Job Description

Posting number: 2026DR28072

Department: MTD - Metro Transit

Division: Marine

Job classification: Marine Captain (AB2 : Maritime Coalition-Captains)

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Transportation, Transit

Summary

This recruitment is open only to current King County Metro Transit employees within the Marine Division who have successfully completed their probationary period in their current position and who are currently eligible to serve as a Bump-Up Captain within the Division.

The Marine Division with King County Metro Transit is hiring for a Marine Captain for the Water Taxi team.

Our Captains work onboard our Water Taxi vessels, which are based out of the Pier 50 passenger only ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront. While working under the direction of the Port Captain, the Marine Captain commands the vessel and all crew activities in alignment with applicable regulations and service schedules. The Captain plays a critical role by providing consistent leadership of vessel operations, ensuring open communication between crews and shoreside management, and ensuring the safety and security of the vessel, its passengers, and crew members. This position directly supports the County's interest in ensuring our commuters have a reliable way to access our downtown core through our Vashon Island and West Seattle service routes.

King County Water Taxi System:

King County has been operating Water Taxi services since October 2009. In 2019, the Marine Division joined King County Metro to help Metro meet its goals of incorporating multiple modes of transit, including buses, boats, trains, shuttles, accessible services, and rideshare programs.

The Marine Division operates the Water Taxi ferry service on two routes in Puget Sound, both originating at Pier 50 in downtown Seattle: one route to West Seattle and the other to Vashon Island. The Water Taxi provides year-round service 7 days a week, 11 to 17 hours daily. In addition to King County Water taxi service, Kitsap County currently provides passenger-only ferry service to Kingston, Bremerton and Southworth, which all use the King County passenger-only facility in Seattle.

Recruitment Information:

This recruitment is looking to fill (1) Special Duty Assignment (SDA) for a Marine Captain. This recruitment may also be used to generate an eligibility pool for future SDA vacancies that may occur in this classification within the Marine Division. The eligibility pool will be retained for six (6) months from the date it is established.

Who May Apply:

This recruitment is open only to current King County Metro Transit employees within the Marine Division who have successfully completed their probationary period in their current position and who are currently eligible to serve as a Bump-Up Captain within the Division.

Questions? If you have any questions regarding this position or recruitment, please contact Daniel Russell, Talent Advisor at darussell@kingcounty.gov.

Examples of duties

Applying our ACTIVATE values: being Accountable, Collaborative, Timely, and Impactful; how we Value Employees; staying Accessible; building what’s Trusted; and acting Equitably, is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. As a Marine Captain, you will also:

• Prepare the vessel for service and for turnover or shutdown.
• Be responsible for vessel navigation and maneuvering demonstrating knowledge of the rules of the road, determine course and speed of vessel using knowledge of weather, tides, and currents.
• Supervise crew on duty to ensure safe, efficient ferry operations.
• Serve as the person-in-charge aboard the vessel, communicate with other vessels, shoreside, law enforcement, emergency services, and division management as needed.
• Ensure vessel is operated in strict compliance with U. S. Coast Guard and other applicable regulations; render aid to other vessels or individuals in distress in accordance with maritime law.
• Serve as Vessel Security Officer and perform security duties in accordance with regulations; maintain security equipment in good operating condition; conduct safety and security checks.
• Conduct crew training and perform drills as required; under direction of the Port Captain, conduct staff training in passenger safety orientation and other related subjects as required for safe operation.
• Maintain all vessel logs and associated records.
• Ensure the vessel and navigational aids are in good operational condition and well maintained.
• Perform vessel and dock maintenance.
• Adhere to the published service schedule with the goal of maintaining on-time performance.
• Ensure the crew adequately performs housekeeping duties and the vessel is maintained in a sanitary condition.

