Vessel Maintenance Mechanic (Agriculture)

Akima Systems Engineering (ASE) supports the Intelligence, DoD, and Science and Research communities with tools, domain knowledge, analyst teams and essential mission staffing services. We continually seek people with the skills, experience and passion to successfully leverage the complete intelligence lifecycle across America's most critical initiatives. As an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), 100% of our company's profits go back to our more than 14,000 Iñupiat shareholders that have resided near and above the Arctic Circle for more than 10,000 years. Our business helps support their way of life and contributes to the survival of a culture that has thrived in a challenging environment.

Summary:

The mission of the Ecosystems Mission Area of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to provide scientific understanding and technologies needed to support sound management and conservation of our Nation's natural resources. Fulfilling this mission depends on effectively balancing the immediate need for information to guide management of resources with the need for technical assistance and long-range, strategic information to understand and predict emerging patterns and trends in ecological systems. The Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) has five large research vessels throughout the Great Lakes Basin dedicated to research on fish community population dynamics, trophic interactions and ecosystem modeling, climate change, contaminants in fish, and application of advanced technologies. Thescientific mission requires that systems onboard all large vessels function properly, that safe access and its systems are maintained, and the USGS investments in the vessels are protected. Therefore, oversight and maintenance of GLSC large vessels is necessary to sustain the scientific research programs of GLSC.

Akima is looking for support personnel to work at the GLSC vessel base in Cheboygan, Michigan and occasionally the GLSC Lake Superior Biological Station (LSBS). The employee will serve as Machinery Maintenance Mechanic (MMM) aboard large vessels (between 100 and 299 gross registered tons) operated in support of fishery research on Lakes Michigan and Huron, and occasionally Lake Superior.

Operation of the vessel is essential to the conduct of important fish stock assessment and environmental research performed by the GLSC on the Great Lakes. The Center's program yields fundamental data on the year-to-year conditions of stocks of valuable game, food, and forage fishes and also provides related observations on their biology and quality of their environment.

The employee will undertake the following tasks with the possibility of strenuous, physical labor and sometimes under adverse weather conditions.  Overnight travel will be required.

Responsibilities:

Task 1: Large Research Vessel General Operations and Maintenance

• Operates, services, repairs, overhauls (as required) all engine room and deck machinery and equipment, including propulsion engines, electrical power plant, pumps, heating system, ballast system, trawl and hydrographic (BT) winches, net reel, gill net lifter, 6000 lb. capacity articulated crane, and anchor windlass.
• Serves as Tankerman (PIC) during all fueling operations and maintains the vessel in compliance to USCG OPA'90 regulations.
• Maintains standard maintenance and operating records for all engines and other operating machinery and equipment, and advises vessel Captain as to their maintenance, repair, and/or overhaul requirements.
• Maintains an inventory of spare parts and supplies as required to keep vessel machinery serviceable during research fishing operations.
• Assists in the rigging and repair of fishing gear and other sampling equipment.
• At sea, assists the vessel Captain and other crew members as necessary in meeting cruise objectives, including but not limited to fisheries and other aquatic system sampling.

Task 2: Large Research Vessel Safety

• Inspects and maintains the vessel's firefighting equipment (including engine room fixed CO2 system, main fire pump hose stations and portable extinguishers) and other safety equipment including inflatable life rafts.
• Monitors safety equipment and machinery, diagnoses problems, and makes arrangements for needed repairs (e.g., repairing, disassembling, refurbishing, etc.).
• Participates in all vessel and vessel base safety inspections, safety meetings, emergency drills, damage control and shall become familiar with the USGS Safety Management System (SMS), and Emergency Station Bill and duties.

Task 3. Large Research Vessel Dockside Operations and Maintenance

• During extended periods of vessel inactivity (i.e., particularly at the end of the operating year), the employee services, repairs, and otherwise maintains vessels' engines, engine room, and deck machinery as required; mends and fabricates bottom trawls, mid-water trawls, graded mesh multifilament gill nets and associated fishing equipment; and, assists in general maintenance and upkeep of vessel base.
• Will be expected to operate light industrial power tools in the station's repair shop in support of facilities maintenance.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Proficiency in deployment of bottom trawls and mid-water trawls, including the operation of cable winches to set and retrieve trawls will be necessary.
• Proficient in setting and lifting of bottom gill nets, including the operation of gill net lifters as well as proficient in deployment of beam trawls, Ponar dredges, bathythermographs, Tucker trawls, zooplankton nets, and Mysis nets.
• Practical working knowledge of the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems and components of marine machinery is required.
• Experience in the operation, maintenance, repair and overhaul of marine diesel engines, particularly Detroit Diesel Series 60, Cummins 6B210 marine diesel engines, and Caterpillar C-12 electronic marine diesel engines, electrical generating equipment up to 99 Kw, ballast water systems, potable water systems, high and low pressure servo/electric hydraulic systems, hot water heating systems, and deck machinery and equipment used in experimental fishing operations.
• Skilled in the use of standard machine ship tools and equipment, including arc- and oxy-acetylene torch welding.
• Practical working knowledge of basic and advanced marine firefighting and hazardous oil spill response. Skilled in the use of life saving equipment, such as deployment and maintenance of life rafts and life boats.
• Capable of instructing crew aboard the research vessel in safe work practices.
• Proficient in safety management systems, reporting, and record keeping.
• Basic computer skills are required for maintaining electronic maintenance logs and equipment databases, preparation of reports and equipment orders, use of spreadsheets to prepare budgets, e-mail communication, and navigation functions.
• Fluency in English, both verbally and in writing/reading is required.
• A driver's license shall be required for local travel via automobile.
• Must pass pre-employment physical requirements of the USGS Large Vessel Safety Program.

The duties and responsibilities listed in this job description generally cover the nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position.  This is not intended to be a complete list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.  Subject to the terms of an applicable collective bargaining agreement, the company management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as may be necessary.  We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for the position; however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender or gender-identity, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, pregnancy or parental status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

We are committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to apply for a position please contact, Recruiting Services at job-assist@akima.com or 571-353-7053.   Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

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