Crew - First Mate

Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.

The Chief Mate supervises, trains and coordinates activities of the deck force (8 deckhands, 1 boatswain), and is responsible for assisting with the vessel’s piloting, navigation, safety, security, first aid, cleanliness, and small boat operations.

The Chief Mate works approximately 12 hours per day of varied hours; Daily 12-hour shifts are comprised of standing two watches, administrative work, supervisory duties and small boat operations.

The physical demands are described in the Chief Mate Job Analysis sheet and are available to all applicants.

Assumes command of the ship in the event the Captain becomes incapacitated.

Acts as vessel’s Security Officer, Safety Officer, and Medical Officer.

Inspects the vessel for overall cleanliness, including engine room, deck areas, crew quarters, windows and exterior hull.

Coast Guard annual dry docks and inspections.

Assists with annual USCG COI inspections.

Assists with onboard USCG drug and alcohol testing.

Works in conjunction with other departments regarding projects aboard the vessel.

Maintains professional demeanor with guests, crew, staff, agents, officials and the public.

Maintains deck supply inventories and requisitions.

Exhibits an aptitude and enthusiasm for training and managing inexperienced crewmembers.

Trains deck force in skills needed to perform docking, anchoring, watch duties, security and routine ship maintenance.

Directs the deck force and handles communications between bridge, crew and dock personnel during docking procedures.

Supervises crew engaged in cleaning and maintaining deck, superstructure, and bridge of ship.

Evaluates and documents the performance of the deck force as directed in performance appraisal guidelines.

Determines geographical position of the ship, using all available means such as GPS, radar ranges, visual observations, depth sounders, etc.

Navigates vessel to ensure avoidance of marine hazards such as reefs, outlying shoals, shallow waters, etc. Small Boat Operations:

Operates crane for lowering inflatable boats, kayaks, gangways and other expedition gear.

Drives inflatable boats as needed.

Assists with loading guests, staff, and crew in and out of inflatable boats.

Follows company safety and pollution prevention policies and procedures and requests supervisory assistance/guidance when necessary.

Directs crew in emergency drills. Plans and conducts onboard safety training and drills as directed by the Captain, including fire, abandon ship, man security flooding and medical emergencies.

Maintains and administers vessel preventive maintenance plan and safety training program.

Ensures deck crew are trained in the use of personal protective equipment.

Participates in company and shore side training as required by the company.

Medical:

Acts as Medical Officer for all guests, crew and staff medical needs. Liaison with ship’s doctor on voyages. Liaison with Seattle Office for crew medical issues. Maintains first aid kits and medical supplies on board.

Maintains the ship’s medical and G.Completes all guest, crew and staff injury/illness reports. Assists Captain with ensuring injured/ill guests and crew medical treatment. Follows all regulations pertaining to GI outbreaks onboard.

Supervises Deckhands in daily vessel operations including vessel maintenance, boat operations, docking, undocking and anchoring.

Supervises Boatswain in maintenance and operations of vessel’s rescue and inflatable boats.

Trains deck team, assigns and directs work, monitors performance, encourages and addresses performance issues with deck crew, addresses complaints and resolves problems.

Ability to perform voyage planning and navigational calculations.

Good customer service skills: professional demeanor, ability to use necessary levels of tact and courtesy.

Personal computer experience: MS Windows applications, and Excel spreadsheet experience.

Communicates effectively in both one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees.

Excellent written English language skills, with the ability to prepare documents and reports in a timely manner.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

STCW Basic Safety Training (BST) required.

STCW Medical Person in Charge (MedPIC) required.

STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats Other than Fast Rescue Boat (PSC) required.

STCW Crowd Management (CM) required.

ECDIS Type-Specific Training provided.

Global Maritime Distress & Safety System License (GMDSS) required.

Valid TWIC card required.

Valid USCG Medical Certificate required.

Valid US Passport required.

Health insurance including Medical, Dental, Vision

Travel Day Pay

Travel Expenses Paid

Travel benefits for employees and their family

Training Opportunities

Coast Guard Regulations, 46 CFR Parts 4, 5, and 16, you will be required to undergo the following drug tests: post-offer prior to start date, random, reasonable cause, and serious marine incident per US Federal guidelines.

- Lindblad Expeditions continues to highly recommend that all new hires be up to date with all vaccines prior to the first day of employment and getting boosted annually when eligible, including those vaccines that protect against COVID-19. All crew must still comply with all country-specific vaccination requirements.

Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.

The physical demands per position are described in the Job Analysis sheet and are available to all applicants upon request.

Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.

An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.

As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.