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Open: December 15, 2025 — Closes: May 29, 2026
Summary
This position is located at a National Park Service Unit. The primary purpose of the position is to serve as a deckhand on a vessel.
Major Duties
As a uniformed employee with the National Park Service, the incumbent serves as a deckhand aboard the park's 49-passenger vessel, the Voyageur, a USGS approved tour boat vessel. The deckhand will work under the supervision of the boat captain and assist the boat captain with boat operations, docking procedures, and safety needs. Deckhands will be prepared for on-time departures for all trips. Deckhands will arrive on the boat 30 minutes prior to a scheduled trip to aid the captain in moving the boat to the passenger loading dock. They will assist the captain in checking safety items. They may need to spot clean and tidy up the boat prior to passengers boarding. Deckhands will be permitted to perform other duties such as food service or interpretive programs provided that they can readily respond to their regularly assigned deckhand duties and responsibilities. During docking and undocking procedures, the first priority of the deckhand is to assist the captain. In an emergency or with a "major incident" onboard the boat, the first priority is to assist the captain in correcting the situation. Deckhands must be fully trained and competent in: Line handling and securing the boat to the dock (efficiently and quickly) Docking and undocking procedures Safe passenger loading and unloading Passenger crowd control Assisting the captain when maneuvering the boat (backing the boat from the dock) Standing watch and looking for other boats or obstacles when backing the vessel Use of onboard radio communications with the captain Assisting in the proper stowage of gear and equipment Deckhands will be friendly, courteous, and helpful with visitors and other boat crewmembers. Deckhands will provide visitors with correct park information and direct visitors to the visitor center for additional information when questions are asked and the answer is unknown. Cut-off Dates: This is an open continuous announcement, in which applications are collected over several months, and have multiple cut-off dates. Applications received by the initial cutoff date will be considered first. **INITIAL CUT OFF IS Monday, 29 December, 2025** Applications will be considered throughout the open period of the announcement however additional referral certificates will only be issued when a hiring official exhausts current certificate and/or additional vacancies need to be filled. A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Area Information Government Housing Not Available Voyageurs National Park is located in northern Minnesota. The park encompasses over 218,000 acres of boreal forest and water along the Canadian border. The park is a class one air shed, and the lakes of the park are identified as outstanding resource value waters within the State. Lakes include Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan and Sand Point; along with 26 smaller remote lakes. The area made up a portion of the Voyageurs highway that opened the North American Continent to European settlement. The waterways of the park were integral to the growth and movement of the Ojibwe people of the region. The majority of work in the park requires access via boat in the summer or snowmobile in the winter. During winter operations the park maintains over 100 miles of snowmobile trails and 25 miles of ice roads. Within the park there are over 200 campsites, 4 visitor centers; and a concession operated hotel, only accessible by boat, snowmobile, or plane; there are 45 miles of trails; 3 boat launches; and about 15 miles of roads. Designated as an international dark sky park in 2020, the park offers one of the best year-round dark sky viewing opportunities in the state. The park is adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. International Falls is the full-service gateway community at the north entrance, offering a hospital, two medical clinics, shopping, schools, community college, movie theater, bowling alley, community center and churches. International Falls also serves as the gateway to Canada, so those who are visiting may also include a day trip to our sister city, Fort Frances, Ontario Park website: http://www.nps.gov/VOYA Facebook: Voyageurs National Park | Facebook Instagram handle: @voyageursnps
