Second Mate, Flagship Niagara

Are you a licensed officer with square rig experience, looking for an opportunity to move into a senior officer role aboard a tall ship? If you enjoy leading a crew and sharing your sailing knowledge with others, we have the perfect job for you!

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is looking for an enthusiastic, energetic, and hard-working individual to serve as the Second Mate aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara, Pennsylvania's Flagship. In this position, you will be engaged in all aspects of ship maintenance and operation, allowing you to build upon the skills you have already acquired in your maritime career and giving you the opportunity to teach others the discipline and skills of seamanship. This seasonal position is expected to begin in late-March 2026 and end in mid-October 2026.

If you are looking to be part of leading the charge to keep the tradition of square rig seamanship alive for current and future generations, apply today to serve aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara!

Sailing from her homeport at the Erie Maritime Museum in Erie, PA, the U.S. Brig Niagara is a fully functional, traditionally rigged brig engaged in sail training and historical interpretation. Through the up rig, maintenance, operation, and down rig of the ship, the Niagara program preserves, interprets, and passes on the traditions of what life was like for sailors living, working, and fighting aboard a square-rigged sailing ship in the early 19th century.

As Niagara's Second Mate, you will serve as a senior officer and provide oversight of the overall maintenance effort, including mechanical systems, rigging, masts and yards, the hull, and the superstructure. This oversight will include the preparation of reports and work lists. You will also be responsible for training the professional crew, volunteers, and trainees by conducting drills and providing demonstrations of various tasks. The Second Mate serves as the ship's navigations and communications officer, maintaining charts, publications, and all navigation and communication equipment. You will also serve as a watch officer of the deck or direct crew at sail stations while underway. Additionally, as Second Mate, you will assist in the historical interpretation of the ship, offering museum guests a glimpse into life aboard a 19th century sailing vessel.

The 2026 Niagara sailing season (late-March through mid-October) will include a 2,000 nautical mile journey from Maine to Erie, PA via the North Atlantic Ocean and the St. Lawrence Seaway as well as Sailing School Vessel programs in Lake Erie.

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Limited-term (seasonal), approximately March 2026 through October 2026.
• Work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Wednesday - Sunday, with a 60-minute lunch. Work schedule will vary based on operational needs of the ship and programming.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable. This position includes room and board. A daily charge of $9.00 (totaling $126.00) will be automatically deducted from each bi-weekly paycheck for the duration of employment.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Two years command experience aboard sailing ships of 100 ton rating or greater.

Special Requirements:

• This position requires possession of a United States Coast Guard Radar Observer Endorsement, and a United States Coast Guard Marine Firefighting Certificate.

Additional Requirements:

• You must have the following US Coast Guard certifications:
  • 200 ton Near Coastal Mates License with Auxiliary Sail endorsement
  • STCW 95
  • USCG Medical Certificate
  • TWIC
• You must have at least three years of experience sailing in traditional rig, including at least one year of experience sailing in square rig and at least one year in a supervisory capacity.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.
• This position is subject to initial, ongoing random, and reasonable cause drug screenings. Employment in this position is conditioned on successfully passing an initial drug screening upon appointment to the position. Ongoing employment will require compliance with ongoing random and reasonable cause drug screenings in alignment with US Coast Guard Regulation: CFR Title 46, Chapter 1, Subchapter B, Part 16. and Commonwealth procedures.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.