JOIN OUR CREW
We primarily offer tours to guests traveling to Alaska seasonally May-September. We love where we live, and we think it’s pretty cool that we get to make our work showing off our home to people coming from all over the world to visit Alaska! As a small company, we have a close-knit crew that is always excited to welcome newcomers to our beautiful home.
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:
-
Description: Captains at Lighthouse Excursions have a particularly unique role in our company. While their most important role is ensuring safe operations of the tour vessel, our captains are also our naturalists, providing a high-quality, personalized narration throughout each tour. We expect all captains to be confident managing their vessel and crew in both general operations and emergency situations.
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 running monthly drills, supervising maintenance, and supporting overall morale;
- 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.
Requirements
- Must hold a 50 ton (minimum) Captain’s License
- Must hold or obtain a valid First Aid/CPR Card & Alaska Food Workers Card;
- Must be dedicated to maintaining a culture of safety with the crew at all times;
- Pre-employment drug screening & participation in random testing program throughout the season;
- Must be able to safely lift up to 75 lbs;
- Must be committed to following federal, state, & local health & safety requirements per industry standards;
- Participation in our Pre-Season Company Training;
- Must be able to work our full season (mid-April to early-October) without interruption.
Wage & Hours
Hourly wage is DOE, with a minimum starting wage of $30/hr. This is a full-time (40 hrs/week) position, with some overtime. Daily work schedule is variable, including weekends and some holidays. A $1.50/per hour worked bonus is awarded upon completion of season contract.
Eligible for 401K benefit after approximately one full-time season of employment.
-
Description: Deckhands are the face of Lighthouse Excursions on the water. Being a deckhand with us means your office is the deck of a tour boat, and your clients are the many visitors who come to Alaska each year, eager to experience the wild beauty of our state. Whether it’s whipping up the perfect hot chocolate or pointing out the American bald eagle soaring overhead, you’ll find there’s always something to keep you engaged with your work day!
A deckhand’s 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 also well-suited to help you pursue a captain’s license.
Responsibilities
- Prep vessel for tour day;
- Greet guests on arrival to dock, assist with pre-tour photography, & safe boarding of the vessel;
- Proper line handling during vessel docking & undocking, including demonstrating proficiency with a cleat hitch & other knots as needed;
- Food & beverage service & prep while underway;
- Provide guests with guidance to spot wildlife and/or assist with photographs of key points of interest;
- Keep tour vessel supplies stocked & report any low inventory to Dockside Manager;
- Clean & tidy vessels daily;
- Maintain register, merchandise displays, & assist guests with on-board purchases;
- Completion of weekly/monthly special cleaning & maintenance projects as assigned;
- Passenger management, or other tasks as assigned by captain, in the event of an emergency;
- Participate in scheduled bi-monthly drills;
- Additional duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Must hold or obtain a valid First Aid/CPR Card & Alaska Food Workers Card;
- Pre-employment drug screening & participation in random testing program throughout the season;
- Must be able to safely lift up to 75 lbs;
- Must be committed to following federal, state, & local health & safety requirements per industry standards;
- Participation in our Pre-Season Company Training;
- Must be able to work our full season (mid-April to early October) without interruption.
Wage & Hours
Hourly wage is DOE (+ tips), with a minimum starting wage of $16/hr. Average hours for this position are 35-40 hrs per week, with some overtime throughout the season. Daily work schedule is variable, including weekends and some holidays. A $1.50 per hour worked bonus is included upon fulfilling a season contract.
Eligible for 401K benefit after approximately one full-time season of employment.
-
Description: Our Dockside Manager’s main responsibility is to help keep our company operations running smoothly from our mooring dock in Ward Cove. We expect this person to be friendly, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and capable of prioritizing a variable & diverse task-load.
