at the forefront of technology, manufacturing, and integration of the most powerful and survivable naval ships in the world. Want to be part of the team? Apply today! We look forward to meeting you.

 

The Role

This Job Listing is for recent or upcoming 2026 High School Graduates.  Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is offering a $500 sign-on bonus to welder trainee hires. In addition, NNS is offering $500 in relocation bonus to rigger entry level new hires that live 50 miles or greater from Newport News, VA. Job seekers who apply are eligible for the sign-on and relocation bonus. Newport News Shipbuilding offers competitive pay, weekly paychecks, paid time off, paid holidays, medical benefits including an on-site health center, 401K company match, employee discounts, and more. The sign-on bonus is for external new hires. Current Newport News Shipbuilding employees are ineligible for the sign-on bonus. 

 

Riggers provide the kinetic energy of the shipbuilding business.  They operate the vast majority of cranes throughout the shipyard in addition to a wide assortment of forklifts with various capacities.  Riggers are also responsible for operation of the shipyard’s tug boats – moving ships between dry docks and piers, and mooring ships while at the piers and outfitting berths.

 

Riggers handle every component of a ship - from pipes and valves, to pumps, motors and electronic equipment, to the largest machinery and structural components – riggers are able to lift, manipulate, and set them into place.  To accomplish this, riggers must be able to calculate the weight and center of gravity of the item being handled, determine the capacity of the lift points, and calculate the angle imposed on the handling gear in order to select the most appropriate gear for the task at hand.

 

Riggers erect, maintain, and dismantle various types of scaffolding throughout the shipyard.  Each type is selected to best suit the physical location and intended use, to provide a safe working platform for personnel where none existed.

 

The Rigger’s Department is also responsible for purchasing, maintaining, and issuing the myriad assortment of tools used in the shipbuilding business.  This section of the department also installs and maintains various types of ventilation equipment onboard ships to prevent dangerous atmospheres from developing.

 

X36 Rigger Trade Video : https://youtu.be/cPnJmz1VuPg

Must Have

Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and legally eligible to work in the U.S.

 

Candidates must be able to:

Must be willing to undergo a background investigation and drug screen

Must be able to pass physical agility test

Must be able to kneel, squat, crawl, bend, stoop, and climb on a daily basis

Must be able to lift at least 40 pounds

Must be able to perform overhead work

Must be able to work overtime as needed

Must be able to be clean shaven to wear a respirator

Must be able to perform work outdoors, year- round, in all weather conditions

Must be able to work at extreme heights

Must be able to work in small, tight, confined spaces

Must be willing to work any shift

 

Why HII
We build the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. HII’s diverse workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals.

 

Recognized as one of America’s top large company employe