Military

Master Hopper Dredge

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Department of the Army
📍 Portland, Oregon WJ-16 $85 - $85/hr
Posted: Sep 30, 2026 Deadline: Oct 20, 2026 (Closes in 4 days)

About This Position

About the Position: This position is aboard a hopper dredge. The Portland District's hopper dredges Yaquina and Essayons, work to ensure a safe "highway" for ships and other vessels. The hopper dredge is a specialized sea-going vessel designed to dredge and transport dredged material from ocean bars, fast flowing rivers and isolated harbors to open-water disposal areas.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job.

You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 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).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.

Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a Master Hopper Dredge without more than normal supervision. be able to direct and supervise the operations of a seagoing, automated hopper dredge through subordinate supervisors and have a good working knowledge of dredging operations - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating. Ability To Lead or Supervise Dexterity and Safety Maintenance Practices on Seagoing Vessels Technical Competence Vessel Operations Physical Effort Exposed to extremes of weather conditions, heat and noise. There is a danger of slippery decks and drowning, must wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and comply with sound safety practices.

May be exposed to hot pipes, escaping steam and the effects of acids, solvents and paint. Working Conditions Light to moderate physical effort is required for continuous standing and operation of various controls while on watch. Incumbent must have color and depth perception and be able to see in low visibility conditions in order to navigate a dredge.

Work requires moderate physical effort when assisting with loading/unloading of supplies and equipment liftings and carrying equipment and supplies normally up to 45 lbs. and occasionally over 45 lbs. Work requires prolonged standing, walking and climbing, all of which can cause exertion of the lower back. The employee must maintain good lower back physical condition.

Incumbent must possess color and depth perception as well as see in low visibility conditions to perform duties.

Major Duties

Perform maintenance, operation, administration, navigation and safety of the vessel.

Plan, supervise and direct all operations, maintenance, navigation and safety of the vessel and crew in all departments.

Instruct subordinate deck officers as to the areas to be dredged, economic loading cycle to be maintained, and other such pertinent information regarding the dredging operations.

Ensure that work is performed and reported in accordance with the Manual of Instructions.

Train subordinate deck officers in current and potential aspects of their positions.

Maintain proper morale and discipline of the entire crew.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position.

To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Additional Information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.

You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.

This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.

One year supervisory probationary period may be required. Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a background investigation. Direct deposit of pay is required.

This is a Transportation and Distribution Management Career Program position aligned under the Logistics Career Management Directorate. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable.

Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations. The following incentives may be authorized to a highly qualified candidate: Recruitment, Relocation, Advance in Hire, Student Loan Repayment, and/or Advanced Leave Accrual.

INCLUDE REQUIRED US Coast Guard Documentation in your application package. A current United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariners Credentials (MMC) with a Master Unlimited Oceans endorsement AND a current Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) Merchant Mariner Credential Master Unlimited Tonnage upon oceans or higher.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/20/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application.

You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13069767).

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.

You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.

Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.

For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.

If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1.

Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement.

If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood.

The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

  1. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority.

You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.

This position requires a job-related license or certification.

You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses (include hyperlink to attachment). See: Transcripts and Licenses INCLUDE REQUIRED US Coast Guard Documentation in your application package. A current United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariners Credentials (MMC) with a Master Unlimited Oceans endorsement AND a current Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) Merchant Mariner Credential Master Unlimited Tonnage upon oceans or higher

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.

You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.

You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Master Hopper Dredge position at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?
The salary range for this position is $85 - $85/hr. This is a WJ-16 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Master Hopper Dredge job located?
This position is located in Portland, Oregon. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision. Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a Master Hopper Dredge without more than normal supervision. be able to direct and supervise the operations of a seagoing, automated hopper dredge through subordinate supervisors and have a good working knowledge of dredging operations - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating. Ability To Lead or Supervise Dexterity and Safety Maintenance Practices on Seagoing Vessels Technical Competence Vessel Operations Physical Effort Exposed to extremes of weather conditions, heat and noise. There is a danger of slippery decks and drowning, must wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and comply with sound safety practices. May be exposed to hot pipes, escaping steam and the effects of acids, solvents and paint. Working Conditions Light to moderate physical effort is required for continuous standing and operation of various controls while on watch. Incumbent must have color and depth perception and be able to see in low visibility conditions in order to navigate a dredge. Work requires moderate physical effort when assisting with loading/unloading of supplies and equipment liftings and carrying equipment and supplies normally up to 45 lbs. and occasionally over 45 lbs. Work requires prolonged standing, walking and climbing, all of which can cause exertion of the lower back. The employee must maintain good lower back physical condition. Incumbent must possess color and depth perception as well as see in low visibility conditions to perform duties.
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Oct 20, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.