Independent Contractor Merchant Mariner Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This vacancy is for a GS - 2101 - 13, Senior Merchant Mariner Evaluation Specialist (Deck) located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, NMC MARINER EXAMINATIONS BRANCH in Location Negotiable After Selection
Learn more about this agency
Duties
Help
You will serve as a Senior Merchant Mariner Evaluation Specialist (Deck) and be responsible for providing advisory services and administering the regulatory provisions and controls for examinations supporting the Merchant Mariner Credentialing program. In this role, you will be responsible for the examination of merchant marine personnel and the development of knowledge-based competency examinations and examination systems.
Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include:

• Managing the full lifecycle of deck examination content, from development to revision, by researching technical and legal sources to create new material and ensure exams are current with vessel technology.
• Directing the item analysis program by performing and interpreting complex psychometric evaluations, providing authoritative feedback to training providers, and making final decisions on revising or removing flawed test items.
• Acting as the final technical authority for the branch by responding to the most complex internal and external inquiries, challenges, and reconsideration requests related to maritime credentialing and examinations.
• Providing authoritative guidance, on-the-job training, and direction to other examination specialists (GS-12s) and regional exam centers to ensure the quality, timeliness, and consistency of the program.
• Acting as the expert on examination processes, independently reconciling the most difficult inconsistencies, monitoring performance metrics, and implementing program-wide improvements to ensure effectiveness and economy

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Reasonable Accommodation Information
Open Continuous: You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. Upon application, you may be provided a testing window to complete additional assessments. This testing window may stipulate a completion deadline before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to complete the additional online assessments within the timeline provided to remain in consideration for this vacancy announcement. Failure to complete the online assessments within the testing window for this announcement will not preclude you from being considered for and completing the online assessments during a testing window on a future announcement.
NOTE: This announcement has an open period until 11/11/2026, with applicant cut-off dates every 30 days. Applications received that meet the eligibility and qualification criteria may be referred for further consideration based on the following cut-off dates:
Friday, September 11, 2026
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

Key Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
• A one-year probationary period may be required.
• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation. This position requires a public trust clearance.
• This is not a Bargaining Unit position.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

The Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience or substitution of education for experience or combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:
EDUCATION:
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study accounting, business administration, business or commercial law, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, industrial management, statistics, traffic management, transportation, motor mechanics, or other fields related to the position.
or
Experience
Specialized Experience: Experience that demonstrated a knowledge of the transportation function(s) of the position to be filled.
AND
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Examples of specialized experience include performing the following types of tasks on a regular basis.

• Performing deck officer duties on large, self-propelled vessels, including planning and executing safe navigation, supervising complex on-deck operations, managing vessel stability, and ensuring compliance with safety and security protocols
• Leading a technical program or team by setting priorities, directing and reviewing work, assigning duties to meet strategic goals, and providing training or mentorship on complex policies and procedures
• Serving as a technical expert responsible for preparing official written documents (e.g., policy recommendations, final reports) and authoritatively communicating complex information and final decisions to diverse audiences.

NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or related applicable assessment) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
NOTE: Education can not be substituted for experience at this grade level.
Selective Placement Factor(s) must be met in order to receive further consideration. You will be given the opportunity to address these when you apply on-line.

• U.S. Merchant Mariner Pathway: Hold (or have held) a valid U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) in the grade of Chief Mate any gross tons or higher
• Military Pathway: Possess equivalent military experience as a DWO on vessels of 1600 GRT or higher
• Subject Matter Expert Pathway: Have been employed for two (2) or more years as a civilian Subject Matter Engineer Expert in the Mariner Training and Assessment Division at the National Maritime Center (NMC).

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
This position does have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.
Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution. Once selected & prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. (see FOREIGN EDUCATION below).
College Transcript: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Transcripts should be legible and detailed, showing course number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. To receive this credit, you must submit evidence of equivalency as provided by a credentialling evaluation service. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Student Loan: Selectee(s) for this position who are newly appointed to a permanent or term position may be eligible for student loan repayment up to $10,000 (pre-tax) for one calendar year. More than one loan may be repaid if the combined repayments do not exceed $10,000. Receipt of this incentive will require a three-year service agreement.
Additional information
E-Verify
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
Fair Chance Act
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to britney.kane@uscg.mil.
Suitability Statement
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Shared Certificates Statement
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
Special Employment Consideration
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links a