Job Posting: Summer Deckhand / Research Assistant
Raincoast is looking for a qualified deckhand and research assistant.
Raincoast’s Marine Operations Program is looking to hire a qualified deckhand and research assistant for a 3-6 month contract aboard our research vessel, Achiever. This position will involve both boat operations as well as assisting scientists conduct field research.
Salary and details
Job Type: Temporary summer contract. Could develop into regular employment as crew.
Anticipated hours: 2 week shift rotation (2 weeks off)
Start date: August 1st, 2023
Salary: $25 to $30/hr depending on experience
Location: onboard Achiever traveling coastal waters of British Columbia
Application deadline
July 21st, 2023
Position requirements
Funding for this position is provided through the ECO Canada Job Program. To be eligible, you must meet the following funding criteria:
- Be between 18 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment*,
- be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment**; and,
- have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.
- First Aid Certification (CPR Level 1 or CPR-C) or a willingness to obtain it.
- Clean criminal record check or a willingness to obtain it.
*The youth must be 18 years of age at the beginning of the employment period. The youth may be more than 30 years of age at the end of the employment period as long as the youth was 30 at the beginning of the employment period.
**International students are not eligible participants. International students include anyone who is temporarily in Canada for studies and who is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada. Youth awaiting a refugee status ruling, as well as those who hold a temporary visitor visa, youth visa or work visa are ineligible.
Duties and responsibilities
- Standing watch and assisting captain and mate with shipboard duties
- Assisting in docking and bunkering operations
- Operation of small inflatable boats
- Cleaning and cooking (at times)
- Participating in data collection and assisting researchers
Desired skills and qualifications
- Sailing/marine industry experience an asset
- Marine/eco tourism guiding experience an asset
- Marine or Wilderness First Aid
- Interest in local environmental conservation, Indigenous stewardship
- Communication skills
- Teamwork and collaboration skills
- Enjoy working outdoors, rain or shine
- Post secondary education in environmental science/marine biology would be an asset, but not required.
Additional details
- This is an entry level position with the expectation that qualified candidates want to join the marine/conservation industry and would look to build skills and experience to continue working with our team beyond the placement timelines.
- This position involves physical work, heavy lifting, work performed from boats, and outdoor work in challenging environments in all weather conditions.
- Candidates will be trained in safe use of all necessary equipment and procedures.
About Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Raincoast is a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We use rigorous, peer-reviewed science and community engagement to further our conservation objectives. We call this approach informed advocacy. Since 1996, Raincoast has been making progress toward our habitat and wildlife protection goals.
About SV Achiever
Raincoast’s research vessel, SV Achiever, is a Transport Canada certified 68 ft. steel hulled sloop that offers education, research and engagement opportunities on the BC coast year round. Raincoast acquired Achiever in 2003 as a vessel for our 10,000 nautical mile marine survey studying the abundance and distribution of marine mammals and birds.
Since then, Raincoast has; partnered with Indigenous Nations to facilitate youth getting outdoor education within their territories, worked with researchers from various institutions, taken school groups onto the water for experiential learning, as well as worked with film crews documenting the coast’s natural history and threats to the region.
How to apply
Please send a cover letter and your resume to drew [at] raincoast [dot] org, by July 21st. Please include contact information for at least two references.
Email applications with “Summer Deckhand/Research Assistant” in the subject line. Attach a single PDF file for your one-page cover letter and your resume – name it your first and last name. The cover letter should express why you want this position and identify how you are qualified. We thank all applicants, but only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
Raincoast welcomes applications from all interested and qualified candidates. Our organization is the product of diverse visions and perspectives and we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. Raincoast is committed to fostering and maintaining a workplace culture that is inclusive and does not tolerate or accept discrimination or harassment.
You can help
Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.
We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
