ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Vessel Operator Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Hornblower

City Cruises DC - Host/Hostess

Washington, DC · On-site

$18.40/hr

... and operating services including NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and other regional ferry systems Hornblower Group's subsidiaries include Hornblower Marine, which provides vessel outhaul and ...

Hornblower

City Cruises DC - Server

Washington, DC · On-site

$17.95/hr

... and operating services including NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and other regional ferry systems Hornblower Group's subsidiaries include Hornblower Marine, which provides vessel outhaul and ...

Abbott

Clinical Specialist, Endovascular

Washington, DC · On-site

$61K - $122K/yr

This position will have a heavy focus on Vessel Closure. What You'll Work On * Serves as the ... Attend clinical procedures in the Cardiac Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology Lab, and Operating ...

Abbott

Clinical Specialist, Endovascular

Washington, DC · On-site

$61K - $122K/yr

This position will have a heavy focus on Vessel Closure. What You'll Work On * Serves as the ... Attend clinical procedures in the Cardiac Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology Lab, and Operating ...

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS

Technician (Mechanic)

Annapolis, MD · On-site

$24.75 - $33.75/hr

Description Safe Harbor Marinas, LLC (SHM) is the largest owner and operator of marinas in the ... Troubleshoot, repair, and install vessel systems and components including but not limited to ...

Safe Harbor Marinas

Technician (Mechanic)

Annapolis, MD

$24.75 - $33.75/hr

Safe Harbor Marinas, LLC (SHM) is the largest owner and operator of marinas in the world. As a fast ... Troubleshoot, repair, and install vessel systems and components including but not limited to ...

Ocean Atomics LLC

Balance of Plant Engineer

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$110K - $240K/yr

... vessel built to our nuclear-ready standards, and will provide end-to-end sustainment in our planned nuclear lifecycle dockyard. We will help develop the licensed operators to unlock this new ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsVessel Operator JobsVessel Operator Jobs in Washington

Vessel Operator information

What does a vessel operator do?

A vessel operator oversees various aspects of a ship’s operations including voyage planning, crew management, payments, and paperwork. As a ship operator, your job duties include holding meetings with stevedores, contractors, agents, and crew members; preparing productivity reports; identifying ways to increase productivity; arranging necessary service or maintenance; and handling bills of lading, letters of indemnity, and manifests. You must be a good problem solver, able to handle a variety of tasks. As a vessel operator, you may work on a cargo ship, tanker, or another type of vessel.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a vessel operator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Vessel Operator, you need a solid understanding of maritime regulations, vessel logistics, and port operations, often supported by relevant maritime certifications or a degree in maritime studies. Familiarity with vessel tracking systems, shipping management software, and international documentation processes is typically required. Strong organizational skills, problem-solving ability, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for coordinating with crews, clients, and authorities. These competencies ensure efficient vessel operations, regulatory compliance, and safe, timely movement of cargo in the maritime industry.

What are some common challenges a vessel operator faces when coordinating shipments, and how can these be managed effectively?

Vessel Operators often encounter challenges such as unexpected port delays, last-minute changes to cargo manifests, and coordinating with multiple stakeholders across different time zones. Effective management involves proactive communication with agents, shippers, and crew, as well as closely monitoring vessel schedules and operational updates. Utilizing digital tools for real-time tracking and maintaining strong relationships with port authorities can also help resolve issues quickly and keep shipments on track.

What is the difference between Vessel Operator vs Marine Deckhand?

AspectVessel OperatorMarine Deckhand
Required CertificationsSTCW certifications, licenses for vessel operationSTCW certifications, basic safety training
Work EnvironmentBridge or control room, vessel operationDeck, exterior of vessel, cargo handling
Employer & Industry UsageShipping companies, maritime industryMaritime, fishing, cargo transport
Job FocusNavigation, vessel control, safetyDeck maintenance, cargo, mooring

While both roles are essential in maritime operations, Vessel Operators focus on navigating and controlling vessels, requiring specific licenses and certifications. Marine Deckhands assist with deck work, cargo, and maintenance. Understanding these differences helps job seekers find the right position in the maritime industry.

