Employment Overview
Sea Education Association (SEA) is a non-profit educational institution and an internationally recognized leader in undergraduate ocean education. Since 1971, SEA has educated undergraduate, high school and gap year students about the world’s oceans through its Boston University accredited study abroad programs. SEA is located on Cape Cod in the oceanographic research community of Woods Hole (Falmouth) and owns and operates two sailing research vessels: the SSV Corwith Cramer in the Atlantic Ocean and the SSV Robert C. Seamans in the Pacific.
SEA is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ candidates. SEA is committed to the development of a multicultural environment. We value input of multiple viewpoints and perspectives across the organization; our goal is to create an academic and working community that is rich with cultural, social and intellectual diversity.
EXPLORE
Why Work at SEA
At SEA, we are dedicated to educating and inspiring the next generation of ocean scholars, stewards, and leaders. By joining our team, you’ll play a crucial role in fostering and enhancing knowledge about the state of oceans and coastal communities. Our mission-driven environment provides opportunities to engage in long-term environmental research, collaborate with global partners, and influence public dialogue and policy. As part of SEA, you will contribute to the ongoing impact of our students, faculty, and alumni worldwide. We offer a collaborative and innovative work setting where your efforts will help shape a sustainable future for our oceans, empowering you to make a meaningful difference every day.
Staff
As a small organization, SEA offers staff the opportunity to contribute to a variety of projects and initiatives that relate to their interests and career goals. For full-time staff, SEA offers a variety of benefits including:
Faculty
SEA always welcomes visiting faculty to participate in programs and teach courses in oceanography, blue humanities, and/or environmental communication. If you are interested in applying, please reach out to [email protected].
Crew
Working aboard SEA’s Sailing School Vessels requires our team to live in close quarters with coworkers and students. Each crew member has a bunk with a small area for their possessions, and marine heads (bathrooms) are communal. Meals are prepared by stewards and students, and are served family style. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, especially those medically necessary. Everyone on board is expected to participate in cleaning efforts. Connectivity on SEA vessels is limited, which means almost no internet access during semester programs.
While traveling to new places is one of the highlights of working for SEA, we also expect all crew to work in shipyard/maintenance periods in addition to sailing semester trips. We also expect that crew will participate in non-traditional programs shorter than semester trips that sometimes have missions and goals that diverge from the typical SEA program. These include leadership training for business groups, short programs for alumni and donors, high school programs, and other educational programs.
SEA hires the following positions on a rolling basis:
- Captains
- Mates/Watch Leaders
- Engineers
- Stewards (shipboard cooks)
- Marine Technicians
- Deck & Lab Hands
Please send a resume/cv and a letter detailing your experience, interest and availability to [email protected].
NOTE: All crew must have the legal right to work in the U.S.
Deck Crew Employment
For applications to be considered, applicants must submit the following:
- One-page cover letter detailing the applicant’s interest, qualifications, and availability
- One-page resume, noting your USCG Mariner Credential reference number
- Contact information, email address and phone number, for 3 references (applicants will be notified before references are contacted)
- Ideal candidates for SEA’s Crew positions have USCG credentials with STCW, strong sailing skills and experience teaching at the college and high school level. Contract priority is often given to those candidates who are able to commit to working 2-3 cruises per year , though we also offer short term contracts as well.
- Positions are generally filled 6-12 months in advance of the contract period, but openings sometimes occur on short notice. The work is demanding, but exciting and rewarding for those who enjoy teaching and life at sea.
Trips are grouped together to create contracts that work for both the programmatic and operational needs of the vessels and their crew. All crew start with a short term contract which is typically a 2-3 month period on board the vessels. After that, crew can opt to work either a long term (with the approval of the Port Captain) or to continue with short term contracts. Crew members on a long term contract work at least 180 days (not continuous) in a 12 month time period, making them eligible for SEA’s health, dental, and vision benefits.
We are fortunate that SEA attracts such skilled, enthusiastic, and dynamic individuals and we strive to retain them.
Marine Technicians Employment
For applications to be considered, applicants must submit the following:
- One-page cover letter detailing the applicant’s interest, qualifications, and availability
- One-page resume
- Contact information for three references (applicants will be notified before references are contacted)
- Ideal candidates for SEA’s marine technician positions have experience teaching at the college level, experience working with oceanographic equipment on research vessels, strong sailing skills, and a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in marine science or a related field.
- Priority is often given to those candidates who are able to participate in up to three cruises per year for a year or more, have sailed on tall ships, have experience in shipboard networking, programming, and maintaining oceanographic instruments, as well as analytical chemistry and reef survey experience.
- Positions are posted at least 6-12 months in advance, but openings sometimes occur on short notice. The work is demanding, but exciting and rewarding for those who enjoy teaching and life at sea. Training as a marine technician is an excellent opportunity to learn the basic theory and sampling techniques of all the major disciplines in oceanography.
Marine Technicians are watch standers with the primary responsibility of conducting and teaching safe lab operations and deployments. Other duties include troubleshooting equipment, processing and analyzing data, mentoring students, interns, and each other, working closely with the Chief Scientist to accomplish science and learning objectives. Marine Technicians collaborate with Mates to safely operate the vessel, teach safe sail handling and basic navigation principles, lead maintenance and cleaning efforts, and be a supportive member of the shipboard community.
Trips are grouped together to create contracts that work for both the programmatic needs of the vessels and their crew. All technicians start with a short term contract which is typically a 2-3 month period on board the vessels. After that, technicians can opt to work either a long term (with the approval of the Science Program Coordinator) or to continue with short term contracts. Crew members on a long term contract work at least 180 days (not continuous) in a 12 month time period, making them eligible for SEA’s health, dental, and vision benefits.
We are fortunate that SEA attracts such skilled, enthusiastic, and dynamic scientists and we strive to retain them. Advancement opportunities exist for marine technicians as they gain experience and skills.