Responsibilities:
- Answer phones, manages inquiries, & reassign calls to appropriate staff as needed;
- Manage main office company email & incoming web bookings;
- Maintain command of the daily schedule, including tour vessel departure times, guest bookings, & van driver schedule;
- Generate daily van driver & vessel dispatch;
- Social media content development;
- Manage tour supply inventory, including resupplying food and paper products;
- Manage retail shop inventory and assist with sales;
- Keep tour supply storage areas & dockside office clean & well-organized;
- Assist tour vessel crew with crowd management during embarkation & disembarkation;
- Ability to quickly & calmly troubleshoot any dockside departure issues;
- Clear, positive communication with guests, tour partners, bus drivers, crew members, & Shore Operations Manager;
- Deckhand, dock rep, or van driver shifts as needed;
- Additional duties as assigned.
Requirements:
- Strong employment record in administrative work and/or customer service, with experience in tourism preferred (but not required);
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel & Word;
- Experienced at building content for Facebook, Instagram, & other social media platforms;
- Ability to obtain a First Aid/CPR Card & Alaska Food Workers card;
- Pre-employment drug screening & participation in random testing program throughout the summer;
- Valid driver’s license with clean driving record;
- Must be able to safely lift up to 75 lbs;
- Must be committed to following federal, state, & local health & safety requirements as per industry standards;
- Must be able to handle confidential company information with integrity & sensitivity;
- Must exercise excellent cash management skills;
- Participation in both an individualized training program & our Pre-Season Company Training;
- Must be able to work our full season (mid-April to mid-October) without interruption.
Wage & Hours
Hourly wage is DOE, with a minimum starting wage of $21/hr. This is a full-time (40 hrs/week) position, with occasional overtime. Daily work schedule is variable, including weekends and some holidays. A $1.50/per hour worked bonus is awarded upon completion of season contract.
Eligible for 401K benefit after approximately one full-time season of employment.
-
Description: Our Tour Operations Assistants have one of the most dynamic roles in the company as a full-time float position, bouncing between Dockside Assistant, Deckhand, Dock Rep, or Van Driver, depending on the need on a given day. In this position, no one day is exactly the same, so we expect a Tour Operations Assistant to be the type of person who thrives in a frequently changing work environment.
Responsibilities (covered between all positions):
- Answer telephones, respond to emails, and assist with dockside inquiries;
- Maintain a strong command of the daily tour schedule and company dispatches;
- Assist with safe guest embarkation and disembarkation of the tour vessel(s);
- Maintain retail inventory and help guests with sales in the dockside shop;
- Keep the dockside (and/or tour vessels) clean and well-organized, including managing tour supplies;
- Demonstrate proficient line handling and knot tying during vessel docking and undocking;
- While on the tour vessel: safely prepare and serve on board snack; assist guests with spotting wildlife and answering questions; participate in regularly scheduled safety drills; passenger crowd management, or other tasks as assigned by the captain, in the event of an emergency;
- While on the cruise ship pier: assist guests with finding our tour company by utilizing appropriate signage; clear and respectful communication with guests and representatives from partner transportation companies, cruise ships, and other tour industry staff; collect tour vouchers or conduct accurate tour ticket settlement (where applicable);
- While operating the van: assist guests with safe embarkation and disembarkation of the tour van; demonstrate a proficiency with traffic laws and safe vehicle operations; provide a high-quality, customized tour narration from the pier to our mooring dock;
- Additional duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends holidays, and some overtime;
- Must be dedicated to maintaining a kind, respectful, community-oriented work environment;
- Must be comfortable working on board a moving tour boat and around a marine environment;
- Must be at least 25 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record;
- Must complete a 14-Passenger Van online safety training course prior to first Van Driver shift;
- Must be hold or be able to obtain a valid First Aid/CPR Card & Alaska Food Workers Card by first day of work;
- Must participate in a pre-employment drug screening & a random drug testing program throughout the season;
- Must be committed to following federal, state, & local health & safety requirements per industry standards;
- Must possess administrative experience, with proficiency in Microsoft Word & Excel;
- Must be able to handle confidential company information with integrity & sensitivity;
- Must exercise excellent cash management skills;
- Must be able to safely lift up to 75 lbs;
- Must be available for full participation in our Pre-Season Company Training & any individualized training programs;
- Must be able to work our full season (mid-April to early-October) without interruption.
