DECKHAND (SHIPKEEPER) LEADER

Summary

About the Position: Works under the supervision of Master Tug Supervisor who issues assignments, instructions andadministrative and technical guidance.

Duties

• Prepares the interior and exterior of vessel for using in accomplishing daily mission.
• Fixes minor repairs to vessel hull, deck, and machinery to maintain vessel in operating condition.
• Maintains splices and rope for rigging and roping of supplies.
• Dismantles and assemble equipment for proper functionality and daily use.
• Directs drift and debris into nets to maintain cleanliness of harbor.
• Fastens hawsers and mooring ropes to pier and other crafts.
• Observes safety procedures for crew and all passengers in accordance with safety and health regulations.
• Operates safely in hazardous situations and under dangerous conditions.
• Follows established operating practices and techniques to conduct waterway missions and floating plant maintenance.
• Understand specifications and procedures for attaching hooks, slings, rig and/or tie-lines to items such as wrecks, nets, pilings, buoys etc.
• Lifts and stacks drift debris onto barges to maintain cleanliness of harbor.
• Hoists boom gears and levers to load and unload supplies onto and off the ship.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision. Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a(n) DECKHAND (SHIPKEEPER) LEADER without more than normal supervision to include safe rigging of drift and debris for removal from waterways; marlinespike seamanship (i.e., splicing, seizing etc.) to maintain all line, rope, and hawsers onboard the vessel; maintenance of the vessel (i.e., surface preparation, priming, painting, cleaning); operating shipboard machineries; and implementation of safety requirement - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating. To meet the basic eligibility, you must receive at least two points on the screen-out element indicated above and must have an average of two points on all the job elements listed below. Your application will be further evaluated to determine if you meet the best qualified cut-off for referral to the selecting official. Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating. Required Conditions of Employment: The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess: 1) a valid USCG Merchant Mariner Credential for Able Seaman (MMC); AND 2) a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). (Note: You must attach a copy of your credentials to your application package and include the serial number, date issued and expiration date.) Please note the requirements for both a current MMC and TWIC must be in hand for consideration for an interview and a Tentative Job Offer; therefore, you must attach a copy to your application package. If you are interested in pursuing and learning how to acquire the MMC and TWIC credentials, please see the following sites for additional information: The websites for information on how to acquire the MMC and TWIC are: MMC - https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/merchant_mariner_credential/ TWIC - https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/twic You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) and Ability to Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle) Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation) Ability To Lead or Supervise Operation of Motor Vehicles Reliability and Dependability as a Deckhand Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order) Physical Effort: Moderately heavy physical effort is required in lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds; work in stretched and cramped positions. Working Conditions: Works both inside and outside during a variety of weather conditions and climates, including extremes of heat and cold and heavy rainfall. There is a danger of slipping from a vessel into water with possibility of physical injury or drowning. On-shore work may involve working in mud, snow, or ice in dirty or cramped situations.

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/28/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13061887). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.