SALTS Job Board
Professional Crewmember
Description
The mission of SALTS is to develop the spiritual, relational, and physical potential of young people through sail training, shipboard life and associated activities in a Christian environment. Our core values are faith, integrity, and community. If you are passionate about supporting this mission and values, we want to hear from you! Crew members directly support the mission of SALTS by providing sail and life training to the young people who climb aboard our schooners. As a crew member, you'll experience the close community that forms aboard the SALTS ships, meaningful work with young people, amazing "office" views, and plenty of opportunities to grow your skills—in both life and sailing!
Crew-employment is full-time year-round, and our sailing season runs from March through October, and crew members spend much of their time at sea during those months, with intermittent shoreside time. We welcome applicants year-round and sometimes fill vacancies mid season. The bulk of our crew hiring usually happens in the fall, with start dates in late fall or January. Our trips explore the BC coast, from the Gulf Islands all the way to Haida Gwaii, and trips range from 4-10 days each depending on the time of year. During the off-season, new crew members take training courses to prepare for the upcoming seasons, while existing crew are able to use vacation time and prepare/maintain our schooners. We generally require a commitment to remain in a crew role for the duration of our sailing season, with occasional exceptions.
Applications for professional crew roles will be reviewed by our hiring committee as they are received, and positions are based out of our office and marina in Victoria. Not an experienced sailor? That's okay—SALTS provides all the training necessary to safely operate our ships and fulfill entry level crew roles! Experienced sailor? We've got officer roles too.
General Requirements for Professional Crew:
- The ability to work with young people, to spend time with them and respond to their spiritual needs
- Wholehearted agreement with a Christian statement of faith and ethics, which will be reviewed during the hiring process (see details of our No Discrimination policy below).
- Legally entitled to work in Canada
- Other specific requirements which vary by role (SALTS arranges training for new crew-members)
Beneficial, but not required:
- Previous experience with the SALTS program as a trainee or volunteer crew member (this ensures a familiarity with our program, culture, and values, and demonstrates a high level of interest in all aspects of shipboard life)
- Musical ability - though not all crew members need to be musical, we need enough musically gifted crew members aboard each ship to lead singing (with instruments) during evening mug-up
Though technical skills and seamanship have a high priority in most crew roles (they are not as critical for our cooks), SALTS is unique in the marine industry in that we do not require new entry-level crew members to be fully trained before being hired. We typically arrange and pay for most training courses after hiring new crew members and before the sailing season begins, although applicants with prior training are welcome as well. For a sense of the type of training entry-level crew-members receive if hired, please see this Course List.
No Discrimination:
SALTS is committed to maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace as per its obligations under applicable human rights legislation. SALTS will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, or any other protected ground. Where a position is integral to the fulfillment of SALTS’ primary Christian spiritual purpose, SALTS requires adherence to the Christian religion. SALTS’ primary spiritual purpose is stated in our constitution: “to develop the spiritual… potential of young people…in a Christian environment” through primary means that include “to advance, teach, and model spiritual growth and beliefs associated with the Christian faith.” As such, our volunteer Board members, Executive Director, professional crew-members (who are our program leaders), and some of our staff members are Christians who hold beliefs consistent with the Apostles’ Creed. All employees must respect, value, and support the mission of the Society. Advancement of Christian faith is not the only aim of SALTS, and it is pursued in a way that is respectful, welcoming, non-coercive and non-judgmental of program participants from all walks of life and beliefs.
Crew Roles:
Entry level crew roles typically start at an annual salary of $40,000 (unless the person has substantial previous experience), plus group health/dental benefits and paid training. This can increase based on experience and responsibilities, as crew members progress to different roles. The current maximum salary for the role of Captain is $90,000 (total compensation of ~$109,000), though it is reviewed annually.
- Bosun: Provide youth mentorship and Christian spiritual care while conducting ship maintenance under the guidance of the Captain and First Mate. Lead a watch unless there are two Watch Officers aboard ship. View detailed position profile.
- Cook: Cook for 30-40 people four times daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snack) with the help of any available trainees, provide youth mentorship and Christian spiritual care, and assist in sail training and all program activities as time allows. Mentorship from a previous cook is provided. View detailed position profile.
- Watch Officer: Provide watch leadership, youth mentorship, and Christian spiritual care. One Watch Officer per ship also serves as the ship’s medical officer. View detailed position profile.
- First Mate: Leads a watch and acts as second-in-command to the Captain. Has previously served as a Watch Officer or Bosun. View detailed position profile.
- Master/Captain: Overall responsibility for ship navigation, safety, and the SALTS program. Holds a valid Transport Canada certificate "Master 150 Gross Tonnage" or higher and has completed our in-house Captain-in-Training program. View detailed position profile.
To apply for professional crew positions aboard one of our ships, please submit the application form along with your resumé (which can be uploaded as part of the online form). This form is not for shoreside staff positions nor volunteer roles. Aside from confirming that your application was received, we will contact only the candidates whom we wish to follow up with or interview. Applications are received year-round and reviewed as they are received, so apply as early as possible to avoid your preferred roles filling up. Before you apply, please ensure you have read this entire page, that you have read about "Our Mission," and that you are legally entitled to work in Canada.
Compensation
$40,000.00 - $90,000.00