Department of the Interior

Seasonal Deckhand

International Falls, Minnesota Full time

Seasonal Deckhand

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): International Falls, Minnesota

Salary Range: $27.3 - $31.84 Per Hour

Job 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

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors: Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT) Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation) Ability To Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle) Operation of Motor Vehicles Reliability and Dependability as a Deckhand Work Practices (including keeping things neat, clean, and in order) SCREEN OUT: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: I have the ability to perform common duties of a Deckhand; which includes performing a variety of work involved in the maintenance and repair of the deck and general housekeeping functions on dredges, towboats, barges, or other floating plant vessels. I work under normal supervision of a work leader or journey-level employee who observes tasks in progress and upon completion to make sure they are properly performed. If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.

How to Apply: To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/29/2026.You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12845751 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-29