What is a vessel operator?

Vessel operators are professionals responsible for managing the daily operations of ships or vessels, ensuring they run efficiently and safely. Their duties include coordinating shipping schedules, communicating with ports and cargo handlers, monitoring compliance with maritime regulations, and handling any issues that arise during voyages. Vessel operators play a key role in the logistics and shipping industry, working closely with ship owners, crew, and logistics partners to oversee cargo movements and maintain optimal vessel performance.
More about Vessel Operator jobs
What are popular job titles related to Vessel Operator jobs in Washington? For Vessel Operator jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Vessel Operator jobs in Washington look for? The top searched job categories for Vessel Operator jobs in Washington are:
What cities in Washington are hiring for Vessel Operator jobs? Cities in Washington with the most Vessel Operator job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Vessel Operator jobs in WA? For Vessel Operator jobs in WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Vessel Operator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vessel Operator job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 9% Temporary. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Senior Full Stack Software Engineer

Quartermaster AI Inc

Arlington, VA • On-site

$210K - $260K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago

Job description

About Us
Quartermaster is building the world's most comprehensive maritime intelligence platform. Our SmartMast™ system transforms commercial and civilian vessels into a persistent, distributed sensing network-combining HD video, AI, radar, RF sensing, and AIS to deliver real-time maritime domain awareness at global scale. With 600+ sensors deployed across 25+ countries and more than 400,000 vessels identified outside of AIS, we are setting a new standard for what ocean surveillance and safety can look like. We are a mission-driven, high-velocity team building dual-use technology for defense agencies, coast guards, and commercial maritime operators.
Job Description
We are looking for a Senior Full Stack Software Engineer to help us build and scale the Quartermaster product-the operator-facing application used by defense analysts, coast guard operators, and commercial fleet managers to monitor, query, and act on maritime intelligence in real time. You will own features end-to-end, from backend geospatial fusion to React components, and your work will directly shape how our customers interact with data collected from sensors spanning the globe. You should be able to work asynchronously across a distributed team.
Key Responsibilities
  • Design, build, and ship full-stack features across our React web portal and Spring backend services.
  • Develop and maintain versioned RESTful APIs that surface sensor data, vessel telemetry, and AI detection outputs to end users.
  • Architect and evolve our microservices layer running on AWS, ensuring reliability, scalability, and low latency under high-throughput data conditions.
  • Optimize PostGIS queries and data access patterns to support bulk artifact retrieval, map rendering, and time-series analysis across hundreds of vessels.
  • Build internal admin and fleet management tools that help our operations team configure, monitor, and support deployed SmartMast units.
  • Collaborate closely with our design team to implement pixel-precise UI components for data-dense map views and sensor visualizations.
  • Participate in on-call rotations and take ownership of service reliability and incident response for your services.
  • Review code, mentor engineers, and raise the technical bar for the team.
Qualifications (Preferred)
  • 5+ years of professional full-stack software engineering experience.
  • Strong command of React and modern JavaScript/TypeScript for building complex, stateful web applications.
  • Solid backend chops in Spring Boot; experience designing and building REST APIs at scale.
  • Hands-on experience with PostGIS document databases; able to design schemas and write performant queries.
  • Working knowledge of AWS services (S3, Lambda, ECS/EKS, IoT Core, CloudWatch) and infrastructure-as-code tooling.
  • Experience with microservices architecture, containerization (Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Ability to read and reason about complex data flows involving real-time streams, large media assets, and geospatial coordinates.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Bonus Points:
    • Experience with geospatial data, mapping libraries (Mapbox, Leaflet, Deck.gl), or AIS/vessel tracking systems.
    • Familiarity with WebSockets or SSE for real-time UI updates.
    • Background in defense, maritime, or government software with exposure to data security requirements.
    • Experience integrating ML model outputs into user-facing product features.
Work Environment
  • Distributed team environment working asynchronously.
  • Start-up atmosphere with autonomy given to engineers
  • In office and flexible hours

Apply