Location: SAMS, Oban Contract Type: Open-ended Working Pattern: Full Time (37hrs per week – Monday to Friday) Salary Range: £37,099 - £41,732 per annum Closing date: 21st February 2025. The Role SAMS is a world leading marine science institute engaged in research, teaching and commercial ventures. Access to the marine environment is a cornerstone of SAMS’ activities, with nearshore sampling undertaken from our small workboat. We are looking for a vessel skipper to lead the safe and efficient operation of our vessels. The skipper will be responsible for the safety of the vessel, crew and passengers, and will oversee all aspects of vessel operations, ensuring successful sampling of the marine environment using a variety of different equipment, ranging from sediment samplers, towed equipment, to recovery of marine robots. You will work alongside the Ship’s Operation Manager to ensure that users’ needs can be met, and to ensure SAMS’ vessels are maintained and remain fit for purpose. Our Ideal Candidate We are looking for a reliable and conscientious individual, with a friendly and professional manner who will lead the vessel-based operations conducted at SAMS. You will be flexible and organised, have excellent problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills. You will need to be self-motivated and pro-active in your approach to tasks, able to anticipate the needs of your colleagues, and support delivery of varied marine sampling activities whilst keeping health and safety considerations foremost in mind. Our ideal candidate will have experience of skippering small inshore vessels and the safe deployment of maritime equipment, in additional to understanding the compliance and management aspects of running and maintaining nearshore workboats, such as line handling, basic engineering duties and machinery maintenance, refuelling vessels and maintaining operational and maintenance records. The principal vessel that you will work on is a 10.4m general purpose MCA standard category 3 research vessel. A Coastal Skipper or Advanced Powerboat qualification is essential, commercially endorsed with PPR (Professional Practices and Responsibilities), STCW First Aid and VHF certificates. The job requires a current valid STCW95 Personal Survival Techniques certificate, completed within last 5 years, and a valid ENG1 seafarers’ medical certificate with no restrictions. Employee Benefits Our employees are the heart of our business. Recruiting and retaining the right people is the key to our success. Rewarding our employees is therefore an important component of our employment package and we have a wide range of benefits on offer to staff. These can enhance your personal and professional development, your health and well-being and your finances. Additionally, SAMS encourages and recognises excellence among staff through various recognition and reward arrangements. We constantly develop and expand the benefits and offers for our colleagues. SAMS offers a generous salary and pension as well as employee benefits package. We also have supportive policies to assist absence, family and other leave types. Interested? We would love to hear from you. If you have queries on the job and would like to talk these through before applying, please email these through, in the first instance, to laurence.larmoursams.ac.uk For further information, please go to www.sams.ac.uk/vacancies Applications must include CV and Cover Letter and should be sent electronically to recruitmentsams.ac.uk quoting Job Ref. ‘D27/24.CA’ in the subject heading. Closing date for application is 21st February 2025 - Interviews to be held early-March 2025. Please note, we are unfortunately unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. SAMS Group is committed to being an equal and open organisation. Diversity and inclusion are important to us, and we strive to remove any barriers that may prevent people from applying to join us. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, and from all who share our values and can help us to broaden our knowledge and range of ideas.