Canadian Coast Guard (an Agency of Fisheries and Oceans Canada) – Fleet

 Selection Process Number: 23-DFO-ACCG-EA-609707

Closing date: January 4, 2026 -23:59, Pacific Time

Job Title: Commanding Officer - Small Vessel Fleet - Marine
Classification: SO-MAO-04 and SO-MAO-06
Tenure: Casual, Deployment, Secondment, Specified Period, Indeterminate
Locations: Various Locations in Atlantic Canada
Rates of pay: SO-MAO-04: $43.50 to $48.58 per hour 
SO-MAO-06: $48.64 to $53.89 per hour
Who can apply: Persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents residing abroad.

About the Job: 

Your Canadian Coast Guard Adventure Awaits!

Embark on an extraordinary maritime adventure with the Canadian Coast Guard!  Join our elite team and embrace a career of courage, resilience, and purpose.  As a guardian of Canada's vast coastal waters, you'll experience the thrill of saving lives, protecting our marine ecosystems, and ensuring maritime safety. Unleash your skills and be part of a tight-knit community that fosters personal growth and professional development. Answer the call, and let the Canadian Coast Guard be your gateway to an exhilarating career on the high seas!

Get to know us:

Want a career where you help save lives?

The Canadian Coast Guard offers a sea of careers that few can emulate. We are an organization that offers its employees the chance to save lives, protect Canada’s pristine environment, and travel to areas so remote that your only neighbor is wildlife. In short, we are anything but ordinary!

As an organization, we oversee ships of all types; cutting-edge helicopters; and employ about 4,500 people, who work tirelessly to protect and secure 243,000 kilometers of Canada’s vast and rugged coastline.
The Canadian Coast Guard has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People in 2023! Apply now so you don’t miss the boat!

Who you are:

• You have a Transport Canada Master, 150GT Domestic with Contiguous Waters Endorsement or higher
• You have experience operating small vessels
• You have an ability to administer financial, human and materiel resources
• You enjoy working with a commitment to safety, security and service
• You've got great interpersonal and strong leadership skills to manage a diverse team even in difficult situations
• You have a natural ability to mentor others by using skills and knowledge.
• You have an interest in search and rescue, conservation and protection and science operations

What you’ll be doing as key activities:

• You will be administering and managing the vessel's financial, human and materiel resources to ensure that the vessel is operated within the allocated budget and in accordance with applicable plans, standards, programs, regulations and directives of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
• You will be planning, organizing, directing, controlling and coordinating all the operations of the vessel and equipment in the performance of assigned tasks, and provides functional and operational advice on missions and mission objectives.
• You will ensure a high standard of safety and security of the vessel in port and at sea, supervises the vessel's officers, crew and assigned staff, promotes their well-being and productivity as well as identifies the need for and conducts training.
• You will be participating in helicopter and small craft operations as well as programs in Search and Rescue, Environmental Response, Boating Safety, Conservation and Protection, Science and Marine Aids to Navigation programs. 
• You will be providing all support necessary to ensure CCG meets its mandate.

Working with us:

The intent of this selection process is to create an inventory of qualified candidates to be used to staff casual, term and indeterminate opportunities within the Canadian Coast Guard.

Our offer to you:

Benefits of working at the Canadian Coast Guard include:

• Company paid training - great opportunities for advancement.
• Unionized position with the

  Canadian Merchant Service Guild.

• Our crew enjoy regular schedules with minimal disruptions - you can plan your time at home.
• We sail safe - your safety is our top priority.
• Public Service Pension: Prospective members of the public service pension plan - Canada.ca
• Public Service Health Care plan:  Public Service Health Care Plan | Maximum Eligible Expenses (pshcp.ca)
• Public Service Dental Plan:  Welcome Public Service Dental Care Plan! (canadalife.com)
• Leave provisions such as vacation leave, sick leave, bereavement, personal and more as outlined in the collective agreement

Essential Qualifications

Various language requirements
English essential
Bilingual Imperative (--B/--B)

Information on language requirements

Certification

■ Possession of Transport Canada Master, 150GT Domestic with Contiguous Waters Endorsement or higher certificate

Competencies

■ Communication Skills

■ Uphold Integrity and Respect

■ Mobilize People

■ Collaborate with Partners and Stakeholders

■ Create Vision and Strategy

■ Promote Change and Innovation

■ Achieve Results

Asset Qualifications 

DEPENDING ON THE POSITION BEING STAFFED, ANY OF THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS MAY ALSO BE DEEMED AS AN ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATION AND ONLY CANDIDATES AND PERSONS WITH A PRIORITY ENTITLEMENT WHO POSSESS THOSE QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THAT SPECIFIC VACANCY

 Certification

■ Valid Transport Canada Master, 500GT Domestic or higher

■ Successful completion of Simulated Electronic Navigation O (SEN 1A and 1B) training.

■ Successful completion of the Canadian Coast Guard Small Vessel Command Course.

Experience

■  Experience as a Commanding Officer on a Small Fleet Coast Guard vessel involved in one or more of the following operations:

• • Search and Rescue
  • Conservation and Protection
  • Science

■  Experience on Fishing Vessels.

■  Experience in carrying out the requirements of the ship’s Safety Management System

Conditions of Employment

■ Maintain valid Secret Security Clearance.

■ Maintain valid Health Canada Medical for seagoing personnel.

■ Maintain a valid Certificate of Competency.

■ Requirement to go to sea for prolonged periods of time and in adverse weather conditions.

■ Requirement to wear and maintain a uniform, safety footwear, and personal protective equipment to Canadian Coast Guard standards.

■ Compliance with the Canadian Coast Guard Safety Management System and Standards.

■ Adherence to the Canadian Coast Guard Respiratory Protection Program.

■ Willingness and ability to work overtime as required.

■ Willingness to be deployed within the Atlantic Region.

■ Must be willing and able to travel by air, land or by sea.

■ Valid Canadian Passport (for identified positions). For Canadian Permanent Residents: valid Permanent Resident card.

■ For vessels assigned primarily to Search and Rescue operations, employees must be within 30 minutes response time to the vessel during assigned work period.

Organizational Need

At Fisheries and Oceans Canada, diversity is our strength. In support of achieving a diverse workforce, selection may be limited to candidates who self-declare as a member of one of more of the following Employment Equity groups. If you are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a visible minority, let us know by completing the Employment Equity (EE) section in your application.

Self-declaring. Because you count.

By completing the Employment Equity section in your application, you help create a Public Service that is diverse, inclusive and representative of identities, cultures, perspectives and experiences that make up Canada.

Important Messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you are a person with a disability (e.g. a learning difficulty or a visual or auditory impairment) and require accommodation during any phase of the evaluation process (including the submission of your application), please notify the person listed in the ‘Contact Information’ section below to request an accommodation measure. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

Connect with us

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Canadian Coast Guard                                            

Contact information:

Candice Reath, Atlantic Region Project Coordinator - Fleet

Candice.Reath@dfo-mpo.gc.ca