Town of Edgartown | Harbormaster
$48.72—$64.11 with Competitive Health and Retirement Benefits
The Town of Edgartown is seeking a skilled and dedicated professional to serve as Harbormaster. This position is year-round and full-time (40 hours per week) and involves overseeing the management and maintenance of the town’s waterways, including its marina, mooring fields, and harbor facilities. Key responsibilities include patrolling marine areas to ensure safety and regulatory compliance, supervising search and rescue operations, and enforcing Massachusetts General Laws related to waterways. The Harbormaster will also manage a seasonal team, oversee departmental budgets, and maintain navigational aids and equipment.
The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma (or equivalent) and 3–4 years of relevant experience including certifications such as a Coast Guard Captain’s License, Harbormaster’s Certificate, and CPR/First Responder Certification. Candidates must demonstrate strong knowledge of boating, navigation, and marine safety, as well as excellent organizational and public relations skills. This is a hands-on role requiring the ability to operate vessels in challenging conditions and perform minor maintenance tasks.
is available at edgartown-ma.us or in the Human Resource Office in Town Hall. Please submitapplications, including a resume and cover letter, to jrobinson@edgartown-ma.us or P.O. Box 5130 ATTN: Human Resources, Edgartown, MA 02539. Applications will be accepted until January 24, 2025. The Town of Edgartown is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
HARBORMASTER
DEFINITION
Position provides administrative, enforcement, and supervisory work in managing the operation and the maintenance of the town’s waterways
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
- Patrols marine areas to ensure boater safety and adherence to laws and regulations. Responsible for the enforcement of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B and related laws.
- Oversees and administers the operation of the Town's marina, landings, mooring fields, memorial wharf, fingerpiers, private mooring permits, and seasonal moorings; permits and maintains town stake field and all transient moorings.
- Manages all daily and seasonal water activities within the towns waters including allocation of mooring and stake locations, and the designation of anchoring areas and conservation areas; performs an annual re-evaluation of all fees approved by the Selectboard.
- Oversees and directs waterway supervision, work and training schedules, implementation of personal policies, preparation and verification of payroll.
- Hires, trains, and supervises seasonal staff of Assistant Harbormasters.
- Performs and coordinates search and rescue missions in all town waters.
- Supervises oil spill responses, and recommends action reports to state and federal agencies.
- Maintains and deploys navigational aids.
- Provides technical assistance to state and local agencies upon request in the development of recommendations for environmental issues.
- Maintains department buildings, piers, vessels and equipment on a year round basis.
- Responsible for creating and supervising a reservation system for the marina and mooring fields.
- Responsible for the collection of all fees associated with the harbor; dockage, moorings, stakes, annual mooring permits.
- Prepares and administers, the department's operating budget; equipment and supplies purchased for department; reports on department's activities as required; maintains accurate records of all department activities; prepares department annual report for Annual Town Report.
- Meets with Marine Advisory Committee on a scheduled basis, and other committees as needed, serving as an informational resource and administrative liaison or official town representative to provide input, gain information, and solicit feedback.