Qualifications

To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Possess the following credentials:

• A valid Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
• A valid United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner's Document (MMD) or Merchant Mariner's Credential (MMC) with minimum endorsement of 100 Ton Master License valid upon Inland Waters.
• A valid Marine Radio Operator Permit (MP) issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

1. One (1) or more years of work experience serving in the role of Captain on a high-speed USCG-inspected passenger vessel; or, be a King County Water Taxi employee currently placed in the King County Metro Transit Marine Division Captain’s Eligibility List and having held this status for one (1) or more years; or, some combination thereof totaling one (1) or more years.

The most competitive applicants will also possess these desirable qualifications:

• Leadership experience.
• Experience navigating US Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel in Pacific Northwest waters.
• Experience operating high speed vessels.
• Certification in Fire Safety Training and Life Saving Training.
• Ability to work effectively with others in a work environment that embraces and encourages diversity in its workforce and where differences are valued.
• Ability to demonstrate behaviors that include fairness, respect, and inclusiveness.
• Ability to respond safely, effectively, and expeditiously during an emergency.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to resolve conflict, solve problems, and listen effectively.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
• Knowledge of workload planning and scheduling, with ability to effectively manage competing priorities.
• Basic computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and computerized work order systems, e.g. EAM.
• Ability to be punctual in order to provide reliable sailings as scheduled for the traveling public.

Supplemental information

To Apply:

Required Application Materials:

• An online employment application with employment history going back at least ten years if you have ten years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience). Be sure to list all job duties, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving.
• A Letter of Interest, which describes:

1. Why you believe you are a strong fit for the SDA Captain role
2. What strengths, experience, and leadership style you would bring to the position
3. Your approach to supporting team development, and training
4. How you prioritize safety, consistency, and operational excellence in your day-to-day work.
5. Examples of your contribution to team culture or processes improvements

• A Resume
• Completed Supplemental Questions

Selection Process:

Applications will be screened to determine whether candidates meet the minimum qualifications, as well as for clarity, completeness, and responsiveness to the application instructions above. Applications submitted that omit the required attachments will be considered incomplete and will be removed from further consideration. Applicants may be selected based on their submitted application, supplemental question answers, letter of interest, and resume. Highly competitive applicants may be asked to interview. Formal offers will be finalized after candidates have successfully completed any necessary pre-employment processes, such as internal record reviews or reference checks, etc. Applicants must have supervisor approval prior to taking a Special Duty Assignment.

Work Environment and Location:

The work location will be at Pier 50 on the downtown Seattle waterfront. You will be working outdoors on board the Water Taxi passenger vessel, as well as inside the cabin and pilothouse of the vessel, in all weather conditions. The Pier 50 facility is located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square district, within easy walking distance to popular urban residential neighborhoods like Queen Anne, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and near bus lines, Link Light Rail and the Sounder (commuter train) Station.

Work Schedule:

The position is anticipated to be full time, with 34-40 hours scheduled per week. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore overtime eligible with prior supervisory approval. Employees must be available and willing to work any shift (including early mornings, evenings, weekends, split shifts, and holidays). This position is not eligible for telework/remote work.

Safety Sensitive:

This position is considered safety-sensitive. Applicants for positions defined as safety-sensitive are required to undergo drug testing prior to employment and, subsequent to the commencement of employment, will be subject to random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal DOT and United States Coast Guard (USCG) alcohol and controlled substances testing program protocols.

SAFTEY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR AN EMPLOYEE:

• Responsible for understanding the Metro Transit Safety Policy and their role in safety.
• Report all safety concerns.
• Follow safety practices and procedures as necessary to maintain a safe work environment and in conformance with applicable regulations, policies, and training.
• Report safety and security concerns and ideas to supervisors or anonymously through data collection system.

Class Code / Pay Grade

9620100 Marine Captain / Grade 67

Union Membership

This position is represented by International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots (MM&P).

KING COUNTY'S VISION, MISSION, AND ACTIVATE VALUES UNITE US:

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

KING COUNTY IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER:

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.