Overview
Join to apply for the Boating Officer role at British Antarctic Survey.
There will be a period of UK training, August to October, before deploying south. Boating Officers are deployed to Rothera and KEP research stations on different contract lengths.
Rothera Station: One wintering role. Contract duration of August 2026 to March 2028.
KEP station: Two wintering roles. Contract duration of August 2026 to December 2027.
Purpose
Boating Officer - Rothera
To manage, operate and maintain small boats (RIBs) at Rothera Research Station supporting a variety of scientific and operational remits. These include training, water sampling, deployment and retrieval of scientific instruments, diving operations, marine search & rescue (SAR) cover, aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting services (RFFS) boat cover and transporting scientists to and from local islands. Boating officers also assist in the station recreational programme by taking colleagues on boat trips enjoying the local area and observing wildlife.
To manage, operate and maintain the small boats used in support of the Government of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Survey from KEP research station.
Duties
* Day-to-day management of the boating fleet. Tasking will be related to weather conditions and various priorities in order to support the scientific and operational work at Rothera Research Station.
* Working alongside the Bonner Lab manager, field dive officer, marine biologist, ocean scientist, marine operator and visiting scientists to plan boating and SCUBA diving activities in support of scientific research and station operations.
* Coxswain each of the 4 RIBs, ranging from 6m to 7.5m in length, all with twin outboard engines (60-115hp).
* Coxswain for scientific SCUBA diving operations.
* Advise the Rothera Station Leader on safety issues associated with boating operations.
* Carry out regular planned maintenance on boats, outboard engines and checks on boat communications equipment.
* Carry out minor and major repair work on the boats. This may include various mechanical and electrical repairs on boat engines and systems, and repairs to glass fibre hulls and inflatable sponsons.
* Instruct and train other station staff through a defined training syllabus. This will be through a series of theoretical and practical exercises including launch and recovery, boat handling skills, seamanship, search and rescue techniques and navigation using GPS and chart plotter.
* Provision of marine search and rescue (SAR) cover, including training of station members and creation of SAR duty rotas.
* Provision of rescue and fire-fighting services (RFFS) boat cover for air operations during the flying season.
* Ensure that the annual boating spares inventory and orders take place through the Maximo database system.
* Provide a monthly boating activity and running hours report.
* Provide an annual Rothera Boating Report.
* Assist with revising boating procedures and risk assessments as required by the Deputy Station Operations Manager.
* During winter months when sea ice can form – support water sampling and SCUBA diving activities on / through sea ice.
* Assist in general station duties including cooking, cleaning and winter night watch rounds (on a rota basis), as required by the Station Leader.
* Day to day management of the boating fleet. The tasking will be related to weather conditions and various priorities to support government fishery vessel inspections during the winter and scientific work from KEP research station. At KEP you will carry out a variety of boating support tasks, these will primarily be passenger and equipment transfers.
* Coxswain two 10.5m jet drive harbour launches. These have rigid aluminium hulls and are driven by two Yanmar 315 bhp diesel engines and twin Hamilton jet drives.
* Coxswain two 5.5m Humber Destroyer RIBs with twin Evinrude 40 bhp engines. These are mainly used for beach landings.
* Advise the Station Leader and Government Officers on safety issues associated with boating operations.
* Carry out regular planned maintenance on diesel engines, outboard engines, Hamilton jet drives and checks on boat comms equipment.
* Carry out minor and major repair work on the boats. This may include various mechanical and electrical repairs on the boat engines and systems, glass fibre hulls and sponson repairs.
* Instruct and train other station staff through a defined training syllabus. This will be through a series of theoretical and practical exercises including launch and recovery, boat handling skills, seamanship, search and rescue techniques and navigation using GPS / chart plotter / radar.
* Ensure that the annual boating spares inventory and orders take place through the Maximo database system.
* Provide a monthly boating activity and running hours report
* Assist in general station rotas including cooking, cleaning and station watch rounds as required by the Station Leader
* Assist with revising boating procedures and risk assessments as required by the Station Operations Manager
* Produce an annual KEP station boating report
Skills, Qualifications, and Experience
* Extensive small boat handling experience in coastal waters in a professional capacity
* Sound judgement of prevailing maritime conditions with ability to convey confident and conservative decisions to others based on these assessments
* Able to plan and deliver boating operations in a safe and efficient manner
* Competent navigation skills using manual and electronic methods
* Experience in delivering boat safety briefs to boat crew and passengers
* Ability to work unsupervised, be self-driven and is hard-working
* Training of other boat users to coxswain and crew standards
* Proficient in written and spoken English language
* Good written skills in order to communicate by email and to produce monthly boating reports
* Excellent communication skills
* Excellent VHF radio communications skills
* Use of boats in a cost–effective manner which reduces mechanical wear and tear and gives due consideration to reducing fuel consumption
* Management of spares and stores
* Able to work and live in a remote and isolated community, including involvement in communal tasks such as cleaning and cooking
* Must be a good team player and be considerate to others
* Experience of working with different stakeholders where customer service skills are key
* Outboard engine maintenance and basic repairs
* Inflatable and glass reinforced plastic (GRP) repairs
* KEP - Diesel engine maintenance and repairs
* You will need to pass a medical test to demonstrate that you are medically fit to work in Antarctic conditions
* Rothera – Experience of coxswain and supporting SCUBA diving operations
* Knowledge and initiative to develop the efficiency of the boating operation
* Experience of operating boats in the vicinity of wildlife
* KEP - Experience of transferring people at sea from vessel to vessel through use of pilot ladders
* Rothera - Experience of transferring people between boat and high ladder on wharf/jetties
* Previous experience use of databases primarily in a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) package
* Ability to understand the needs of different boat user groups, including scientists, and support them in their work
* KEP - Hamilton jet drive repairs (a course will be available if not experienced)
* The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
Seniority level
* Entry level
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Other
* Industries
Note: This description retains the original job information but has been reformatted for accessibility and compliance with formatting standards.
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