Newport News Shipbuilding

🔎At a Glance

Company Name: Newport News Shipbuilding (HII)
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Shop Type: OEM / Production Manufacturing
Industries Served: Defense, Naval Shipbuilding, Nuclear Energy, Heavy Manufacturing
Typical Work: Large-scale production machining supporting long-term naval programs
Machining Capabilities: CNC milling, CNC turning, horizontal boring mills, vertical machining centers, heavy machining
Materials: Alloy steel, stainless steel, structural metals used in naval vessels
Certifications: Defense manufacturing standards supporting U.S. Navy programs
Shift Environment: Multiple shifts available across large-scale shipbuilding operations

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About Newport News Shipbuilding

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), is one of the most important manufacturing facilities in the United States and the largest industrial employer in Virginia.

Located in Newport News, Virginia, the shipyard is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of building U.S. Navy nuclear submarines.

With more than 25,000 employees, including many third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation shipbuilders, Newport News Shipbuilding has been at the center of American naval manufacturing for over 135 years.

Machinists at Newport News Shipbuilding support the machining operations required to build and maintain some of the largest and most complex machines ever constructed — nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines.

The work here is not small prototype machining — it is heavy industrial precision machining supporting national defense programs that run for decades.

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The Work You’ll Be Doing

Machinists at Newport News Shipbuilding work on components and systems used in naval vessels and shipbuilding operations.

Part Types

• Structural components for aircraft carriers and submarines
• Heavy machined parts used in propulsion and ship systems
• Large fabricated assemblies and ship components

Production Style

• Long-term production programs supporting naval fleets
• Large-scale manufacturing and ship repair operations
• Continuous machining supporting multi-decade defense contracts

Typical Tolerances

• Precision machining aligned with naval engineering specifications

Programming & Setup

• Setup and operation of manual and CNC machines
• Troubleshooting machining operations
• Blueprint-based machining and inspection

Materials Machined

• Alloy steels
• Stainless steels
• Structural metals used in shipbuilding

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Machining Capabilities

• CNC Milling
• CNC Turning
• Horizontal Boring Mills
• Vertical Machining Centers
• Manual Machining
• Heavy Industrial Machining
• Production Manufacturing for Naval Shipbuilding

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CNC Equipment

Machinists at Newport News Shipbuilding operate a variety of machining equipment used for large-scale industrial manufacturing.

Heavy Machining Equipment

• Horizontal boring mills
• Vertical machining centers
• Large CNC lathes

CNC Mills

• Vertical machining centers used for structural and mechanical components

CNC Lathes

• CNC turning centers supporting ship system components

Manual Equipment

• Manual mills
• Manual lathes
• Precision machining equipment supporting shipbuilding operations

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Software & Programming

CAM Software: Program editing and machining operations performed at the machine when required

CAD Software: Engineering drawings and naval design specifications

Inspection Systems

• Blueprint-based measurement methods
• Precision measuring tools

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Quality, Inspection & Certifications

Newport News Shipbuilding maintains strict quality standards required for U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs.

Quality systems support the precision machining required for nuclear-powered naval vessels.

Inspection Equipment

• Micrometers
• Calipers
• Precision measurement tools

Quality Processes

• Blueprint verification
• In-process inspection
• Dimensional verification against engineering specifications

Machinists work within structured manufacturing processes designed to ensure reliability and safety in naval defense manufacturing.

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Why Machinists Choose to Work at Newport News Shipbuilding

Machinists choose Newport News Shipbuilding because the work is unique, stable, and meaningful.

Highlights include:

• Work on U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines
• One of the largest manufacturing employers in Virginia
• Over 135 years of shipbuilding history
• Long-term defense contracts providing stable workloads
• Opportunities to work on large-scale heavy machining
• Career growth within a large manufacturing organization
• Comprehensive benefits and training opportunities

Few machine shops in the world offer the opportunity to work on projects of this scale.

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Open CNC Machinist Jobs

Newport News Shipbuilding is currently hiring for:

• CNC Machinists – Naval Shipbuilding ($35–$45/hr + $10K bonus)

👉 View current CNC machining jobs at Newport News Shipbuilding