Assistant Instructor- Messing About in Boats

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Assistant Instructor - Messing About in Boats

Spend your summer months as a Messing About in Boats Assistant Instructor
, literally messing about in boats with young kids sparking wonder and curiosity! If you love working with students exploring the ways of the sea through activities like tying knots and gleefully belting out (kid-appropriate) sea shanties, then this seasonal position is made for you. You will help lead 5 to 10-year-old students in experiences to have fun and increase comfort on the water, communicate with parents, create curriculum, and uphold all NWM safety policies and procedures.

• Have a proactive work ethic— willing to jump in and help in any aspect of programming when necessary
• Love to create a fun, inclusive, and safe atmosphere for learning
• Communicate clearly, work collaboratively, and are flexible in dynamic situations

• Assist in teaching daily lesson plans in keeping with the class content as presented in the program description, including facilitating a shoreside program in inclement weather
• Ensure that all boats and safety equipment are prepared for each day of programming, in cooperation with the Waterfront Programs Manager and the Summer Program Coordinator
• Complete and follow all required and necessary daily paperwork and related guidelines, i.e., lesson plans, incident reports (as needed), class actuals, maintenance/equipment log
• Participation in orientation, pre-season set up, and postseason tear-down
• Other duties as assigned by the Summer Program Coordinator

While this position’s primary focus is sparking wonder and curiosity in young kids, the Messing About in Boats Assistant Instructor works as part of the entire NWM team, ensuring smooth operations. As a growing non-profit, we all pitch in for the heavy lifting, whether it's participating in all-hands projects and events, assisting visitors, or occasionally doing some literal heavy lifting.

• Experience caring for and communicating with children ages 5-10
• Experience in boat handling small row boats, sailboats, and inflatables
• CDC "Heads Up" online concussion training or training plan
• Washington State Boaters Card with knowledge of safe boating practices or training plan
• Current First Aid/CPR certification or training plan
• Work offers are contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check

• Complete the online application

• Position will require onsite work
• NWM main offices are located at 431 Water St., Port Townsend, WA 98368
• Position is seasonal, June 29-August 28, 2026, up to 40 hours/week
• Reports to:
  
  Waterfront Programs Manager

• $ per hour, non-exempt
• Paid time off: accrues 1 hour of sick time for every 25 hours worked
• Employee discounts

NWM is committed to equal employment opportunity, striving towards being an antiracist and inclusive organization. We value the diversity of our staff and the communities that we serve, which includes a spectrum of racial, cultural, religious, sexual and gender identities, and abilities. We strongly encourage applications from people who have not seen themselves represented in the industry.