Chief Mate

Lindblad Expeditions•Seattle, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Lindblad Expeditions is a pioneer in Expedition Travel, operating a fleet of 20 ships and taking nearly 30,000 guests a year to remote and pristine locations. The Chief Mate supervises, trains, and coordinates the deck force, and is responsible for assisting with the vessel’s piloting, navigation, safety, security, first aid, cleanliness, and small boat operations. This role involves assuming command in the Captain's absence, acting as the vessel's Security, Safety, and Medical Officer, and ensuring the overall cleanliness and readiness of the vessel. The Chief Mate also prepares the vessel for and attends U.S. Coast Guard inspections, assists with drug and alcohol testing, and collaborates with other departments. A key aspect of the role is maintaining a professional demeanor with guests and crew, participating in guest activities, managing deck supply inventories, and training inexperienced crewmembers. Responsibilities include directing the deck force during docking, supervising maintenance, reviewing watch lists, and evaluating crew performance. During watch duty, the Chief Mate is responsible for bridge navigation, determining the ship's position, maintaining logs, and handling the vessel in various conditions while ensuring avoidance of marine hazards. Small boat operations include operating cranes for launching equipment and driving inflatable boats. Safety and security duties involve following company policies, directing emergency drills, conducting safety training, organizing gangway watch, maintaining the preventive maintenance plan, ensuring proper use of personal protective equipment, and complying with international and U.S. Coast Guard regulations, including the ISM and ISPS Codes. The Chief Mate also acts as the Medical Officer, liaising with the ship's doctor and Seattle Office for medical issues, assisting with medevacs, maintaining medical supplies, and completing injury/illness reports. They are responsible for the Vessel Security Plan and maintaining records of Declarations of Security.

Requirements

Experience operating port-to-port in Southeast Alaska, the Snake and Columbia Rivers, in the Gulf of California, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama (including the Panama Canal), Belize, Guatemala, Colombia.
Mate experience on passenger-carrying vessels, including supervisory responsibility and social interaction with guests.
Excellent crisis management skills; ability to act quickly with confidence while exercising sound judgement.
Ability to perform voyage planning and navigational calculations.
Strong time management skills; able to handle multiple tasks, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
Good customer service skills: professional demeanor, ability to use necessary levels of tact and courtesy.
Personal computer experience: MS Windows applications, and Excel spreadsheet experience.
Communicates effectively in both one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees.
Excellent written English language skills, with the ability to prepare documents and reports in a timely manner.
Minimum USCG Mate 500 GRT / 3,000 GT ITC Near Coastal required.
OICNW greater than 500 GT STCW Endorsement required.
Automatic RADAR Plotting Aid (ARPA) required.
STCW Advanced Firefighting (AFF) Certification required.
STCW Basic Safety Training (BST) required.
STCW Medical Person in Charge (MedPIC) required.
STCW Vessel Security Officer (VSO) Certificate required.
STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats Other than Fast Rescue Boat (PSC) required.
STCW Crowd Management (CM) required.
STCW Crisis Management and Human Behavior (CMHB) required.
ECDIS required.
Global Maritime Distress & Safety System License (GMDSS) required.
Radar Observer (RO) endorsement required.
Valid TWIC card required.
Valid USCG Medical Certificate required.
Current First Aid/CPR/AED certification required.
Valid US Passport required.
In compliance with U.S. Coast Guard Regulations, 46 CFR Parts 4, 5, and 16, you will be required to undergo the following drug tests: post-offer prior to start date, random, reasonable cause, and serious marine incident per US Federal guidelines.
Pre-offer background check; employment is contingent upon the results of this screening.
Post-offer physical examination; your employment is dependent upon being determined fit for sea duty.
Continued employment is dependent upon consent to and passing these tests.
All crew must still comply with all country-specific vaccination requirements.
Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos.
Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear.
The employee will also be required to write and type.
The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.

Nice To Haves

ECDIS Type-Specific Training provided.

