*** This position is open to King County employees and the general public. ***
The Marine Division with King County Metro Transit is hiring for an On-Call Deckhand position for the Water Taxi team.
Deckhands work onboard our Water Taxi vessels, which are based out of the Pier 50 terminal on the Seattle waterfront. While working under the direction of the Captain, Deckhands ensure that our vessels are maintained, safely prepared for service, and that our passengers and crew are kept safe. This position directly supports the County's interest in ensuring our commuters have a reliable way to access our downtown core through our Vashon Island and West Seattle service routes.
This recruitment will immediately fill up to one (1) Short-Term Temporary (STT)/On-Call position. This recruitment may be used to create an eligibility pool to fill future Short-Term Temporary (STT) openings in this classification and within this division. Eligibility pools remain valid for six (6) months upon creation, or until the list is exhausted, at the discretion of the hiring authority.
The Short-Term Temporary/On-Call Deckhand positions provide a great opportunity for those looking to earn supplemental income while having the flexibility to accept work when available. On-Call Deckhands fill a vital role with King County Water Taxi by complementing the current workforce and helping to staff vacant shifts as needed. Short-Term Temporary/On-Call positions are not benefit-eligible, and available shifts and hours will vary.
Interviews are anticipated to occur between March 10 through March 14, 2025, though dates are subject to change.
King County Water Taxi System
King County has been operating Water Taxi services since October 2009. In 2019, the Marine Division joined King County Metro to help Metro meet its goals of incorporating multiple modes of transit that including: buses, boats, trains, shuttles, accessible services, and rideshare programs.
The Marine Division operates the Water Taxi ferry service on two routes in Puget Sound, both originating at Pier 50 in downtown Seattle: one route to West Seattle and the other to Vashon Island. The Water Taxi provides year-round service 7 days a week, 11 to 17 hours daily. In addition to King County Water taxi service, Kitsap County currently provides passenger-only ferry service to Kingston, Bremerton and Southworth, which all use the King County passenger-only facility in Seattle.
To Apply:
Forms and Materials Required
- An online employment application with employment history going back at least ten years if you have ten years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience). Be sure to list all job duties, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving.
- Completed supplemental questions
Note: A cover letter/letter of interest and/or resume is highly encouraged, but not required. Other uploaded documentation will not be reviewed.
Want to make sure your application materials are as competitive as possible?
We highly recommend visiting the Career Support Services website for tips and examples on how to make your application materials most effective:Career Support Services - King County.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Erica Minshull, Talent Advisor for King County Metro Transit
Erica.Minshull@KingCounty.gov or 206-477-6059Applying equity and social justice principlesis a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. Job duties include but are not limited to:
- Assist the Captain and/or engineers with vessel startup and shutdown, raise and lower passenger loading ramps, handle mooring lines, load and unload passengers, stand watch while underway, perform safety and security functions, perform general maintenance and cleaning duties for vessels and facilities, and be prepared to respond to emergencies or security situations aboard the ferry or at the terminals.
- Assist passengers in boarding and departing the ferry; ensure passenger safety; answer questions and provide information.
- Handle mooring lines; cast off lines upon embarking and secure lines upon docking.
- Perform basic deck and vessel cleaning and maintenance functions; keep decks clean and free of debris and ice; light maintenance such as removing and preparing surfaces for non-skid application and painting deck surfaces such as superstructure and railings of vessel; clean vessel furnishings, decks, restrooms, bulkheads, overheads, windows, baseboard heaters, and vessel exterior as needed; empty vessel trash and separate items for recycling.
- As directed by the Captain: perform lookout watches, and assist with vessel navigational; conduct regular vessel safety/security sweeps and engine room rounds while underway.
- Move passenger loading ramps into place and control entry and exit of passengers.
- Ensure all entering passengers have paid the appropriate fare; observe appropriate use of electronic fare media; operate fare collection equipment, assist passengers with cash payments and use of fare box; count and record number of passengers.
- Assist in fueling operations and replenishment of the vessel supplies.
- Participate in all required training and drills; perform all applicable emergency procedures.
- Understand proper use of all safety and emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers, vessel firefighting systems, life rafts, life preservers, life rings, emergency shut-downs, radio beacons, etc.; ensure each item is maintained and in working order.
- May be required to take over operation of the ferry to bring the vessel into port if the Captain is incapacitated.
To be eligible, you must:
- Possess the following credentials:
- A valid Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
- A valid United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner's Document (MMD) or Merchant Mariner's Credential (MMC) with minimum endorsement of Ordinary Seaman (OS).
- Have two (2) or more years of work experience in the maritime industry; completion of a maritime education program or similar training totaling two (2) or more years; two (2) or more years of transferable work experience in the transportation industry; or some combination thereof totaling two (2) or more years.
- Have work experience providing customer service, or the ability to provide accurate, timely, and polite service to the traveling public, including providing appropriate guidance to customers in the event of an emergency situation.
The most competitive applicants will also possess these desirable qualifications:
- Experience working as a deckhand in the maritime industry.
- Experience navigating US Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel in Pacific Northwest waters.
- Previous work experience on US Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessels, preferably on high-speed vessels.
- USCG MMD or MMC with an Able Seaman (AB) endorsement.
- 100-ton USCG Captain's License and experience navigating Pacific Northwest waters.
- Certification in Fire Safety Training and Life Saving Training.
- Satisfactory completion of the training and experience necessary to qualify as a Senior Deckhand in compliance with USCG Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) No. 1-91.
- Ability to work effectively with others in a work environment that embraces and encourages diversity in its workforce and where differences are valued.
- Ability to demonstrate behaviors that include fairness, respect, and inclusiveness.
- Ability to respond safely, effectively, and expeditiously during an emergency.
- Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Ability to be punctual in order to provide reliable sailings as scheduled for the traveling public.
Class Code / Pay Grade
9450100/ 52
Union Membership
This position is represented by Inlandboatmen’s Union of Pacific (IBU).
Work Environment and Location
This position will have you standing or walking most of the day. You will be working outdoors on board the Water Taxi passenger vessel, as well as dockside while collecting fares and when handling dock lines. The Pier 50 facility is located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square district, within easy walking distance to popular urban residential neighborhoods like Queen Anne, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and near bus lines, Link Light Rail and the Sounder (commuter train) Station.
Work Schedule
This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and is eligible for overtime pay. In most cases, shifts can last anywhere from 4 to 10 hours daily.
The Short-Term Temporary/On-Call positions do not have guaranteed hours. Shifts offered may be offered in advance to cover for known, planned absences (such as vacation coverage), and may also include shifts to cover unplanned staffing shortages with little advance notice.
Safety Sensitive
This position is considered safety-sensitive. Applicants for positions defined as safety-sensitive are required to undergo drug testing prior to employment and, subsequent to the commencement of employment, will be subject to random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal DOT and USCG alcohol and controlled substances testing program protocols.
Selection Process
Applications will be screened to determine whether candidates meet minimum qualifications, and for clarity, completeness, and responsiveness to the application instructions above. Highly competitive applicants may be asked to interview. Formal offers will be finalized after candidates have successfully completed any necessary pre-employment processes, such as drug and alcohol testing, background checks, DOT physicals, and internal record reviews or reference checks.
Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference?Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
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