Port Captain

*** This position is open to King County Metro Transit employees and the general public. ***

The Marine Division with King County Metro Transit is hiring for aPort Captainfor the Water Taxi team.

The Port Captain is responsible the safe and timely operation of Water Taxi services and ensuring both the vessels and crew members are compliant with all policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Incumbents in this position will plan, organize, schedule, and administer the safest and most efficient utilization of the fleet, while managing the short- and long-term staffing, services, and operational budgets. The Port Captain will also oversee a diverse crew of about 30 unionized Marine Information Agents, Deckhands, and Captains, including all aspects of hiring, training, scheduling, personnel management, motivation, and development of on-call, seasonal, and career service crews.

This position requires incumbents to build strong working relationships quickly and effectively with crew members, colleagues, internal King County partners such as Finance and Employee Services, and external partners such as the US Coast Guard, the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, Washington State Ferries, Kitsap Transit, labor representatives, and other contracted vendors, suppliers, and consultants. The most competitive candidates for this position will be able to demonstrate their ability to create an environment of inclusion and belonging, provide a high level of customer service to internal and external partners, motivate and manage a team of diverse crew members, and possess knowledge of the local regulatory environment that the Water Taxi operates within.

This recruitment will immediately fill one (1) Career Service (CS) position, and may be used to create an eligibility pool to fill future fully-benefitted Career Service (CS), Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), and/or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies that may come available in this classification. Eligibility pools remain valid for twelve (12) months upon creation, or until the pool is exhausted, at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Interviews are anticipated to occur between February 5 through February 9, 2024, though dates are subject to change.

WHO MAY APPLY:
This recruitment is open to all current King County employees and the general public.

King County Water Taxi System

King County has been operating Water Taxi services since October 2009. In 2019, the Marine Division joined King County Metro Transit to help Metro meet its goals of incorporating multiple modes of transit, including buses, boats, trains, shuttles, accessible services, and rideshare programs.

The Marine Division operates the Water Taxi ferry service on two routes in Puget Sound, both originating at the County's new passenger ferry terminal at Pier 50 in downtown Seattle: one route to West Seattle and the other to Vashon Island. The Water Taxi provides year-round service 7 days a week, 11 to 17 hours daily. In addition to King County Water taxi service, Kitsap County currently provides passenger-only ferry service to Kingston, Bremerton, and Southworth, which all use the King County passenger-only facility in Seattle.

To Apply:

Required Forms and Materials

• An online employment application with employment history going back at least ten years if you have ten years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience). Be sure to list all job duties, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving.
• Completed supplemental questions.
• A cover letter/letter of interest, which describes how you meet or exceed the qualifications posted for this position.

Note: Please limit your cover letter/letter of interest to no more than two (2) pages.

Want to make sure your application materials are as competitive as possible?
We highly recommend visiting the Career Support Services website for tips and examples on how to make your application materials most effective: Career Support Services - King County.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Erica Minshull, Talent Advisor for King County Metro Transit

Erica.Minshull@KingCounty.gov or 206-477-6059

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. As the Port Captain, you will also:

• Supervise all licensed and unlicensed deck personnel of the King County Water Taxis.
• Supervise terminal staff and terminal spaces.
• Coordinate with agency partners and vessel operators that operate in our region and at our terminals.
• Supervise the Vessel Security Officer (VSO) and direct them to work with the Company Security Officer (CSO) in performance of their duties.
• Coordinate with the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the Vessel Traffic System as needed to continue safe and secure passenger ferry operations.
• Coordinate public alerts to inform riders of service changes.
• Coordinate website updates as required.
• Develop and monitor operational needs for the navigation equipment and aids to navigation.
• Coordinate between the operating teams and the engineering teams to ensure requirements are met and lines of communication are maintained.
• Develop crew watch schedules, assist with crew bid documents, vessel sailing schedules, and crew training curriculum.
• Develop, review, and edit vessel operating manual and procedures, crew dispatch procedures, crew training manuals, and the Safety Management System (SMS).
• Dispatch vessel crews and terminal agents and supervise dispatching process as needed.
• Ensure the provisions of the collective bargaining agreements and labor relations protocols are followed as they relate to assigned functions.
• Participate and advise on behalf of King County during collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
• Track crew training, ensure all crew required documents are up to date and comply with USCG regulations and County requirements.
• Perform hiring manager functions for deck department and shoreside personnel and assist with new recruitments and maintain a viable and sufficient pool of on-call personnel for routine and emergent crew replacements.
• Supervise the work of the Operations team, conduct employee performance evaluations, and recommend disciplinary and corrective actions.
• Represent the division on internal and external committee, participate as a member of the management team, attend staff and crew meetings, and may be asked to act as the Division Director delegate as needed.
• Assist with the development of programs and procedures to ensure compliance with a range of maritime, environmental, safety, security, and related local, state, and federal regulations; ensure crew compliance with safety, security, environmental, and emergency response procedures and protocols.
• Maintain effective working relationships with applicable regulatory agencies including the US Coast Guard and other federal, state, and local agencies.
• Coordinate and ensure US Coast Guard vessel inspections are conducted as required. This includes annual inspections, certificates of inspection, and shipyard drydocking.
• Ensure all vessel documents and equipment meet regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with department and division directors and senior managers throughout the agency.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To be eligible to apply, you must possess:

