HII names Childs VP, Quality & Engineering at Ingalls Shipbuilding

HII announced that Jennifer Childs has been named vice president of quality and engineering of the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, effective Jan. 6, 2025.

She succeeds Brian Blanchette, incoming vice president of HII and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. Childs, a former Navy surface warfare officer (nuclear), has been with Ingalls for 17 years and previously served as director of technical & design engineering. She will now be responsible for the management and oversight of quality programs, and of ship design, engineering, integrated logistics support and planning yard engineering.

“Jennifer’s technical acumen is matched by her commitment to developing talent and fostering a culture of innovation within her team,” incoming Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette said. “This well-deserved promotion reflects her exceptional leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to both our mission and the local community.”

In her current role as director of technical & design engineering, Jennifer has led a team of engineers, designers, and test engineers, overseeing the design, construction, and testing of some of the Navy’s most advanced military ships and the Coast Guard’s national security cutter program.

Jennifer is a leader in the community, a graduate of Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Gulf Coast program and an active member Ingalls’ society of women engineers (SWE) employee resource group. Jennifer received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s in business administration from the University of North Florida.