Marine traffic and search and rescue jobs

The Canadian Coast Guard’s marine traffic and search and rescue teams keep mariners safe and Canada’s ocean economy thriving from coast to coast to coast. On an average day, the Canadian Coast Guard responds to 18 search and rescue incidents, helps 47 people, and saves 13 lives. We’re currently hiring for maritime search and rescue coordinators and marine communications and traffic services officers across Canada.

On this page

• Marine Communications and Traffic Services officer
• Assistant maritime search and rescue coordinator
• Maritime search and rescue coordinator

Marine Communications and Traffic Services officer

Marine Communications and Traffic Services officers are the eyes and ears of Canada’s waterways. They work from 12 centres across Canada, from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., to Victoria, B.C.

Apply now to a Marine Communications and Traffic Services officer position

Duties

Some of a Marine Communications and Traffic Services officer’s duties are:

• listening for distress and safety calls from mariners on the water
• monitoring and coordinating marine traffic to prevent accidents
• broadcasting safety information to vessels in Canadian waters, like weather and navigational warnings
• preventing the entry of defective or deficient vessels into Canadian waters
• ensuring compliance with Canadian policies and regulations

Requirements

To apply for an Marine Communications and Traffic Services officer position, you must:

• have a secondary school diploma or a combination of:
  • training
  • education
  • experience
• have skills in memory, coding, and spatial reasoning
• be able to type at least 30 words-per-minute with 95% accuracy

Classification and salary range

• RO-01
• Annual salary range: $49,712 to $70,700 (More information about the radio operations rates of pay)

Assistant maritime search and rescue coordinator

Assistant maritime search and rescue coordinators help organize our responses to marine search and rescue incidents. To help save lives and minimize injuries or damages during incidents, they plan and coordinate search and rescue resources from the Canadian Coast Guard and our partners and volunteers.

Duties

Some of an assistant maritime search and rescue coordinator’s duties are:

• helping to coordinate and monitor on-water search and rescue operations
• managing maritime communications, including communicating with persons and boats in distress
• helping to develop operational plans and standards to support search and rescue operations
• gathering and sharing important maritime information in reports
• tracking search and rescue resources, including:
  • boats
  • aircraft
  • personnel
• keeping key technology up to date, including the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
• participating in exercises with partners and stakeholders

Requirements

To apply for an assistant maritime search and rescue coordinator position, you must have:

• a secondary school diploma or a combination of:
  • training
  • education
  • experience
• experience working in one of the following:
  • in the maritime industry
  • in public-facing services
  • as a first responder

Classification and salary range

• GT-04
• Annual salary range: $74,995 to $85,266 (More information about the general technical rates of pay)

Maritime search and rescue coordinator

Our maritime search and rescue coordinators organize our responses to on-water emergencies, including vessels in distress. To help save lives and minimize injuries or damages during incidents, they plan and coordinate search and rescue resources from the Canadian Coast Guard and our partners and volunteers.

Apply now for a maritime search and rescue coordinator position

Duties

Some of a maritime search and rescue coordinator’s duties are:

• coordinating maritime search and rescue operations, including:
  • planning and establishing action plans
  • working with our partners and stakeholders, including the:
    • Royal Canadian Air Force
    • Royal Canadian Mounted Police
    • United States Coast Guard 
• controlling and monitoring search and rescue operations on the water
• helping to develop operational plans and standards to support search and rescue operations
• coordinating the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue resources, including:
  • boats
  • aircraft
  • personnel
• organizing and participating in exercises with partners and stakeholders

Requirements

To apply for a maritime search and rescue coordinator position, you must have:

• a secondary school diploma or a combination of:
  • training
  • education
  • experience
• a Watchkeeping Mate certification or a Watchkeeping Mate, Near Coastal certificate
• at least 12 months of experience working in maritime search and rescue services. This can include working:
  • as a navigation officer in charge of a watch
  • in the Canadian Coast Guard’s operations branch
  • as a maritime coordinator in a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre or Marine Rescue Sub-Centre

Classification and salary range

• GT-06
• Annual salary range: $93,148 to $106,393 (More information about the general technical rates of pay)