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Open: December 15, 2025 — Closes: May 29, 2026
Summary
This position is located in a National Park Service Unit. The primary purpose of this position is the operation of small oar, sail or mechanically propelled craft, generally under 55 meters (180 feet) in length used to transport cargo and personnel, conducting tows, and participating in resource management and protection patrols and search and rescue operations.
Major Duties
The small craft operator (boat captain) will operate sightseeing trips ranging from 20 to 70 miles (round trip). These are runs on large open surface lake areas with wind fetching up to 15 miles. The boat operator must use engine power and rudder controls to maneuver the boot close to the dock nod then secure anchor lines. These operations can be hazardous and take great skill to accomplish in a safe and professional manner. 50-ton: Serve as a boat captain in command of a 49-foot and 59-foot sightseeing vessel powered by a two Cummins 610-hp engines used to transport up to 35 and 49 paying passengers on the park interpretive trips and charters on Rainy, Kabetogama, and Namakan Lakes. Have full responsibilities for instructing and directing deck hands in safe operations during docking, passenger loading, navigation, and boat underway procedures. Perform daily checks, cleaning, and minor maintenance on vessel, outboard motor, and on-board safety equipment. Report maintenance and repair needs in a timely way to the park's senior Interpretive Specialist. Could be scheduled to assist the other maintenance employees, as required, to meet the program objectives. Other duties will require less than 30% of the small craft operator's time. Other duties will be in the fields of carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and custodial services. On occasion will serve as a work leader for a deck hand when assigned to assist in boating operations. 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, December 29, 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. Area Information Government Housing May Be 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
