MATE TUG CLASS I
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Posted: February 17, 2026 (4 days ago)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of the Army
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Salary
$47.96 - $55.94
per hour
Type
Full-Time
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This job involves serving as a mate on a large diesel-powered tugboat, helping to navigate it through rivers, channels, and open waters while ensuring the vessel is ready for missions and performing routine maintenance.
It's ideal for someone with hands-on boating experience who can handle physically demanding work in tough weather and stay safe around machinery and water hazards.
No formal education is required, but you need to show through past experience that you can manage these tasks with just normal oversight.
This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.
About the Position: Serves as Mate, of a diesel, Class I, tugboat over 65' feet in length, and displacing 500 gross tons, and has up to 2000 horsepower engine(s) or more.
Who May Apply: US Citizens Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required.
However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.
Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a(n) MATE TUG CLASS I ~ without more than normal supervision. I have the ability to perform operations of a vessel.
I can perform common maintenance to deck machinery.
I work under normal supervision of a work leader or journey-level employee who observes tasks in progress and upon completion to make sure they are properly performed.
- Failure to meet this Screen out Element will result in an ineligible rating.
PHYSICAL EFFORT Work requires moderate physical effort when lifting up to 40 pounds for loading supplies, winch controls, and performing miscellaneous duties.
Work requires walking up and down stairs and ladders, bending, reaching, and standing for long periods. Moderate effort is required during general maintenance work.
Coordination of hands, eyes, body, and legs in needed to work safely on wet decks especially when anchored in exposed locations during storms.
Close hand and eye coordination is required when operating controls to maneuver vessel and tows in traffic and in confined or narrow areas.
WORKING CONDITIONS Work is performed inside and outside of the pilot house, on deck and in other locations of the vessel where there is danger of slipping and falling overboard and drowning.
There is exposure to traffic hazards, especially during foggy and inclement weather including high winds, rough seas, and strong currents and at night; A life jacket is worn at all times while on deck.
When making repairs employee is exposed to injuries resulting from working around moving machinery and in cramped quarters and may be exposed to fumes from the oil and lubricants used, danger of burns, irritation from grease and oils, bruises, and strains.
Responsible for operating vessel through channels, rivers and open water under conditions such as combative winds during open lake towing missions and crane operation; extreme currents in river system operations; open water operation to include over 50 miles from nearest harbor or safe refuge; critical open water operation subject to rapidly changing weather conditions, water levels, high waves, and potential for significant changes in under-keel clearance due to sudden lake level fluctuations; navigating under ice conditions during strike operation in early and late operating seasons; and operating narrow channel areas, congested vessel traffic, small shallow harbors.
Major Duties:
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