Wage & Hours
Hourly wage is DOE, with a minimum starting wage of $18/hr (+ tips when serving as Deckhand or Van Driver). Average hours for this position are 35-40 hrs per week, with some overtime throughout the season. Daily work schedule is variable, including weekends and some holidays. This position can expect to be scheduled 5-6 days of each work week. A $1.50 per hour worked bonus is included upon fulfilling a season contract.
Eligible for 401K benefit after approximately one full-time season of employment.
-
Description: If you’re a Dock Representative with Lighthouse Excursions, you are the first point of contact for our guests on the tour day, greeting them as they disembark into our community, often as first time visitors to Alaska. In this position, you’ll spend the majority of your work day at either Ketchikan’s downtown cruise ship pier or The Mill at Ward Cove.
The dynamic community on the cruise ship piers is part of what makes being a Dock Rep so fun. As you get to know all the different people who make our operations possible, your coworkers will become not just the other crew members of our company, but the tour bus company drivers and dispatchers, the cruise ship ShoreEx teams, and the other tour operators you’ll meet on the pier. As such, we expect our dock representative to be a “people person” and to welcome all guests to our tour with friendly, positive, patient customer service.
Responsibilities
- Maintain clear command of daily schedule, including departure times & guest bookings;
- Arrive prior to scheduled guest greet time to complete check in with cruise ship & transportation company representatives;
- Greet guests with appropriate signage & assist in finding their bus;
- Accurately document/communicate passenger counts & departure information to Dockside Manager and/or Shore Operations Manager;
- Clear, positive communication with guests, cruise ship reps, bus company dispatchers & drivers, and all Lighthouse Excursions crew;
- Ability to quickly & calmly troubleshoot pier side departure issues;
- Additional duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Must hold or obtain a valid First Aid/CPR Card;
- Must be committed to following federal, state, and local health & safety requirements per industry standards;
- Participation in pre-season Company Training or an individualized training program.
Wage & Hours
Hourly rate is DOE, with a minimum starting wage of $16/hr. Average hours for this position are 28-30 hrs per week. Scheduled hours are variable week-to-week, including weekends and some holidays. A $1.50 per hour worked bonus is included upon fulfilling a season contract.
Eligible for 401K benefit after approximately one full-time season of employment.
-
Description: Our Van Driver’s primary purpose is to provide shuttle service to guests with mobility concerns from the Ward Cove cruise ship pier to our private dock via 14-passenger van. Position also includes occasional transportation services for guests joining our tour independently from downtown Ketchikan.
Responsibilities
- Maintain a clear command 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;
- Provide professional, personalized narration to guests on the trip to our tour vessels;
- Maintain daily shuttle log;
- Collect any required vouchers (as needed) prior to departing cruise ship pier;
- Maintain cleanliness of the van daily and report any maintenance issues to management;
- Additional duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Hold or obtain a First Aid/CPR Card & Alaska Food Workers card;
- Pre-employment drug screening & participation in random testing program throughout the summer;
- Must be at least 25 years old and possess a valid driver’s license with clean driving record;
- Must be able to safely lift up to 75 lbs;
- Must be committed to following federal, state, & local health & safety requirements as per industry standards;
- Participation in a 14-Passenger Van Safety training program.
Wage & Hours
Hourly wage is DOE (+tips) with a minimum starting wage of $18/hr. This is a part-time position, averaging 20-25 hours per week. Daily schedule is variable, including weekends and some holidays. A $1.50 per hour worked bonus is awarded at the completion of season contract.
Eligible for 401K benefit after approximately one full-time season of employment.
Our official recruitment period opens January 1st for our 2025 tour season! Please submit all inquiries/resumes to [email protected]
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 also open the door for 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!