Responsibilities

Assumes command of the ship in the event the Captain becomes incapacitated.
Acts as vessel’s Security Officer, Safety Officer, and Medical Officer.
Inspects the vessel for overall cleanliness, including engine room, deck areas, crew quarters, windows and exterior hull.
Prepares vessel for and attends all U.S. Coast Guard annual dry docks and inspections.
Assists with annual USCG COI inspections.
Assists with onboard USCG drug and alcohol testing.
Works in conjunction with other departments regarding projects aboard the vessel.
Maintains professional demeanor with guests, crew, staff, agents, officials and the public.
Participates in guest activities and public relations such as recaps, dining with guests, etc. as directed by the Captain.
Maintains deck supply inventories and requisitions.
Exhibits an aptitude and enthusiasm for training and managing inexperienced crewmembers.
Trains deck force in skills needed to perform docking, anchoring, watch duties, security and routine ship maintenance.
Directs the deck force and handles communications between bridge, crew and dock personnel during docking procedures.
Supervises crew engaged in cleaning and maintaining deck, superstructure, and bridge of ship.
Reviews and updates watch and duty work lists.
Evaluates and documents the performance of the deck force as directed in performance appraisal guidelines.
Assumes responsibility for bridge navigation and deck watch during specified periods.
Determines geographical position of the ship, using all available means such as GPS, radar ranges, visual observations, depth sounders, etc.
Makes necessary entries in navigation and radio logs.
Handles the vessel (as directed by the Captain) in docking, anchoring, piloting, enroute, in close quarters and open sea conditions.
Navigates vessel to ensure avoidance of marine hazards such as reefs, outlying shoals, shallow waters, etc. using aids to navigation such as lights, lighthouses, and buoys.
Complete pilotage logs for trips completed in Alaska, British Columbia, and on the Columbia and Snake Rivers to meet pilotage requirements and stand watch unsupervised.
Operates crane for lowering inflatable boats, kayaks, gangways and other expedition gear.
Drives inflatable boats as needed.
Assists with loading guests, staff, and crew in and out of inflatable boats.
Follows company safety and pollution prevention policies and procedures and requests supervisory assistance/guidance when necessary.
Directs crew in emergency drills.
Plans and conducts onboard safety training and drills as directed by the Captain, including fire, abandon ship, man security flooding and medical emergencies.
Organizes gangway watch as directed by the duty schedule.
Maintains and administers vessel preventive maintenance plan and safety training program.
Ensures deck crew are trained in the use of personal protective equipment.
Participates in company and shore side training as required by the company.
Maintains familiarity and compliance with the ISM and ISPS Codes and requirements as well as USCG, Transport Canada, and Health Canada requirements.
Ensures compliance with the company Safety Management System including Emergency Response activities.
Ensures compliance with all Vessel General Permit regulations.
Completes all necessary Bridge log entries and maintains Company’s electronic preventative maintenance program records.
Completes Investigation and Non-Conformity Reports as necessary.
Responsible for the Vessel Security Plan and participating in regular security audits.
Prepares and maintains a record of Declarations of Security.
Acts as Medical Officer for all guests, crew and staff medical needs.
Liaison with ship’s doctor on voyages.
Liaison with Seattle Office for crew medical issues.
Assists with emergency medevacs.
Maintains first aid kits and medical supplies on board.
Maintains the ship’s medical and G.I. logs per CDC VSP and Health Canada requirements.
Completes all guest, crew and staff injury/illness reports.
Assists Captain with ensuring injured/ill guests and crew medical treatment.
Follows all regulations pertaining to GI outbreaks onboard.
Ensures proper handling and disposal of biohazards.
Complete, submit and maintain record of Investigation Reports.
Supervises Deckhands in daily vessel operations including vessel maintenance, boat operations, docking, undocking and anchoring.
Supervises Boatswain in maintenance and operations of vessel’s rescue and inflatable boats.
Trains deck team, assigns and directs work, monitors performance, encourages and addresses performance issues with deck crew, addresses complaints and resolves problems.