Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Canadian Coast Guard Atlantic Region

 Selection Process Number: 24-DFO-ACCG-EA-CCG-615489

Job Title: Fishing Officer/Fishing Mate - Marine
Classification: SO-MAO-06

Locations: St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador), Dartmouth (Nova Scotia)

Rate of pay:
SO-MAO-06: $48.64 - $53.89 per hour.

Who can apply: Persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents residing abroad.

Closing Date: February 8, 2026

🐟 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 Watchkeeping Mate Near Coastal and a Transport Canada Fishing Master Class III or higher
• You have experience as a Fishing Mate, Officer of a Watch, Boatswain or Deck Supervisor on a Commercial Stern Trawler
• You have an interest in science research fishing operations
• You enjoy working with a commitment to safety, security and service
• You've got great interpersonal skills and love working with a team

What you’ll be doing as key activities:

• You will be supervising all research fishing operations, ensuring that the requirements of the Science Branch are met.
• You will be responsible for the custody and maintenance of all fishing equipment aboard the Departmental Research Vessel.
• Your position will be conning the vessel during fishing operations in co-operation with the Officer of the Watch; controlling all necessary winches from the central control point on the vessel’s bridge or fishing deck; monitoring such variables as warp length, vessel’s speed, depth, time and other parameters which determine the success of each set.
• Standing a navigational watch at sea, assumes responsibility for safety of vessel and crew.
• You will participate in 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

English essential

Information on language requirements

📌 Certification

• Valid Transport Canada Watchkeeping Mate Near Coastal or higher AND;
• Valid Transport Canada Fishing Master Class III or higher.

• Experience as a Fishing Officer, Officer of a Watch or Boatswain on a Canadian Coast Guard Offshore Fishery Science Vessel OR;
• Experience as a Fishing Mate, Officer of a Watch, Boatswain or Deck Supervisor on a Commercial Stern Trawler.

📌 Competencies

• Working effectively with others
• Dependability
• Judgment

📌 Asset Qualifications 

• Valid Transport Canada Watchkeeping Mate Certificate CoC or higher.
• Valid Transport Canada Fishing Master Class II CoC or higher.
• Successful completion of training in one or more of the following areas:
  • Rescue Specialist
  • Twiners Course
• Experience in repairing and maintaining Stern Trawler Fishing Gear and Equipment such as splicing wire rope, natural and synthetic fibre ropes.

⚓ Conditions of Employment

• Maintain secret security clearance
• Maintain a 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 travel by air, land or by sea
• Requirement to wear and maintain a uniform, safety footwear, and personal protective equipment to Canadian Coast Guard standards
• Required to work overtime when required
• Willingness to be deployed within the Atlantic Region
• Compliance with the Canadian Coast Guard Safety Management System and Standards
• Adherence to the Canadian Coast Guard Respiratory Protection Program
• For vessels assigned primarily to Search and Rescue operations, employees must be- within 30 minutes response time to the vessel during assigned work period
• Valid Canadian Passport (for identified positions). For Canadian Permanent Residents: valid Permanent Resident card.

👉 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:

Jamie Stensrud

James.Stensrud@dfo-mpo.gc.ca