Second Mate, U.S. Brig Niagara (Second Mate, Flagship Niagara)

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania•Erie County, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Second Mate serves aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara, Pennsylvania’s Flagship, sailing from its homeport at the Erie Maritime Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Niagara is a fully functional, traditionally rigged brig operating as a sailing school vessel on Lake Erie and the broader Great Lakes. The program preserves, interprets, and passes on the traditions of square-rig seamanship and life aboard an early 19th-century sailing ship through the vessel’s annual rigging, maintenance, operation, and de-rigging. The Second Mate helps oversee the ship’s upkeep and safe daily operations, trains crew, volunteers, and trainees, supports navigation and communications, stands watches, and interprets the vessel’s history for visitors. This is a limited-term seasonal position expected to begin in mid-March 2027 and end in mid-October 2027. The sailing season runs March through October, with day sails and voyage programs scheduled from May through September. The stated schedule is 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with a 60-minute lunch; schedules may vary according to ship and programming needs. The position is onsite, with no telework option. Room and board are included, subject to an automatic $11 daily charge ($154 per bi-weekly paycheck) during employment.

Requirements

Two years of command experience aboard sailing ships of 100-ton rating or greater.
At least three years of experience sailing in traditional rig, including at least one year sailing in square rig.
At least one year of experience in a supervisory capacity.
United States Coast Guard Radar Observer Endorsement.
United States Coast Guard Marine Firefighting Certificate.
200-ton Near Coastal Mate’s License with Auxiliary Sail endorsement.
STCW 95 certification.
USCG Medical Certificate.
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
Ability to perform the essential job functions.
Successful completion of an initial drug screening; continued employment is subject to random and reasonable-cause drug screening.
Submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history clearances, including Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Child Abuse history, and FBI Fingerprint clearances.

Responsibilities

Supervise care and maintenance of mechanical systems, rigging, masts, yards, the hull, and the superstructure.
Lead drills and train crew members, volunteers, and trainees in important shipboard tasks.
Maintain charts, publications, and navigation and communication equipment.
Serve as officer of the deck or direct crew during sailing operations.
Help explain the ship’s history to guests and describe life aboard a 19th-century sailing vessel.
Support the ship’s upkeep and safe, smooth daily operations through its rigging, maintenance, operation, and de-rigging.