- Assists local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and upholds their respective laws and statutes as they pertain to waterways; assists agencies such as Civil Defense, Environmental Police and the U.S. Coast Guard in disaster and rescue operations, smuggling and drug enforcement and all other related enforcement
- Performs a variety of related duties
SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Under administrative direction, the incumbent works from policies, goals, and objectives; establishes short-range plans and objectives, departmental performance standards and assumes direct accountability for department results; consults with the supervisor only where clarification, interpretation, or exception to policy may be required or as requested by the supervisor. The incumbent exercises control in the development of departmental policies, goals, objectives and budgets and is expected to resolve all conflicts which arise and coordinate with others as necessary.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED
The manager is accountable for the direction and success of programs accomplished through others. Responsible for analyzing program objectives, determining the various departmental work operations needed to achieve them, estimating the financial and staff resources required, allocating the available funds and staff, reporting periodically on the achievement and status of the program objective; and recommending new goals. The incumbent typically formulates or recommends program goals and develops plans for achieving short and long-range objectives; determines organizational structure, operating guidelines and work operations; formulates, prepares and defends budget and manpower requests and accounts for effective use of funds and staff provided; coordinates program efforts within the unit and with other departments; delegates authority to subordinate supervisors and holds them responsible for the performance of their unit's work; reviews work in terms of accomplishment of program objectives and progress reports, approves standards establishing quality and quantity of work; including effectively recommending hiring, training, and disciplining of employees.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Duties include primary responsibility for a major functional section of the organization for technical processes, service delivery, and contribution to organizational plans and objectives and fiscal responsibility for the department including buildings, equipment and staffing utilization. Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor judgment could jeopardize department operations or have financial and legal repercussions. Poor judgment could have a continuing adverse effect.
JUDGMENT
Guidelines, which may be in the form of administrative or organizational policies, general principles, legislation or directives that pertain to a specific department or functional area, only provide limited guidance for performing the work. Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The incumbent is recognized as the department or functional area's authority in interpreting the guidelines, in determining how they should be applied, and in developing operating policies.
COMPLEXITY
The work consists of the practical application of a variety of concepts, practices and specialized techniques relating to a professional or technical field. Assignments typically involve evaluation and interpretation of factors, conditions or unusual circumstances; inspecting, testing or evaluating compliance with established standards or criteria; gathering, analyzing and evaluating facts or data using specialized fact finding techniques; or determining the methods to accomplish the work.
NATURE AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS
Relationships are constantly with co-workers, the public, groups and/or individuals such as peers from other organizations, and representatives of professional organizations. The employee serves as a spokesperson or recognized authority of the organization in matters of substance or considerable importance, including departmental practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines. May be required to discuss controversial matters where tact is required to avoid friction and obtain cooperation.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Employee has access to limited sensitive and confidential information
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
High School diploma and three to four years of experience as an Assistant Harbormaster; or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
Must have valid driver’s license, Coast Guard Captains License, Harbormaster’s Certificate, CPR and First Responder Certification
KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, AND SKILLS
Thorough knowledge of waterway operations, boating, mooring, navigation, seamanship, radio communication, diving operations and rescue techniques, including but not limited to boat handling, towing, mechanical, anchoring. Thorough knowledge of applicable Massachusetts General Laws, Town bylaws, and regulations relating to the marine environment. Thorough knowledge of Town waters, tidal conditions and currents. General knowledge of engines and engine repair. Knowledge of harbor planning principles.
Ability to interact effectively and diplomatically with government agencies, other Town employees and the general public. Ability to plan and manage projects, organize and supervise the work of others, and prepare and manage budgets. Ability to operate vessels in severe weather conditions and perform basic maintenance and repair.
Demonstrated public relations, organizational, communication, planning and supervisory skills. Carpentry and repair skills required to perform minor maintenance and repair of equipment.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The nature of duties may involve continuous presence of unpleasant or irritating elements, such as considerable noise, odors, chemical fumes, dust, smoke, heat, cold, oil, dirt or grease. Work may be continually performed outdoors, regardless of weather conditions.
PHYSICAL, MOTOR, AND VISUAL SKILLS
Physical Skills
Work requires moderate intermittent physical strength and effort daily, such as lifting heavy objects, carrying the object(s) and stacking them or moving them. In addition, pulling, pushing, standing or walking for the full work day may also be involved. A great deal of physical effort must be exerted at this level.
Motor Skills
The job requires motor skills for activities such as moving objects, using office equipment, including but not limited to using tools, operating boats and vehicles, responding to emergencies.
Duties involve assignments requiring application of hand and eye coordination with finger dexterity and motor coordination.
Visual Skills
Visual demands require routinely reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes. Must be able to visually assess and evaluate situations and circumstances occurring in the Harbor.
