JOIN OUR CREW
We typically operate the majority of our tours each year from May through September, but our full-season crew is employed from late April to the first or second week of October. We primarily serve guests visiting Southeast Alaska by cruise ship.
Our ideal Lighthouse Excursions crew member is an individual who is friendly, detail-oriented, passionate about learning and sharing our wild environment with visitors to Alaska, and is the definition of a team player. While we don’t require experience in tourism or on boats for the majority of our positions, high-quality customer service skills, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic are a must.
Seasonal work in Southeast Alaska by nature requires flexibility, as our daily schedule changes day-to-day and week-to-week with the cruise ship schedule. During the tour season, our company is in operations 7 days a week. When hiring, we give priority to candidates with full-season availability and flexible schedules.
Available employment opportunities can fluctuate from season-to-season, but our crew is composed of the following positions:
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Description: Captains at Lighthouse Excursions aren’t just driving the boat! With passenger safety being our number one priority, and exceptional customer service being our number two, anyone working this position is part captain, part performer. We expect all captains to be confident managing their vessel and crew in both general operations and emergency situations.
Requirements: 50-ton (minimum) Captain’s License, CPR/First Aid Card, Alaska Food Workers Card, Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Responsibilities:
- Safe operation of vessel at all times, including expert understanding of our tour route, clear navigation of our 22 ft tidal swing and varied coastline, adjustment for inclement weather, troubleshooting maintenance issues, and successfully docking and undocking the vessel;
- Provide professional, personalized live narration to tour guests throughout the tour, integrated with pre-recorded narration. Must demonstrate a clear command of Southeast Alaskan natural history, oceanography, local wildlife, Ketchikan/Alaska Native history, etc;
- Maintain vessel and report any maintenance issues;
- Manage boat crew, including monthly drills and maintenance;
- Maintain control of the vessel in an event of an emergency, including protocol communication with the U.S. Coast Guard, management, and crew;
- Additional duties as assigned.
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Description: Deckhands are the face of Lighthouse Excursions on the water. Their number one priority is to ensure the safety of all of our guests aboard our tour, and secondarily, to function as top-notch customer service representative. This position is well-suited to help you pursue a captain’s license.
Requirements: CPR/First Aid Card, Alaska Food Workers Card, Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Responsibilities:
- Arrive ahead of first tour departure time to prep vessel for tour day;
- Greet guests on arrival to dock, and assist with pre-tour photography and safe boarding of the vessel;
- Proper line handling during vessel docking and undocking, including demonstrating proficiency with a cleat hitch and other knots as needed;
- Food & beverage service & prep while underway using proper food safety management;
- Provide guests with guidance to spot wildlife and/or assist with photographs of key points of interest;
- Keep vessels stocked with supplies and report any low inventory;
- Clean & tidy vessels daily, including bringing all trash & recycling to shed receptacles;
- Maintain register, merchandise displays, & assist guests with on-board purchases;
- Completion of weekly/monthly special cleaning and maintenance projects as assigned;
- Passenger management, or other tasks as assigned by captain, in the event of an emergency;
- Attend scheduled mandatory monthly drills;
- Additional duties as assigned.
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Description: If you’re a Dock Representative with Lighthouse Excursions, you are the first point of contact for our guests on the tour day. We expect our dock representative to be a “people person” and welcome guests to our tour with friendly, positive, patient customer service.
Requirements: CPR/First Aid, Alaska Food Workers Card, Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Responsibilities:
- Demonstrate clear comprehension of daily schedule, including departure times and guest bookings;
- Arrive prior to scheduled guest greet time to complete check in with cruise ship and transportation company representatives;
- Communicate with transportation company to determine bus assignments;
- Greet guests with appropriate signage and assist in finding their bus;
- Ability to quickly troubleshoot pre-departure issues;
- Communicate passenger counts and dock departure to assigned tour captain and Shore Operations Manager;
- Clear, positive communication with guests, cruise ship reps, bus drivers, captains, van driver, and Shore Operations Manager;
- Additional duties as assigned.
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Description: Our van driver is the link between independently booked guests and our tour. In recent years, more guests have become interested in traveling on their own, using any number of independent booking web resources when planning their vacation. The van driver at Lighthouse Excursions is critical to transport these travelers from downtown to our dock in time for departures.
Requirements: CPR/First Aid, Alaska Food Workers Card, Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Responsibilities:
- Demonstrate a clear comprehension of daily schedule, including departure times and guest booking details;
- Arrive prior to scheduled greet time to meet guests at the established meeting location;
- Assist passengers in safe boarding of the van;
- Reconfirm identity of guests, number of passengers, and collect any required vouchers prior to departing cruise dock;
- Provide professional, personalized narration to guests on the trip to our tour vessels. Must demonstrate a clear command of Ketchikan “interesting facts,” Alaska Native/early settler history, wildlife, and natural history NOT presented on the main tour;
- Report critical guest booking information and turn in any tour vouchers to the Shore Operations Manager;
- Maintain cleanliness of the van daily and report any maintenance issues to management;
- Additional duties as assigned.
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Description: Our Dockside Office Manager keeps our operations running smoothly on our mooring dock in Ward Cove. We expect this person to be friendly, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and capable of prioritizing a variable task-load.
Requirements: First/Aid CPR Card, Alaska Food Handlers Card, Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Responsibilities:
- Arrive ahead of scheduled tour departures to prep office for the tour day;
- Answers phones, manages inquires, and reassigns calls to appropriate staff as needed;
- Manages main office company email and incoming web bookings;
- Demonstrates clear comprehension of daily schedule, including tour vessel departure times, guest bookings, and van driver schedule;
- Generate daily van driver & vessel dispatch;
- Manage supply shed inventory, including resupplying food and paper products at local vendors and keeping shed clean and well-organized;
- Greets guests arriving on tour busses and assists tour vessel staff with crowd management;
- Ability to quickly & calmly troubleshoot any dockside departure issues;
- Clear, positive communication with guests, tour partners, bus drivers, crew members, and Shore Operations Manager;
- Additional duties as assigned.
We typically begin our hiring process in January or February for the following tour season. Check back here in 2022 for updates on available openings!
OUR VALUES
We are local Ketchikanites who are passionate about sharing our home with visitors from all over the world. We consider ourselves ambassadors for our community each time we interact with a visitor. Our mission at Lighthouse Excursions is to provide our guests with an authentic Alaskan experience showcasing Ketchikan’s history, culture, environment, and wildlife, while also providing them with the warm hospitality for which Alaskans are best known.
We pride ourselves on providing a work environment that allows employees to not just immerse themselves in all the things that are cool about living in Southeast Alaska, but that can further open the door to dive deeper into a career in maritime. Many of our deckhands go on to get a Captain’s license.
As a small business, we all wear many hats and work as a close-knit & supportive crew. We’re always excited to welcome new crew members to our team!