• Two (2) or more years of progressively responsible supervisory or managerial experience overseeing a team within passenger vessel operations (or equivalent experience that provides the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the essential job duties).
• Previous licensed experience as a 100-ton Captain or greater on a USCG-regulated vessel.
• Comprehensive knowledge of marine practices and familiarity with US Coast Guard regulatory requirements for Subchapter T and K inspected passenger vessels.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state and county regulatory requirements related to passenger vessel operations.
• Analytical skills that indicate the ability to determine staffing levels and the effectiveness of work systems, programs, and strategies.
• Knowledge and experience with coaching and mentoring staff while encouraging performance improvement and development.
• Sound understanding of strategic planning, policy development, and project management (including resource and budget allocation).
• Knowledge of emergency management, disaster preparedness, and safety operations and techniques.
• Effective oral and written communication skills, with the ability to build consensus among a group with conflicting viewpoints and communicate effectively through written reporting.
• Working knowledge of basic human resources principles and practices as they relate to equitable hiring, personnel management, and progressive discipline.
• The skill and ability to model customer service skills that represent Metro's commitment to customer service and to create an environment that values customer service.
• The ability to be a productive and collaborative team leader that values diversity of opinions, perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures.
• Experience developing and contributing to a culture of safety, respect, care, and belonging.
• The ability to listen carefully to others with an open mind, as well as give and receive feedback effectively.
• Skills that support the ability to develop strong collaborative relationships with internal and external partners/vendors, such as the US Coast Guard and other leaders in the maritime industry and King County.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft application suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams).

The most competitive applicants will also possess these desirable qualifications:

• A valid United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner's Document (MMD) or Merchant Mariner's Credential (MMC) with minimum endorsement of 100 Ton Master License valid upon Inland Waters.
• Experience working within, managing, or supervising a unionized workforce.
• Previous experience in management of marine operations.
• Skill or experience in training others about disaster preparedness, emergency management, safety expectations, job duties, etc.
• Skill or experience in managing operational budgets.
• Knowledge of procurement and contracting procedures.
• Knowledge of the concepts and requirements of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Experience and skill in working with elected officials, the general public, labor union representatives, and external agencies.
• Experience and skill in dispatching and scheduling staff/crew.
• Demonstrated skill with proactively correcting employee performance issues, such as poor customer service, policy violation, safety violation, etc.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of continuous improvement methodologies and principles, and experience enhancing service quality.
• Demonstrated aptitude in Microsoft Word, Outlook/Exchange, Microsoft Teams, and the ability to use the Internet and other technology in networking with other transit professionals.

Special Necessary Requirements

A valid Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), or the ability to obtain one within sixty (60) days of hire.

Class Code / Class Title / Pay Grade

1072600 / Operations Manager Assistant / 72

Union Membership

This position is not represented by a collective bargaining unit.

Work Environment and Location

Onsite work is based out of our Pier 50 location in downtown Seattle, and the King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104). This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule and may offer a mix of both on-site and remote/virtual work, depending on business needs.

Work Schedule
The position is anticipated to be full time. The schedule for this position is typically Monday through Friday, and may offer a hybrid work schedule, based on business needs. Due to this position's role in safety/emergency response and emergent scheduling needs, this position is required to be accessible by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as needed. Coverage during vacations will be coordinated with Port Engineer and Division Director. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore not eligible for overtime.

Requirements When Teleworking

The work associated with this position may be performed through a combination of teleworking and onsite work, as needed and based on business needs. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and, when working remotely, must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we...