Second Mate Jobs
Second Mate jobs are open across commercial shipping, offshore energy, and passenger vessel operations, at every level from entry-level third mate upgrades to senior watch-standing officers, with specializations in cargo operations, navigation, and vessel safety management. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 11+ Second Mate jobs
Strong teammate with fast-track shift leader potential needed immediately!
Great BBQ helps us grow, serving and creating happiness is the goal. We are offering the opportunity for an experienced team associate to potentially become a shift lead within 60-90 days contingent they meet the criteria required for the position.
Whether you're looking for a fun, fulfilling job, or a career that takes you places, there's a way for you to thrive at City Barbeque. City Barbeque teammates carve smoked-on-site meats, craft sides from scratch, and cultivate an atmosphere of genuine backyard hospitality in every joint, every day. No matter the role, the opportunities for growth are unmatched.
Come join City Barbeque in serving and creating happiness with America’s best BBQ, while living by 4 core values:
- Safety First
- Treat others with integrity, fairness and respect
- Deliver quality without sacrifice
- Produce profit and cash flow for long-term value
Job Summary after learning all stations & areas of our teammate positions:
Shift Leaders can perform and train all duties of joint teammates. They are responsible for shift supervision of teammates in successful day-to-day shift operations. They ensure great service and product quality for guests, they lead the team by example and are a role model of standards and behaviors consistent with our values and culture.
We're looking for individuals who:
- Have customer service experience in a restaurant environment- 2-3 years required
- Previous leadership, supervisory or management experience in a restaurant environment (1-2 years)
- Act with integrity and honesty
- Exercise situational leadership successfully
- Resolve conflict professionally
- Demonstrate effective oral communication skills
- Collaborate with others well
- Effectively build teams
- Lead with positivity and appreciation
Summary of Key Responsibilities:
- Maintain regular and consistent attendance and punctuality
- Deliver backyard hospitality service to all guests by anticipating needs and overall store flow
- Fairly delegate tasks so that teammates can create and maintain the City Barbeque experience for the guests
- Maintain a calm demeanor during periods of high volume or unusual events to keep store operating to standard
- Organize opening and closing duties as assigned, ensuring food safety systems are executed and work stations are clean/safe
- Follow all cash management and cash register policies, including those for cash handling, safety and security and ensures proper cash management practices are followed by shift team
- Make certain that safety and security standards are emphasized and adhered to, and that teammates are trained in appropriate responses to unsafe situations
- Assist with new teammate training by positively reinforcing successful performance
- Communicate regularly with the General Manager to provide feedback on teammate performance during shifts and to remain current with store production goals
- Create a positive learning environment by providing clear, specific, timely and respectful coaching and feedback to teammates on shift to ensure operational excellence and to improve teammate performance
Front of House position training:
Cashier – walk in/drive-thru (when applicable)
Counter Server - expo, curbside and guest services
Back of House position training:
Pits – prepare and smoke meats
Boards – line cook, meat cutter
Prep – prepare sides and desserts from scratch
Dishwasher – dishwasher, utility
QUALITY FOOD MADE BY QUALITY PEOPLE
Everyone likes to say it, but we really mean it: we're like one big family. After a taste of our incredible culture (not to mention the city's best barbeque), folks can't wait to join the team. City BBQ teammates love to serve, have fun at work & are eager to grow. We take care of our people with advancement opportunities, great pay and benefits, a dedication to work/life balance AND of course—the best free food. Enjoy it all when you join the City BBQ family.
JOINT teammate pay & benefits (this does change once you become a shift leader with us)
- Reviews (with opportunities for raises) twice a year
- Bi-weekly pay or Daily pay options*
- Up to $2,400/year in free BBQ
- 25% discount when off the clock
- Free uniforms and slip-resistant shoes
- Vacation pay*
- Holiday pay (four holidays paid - time and a half)
- 401(k) match up to 4% of salary*
- Annual scholarship opportunity (up to $3,000/year)
- Flexible scheduling
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (after 60 days)*
- Paid basic life insurance*
- Voluntary life insurance*
- Short-term disability*
- Bereavement pay
- A variety of healthcare benefits and programs, including accident and hospital insurance, Health Savings Accounts, and more*
- Purchasing Power Credit alternative
- Access to City Cares, our teammate assistance fund, for qualifying instances of hardship or disaster
- Access to counseling and community resources via our Employee Assistance Plan
- for eligible teammates
Relevant job titles include: Hostess, Host Staff, Front Desk, Greeter, Receptionist, Phone Worker, Restaurant Job, Hourly Job, Restaurant Hourly Job, FOH, Front of House, Server, Servers, Food Server, Food Service, Food Service Worker, Waiter, Waiters, Waitress, Waitresses, Food Server, Crew Member, Crewmember, Full Service Crew Member, Full Service Teammate, Limited Service Crew Member, Fast Casual Crew Member, Fast Casual Teammate, Crew Member, Teammate, Restaurant Teammate, Restaurant Crew Member, Customer Service, Cashier, Counter Attendant, Hospitality, Line Server, Chef, Cook, Grill Cook, Fry Cook, Prep Cook, Head Cook, Crew Person, Back Line Cook, Head Chef, Executive Chef
City Barbeque participates in E-Verify. To learn more, please visit: E-Verify Participation Poster EN & ES, 05.13.26.pdf
Strong teammate with fast-track shift leader potential needed immediately!
Great BBQ helps us grow, serving and creating happiness is the goal. We are offering the opportunity for an experienced team associate to potentially become a shift lead within 60-90 days contingent they meet the criteria required for the position.
Whether you're looking for a fun, fulfilling job, or a career that takes you places, there's a way for you to thrive at City Barbeque. City Barbeque teammates carve smoked-on-site meats, craft sides from scratch, and cultivate an atmosphere of genuine backyard hospitality in every joint, every day. No matter the role, the opportunities for growth are unmatched.
Come join City Barbeque in serving and creating happiness with America’s best BBQ, while living by 4 core values:
- Safety First
- Treat others with integrity, fairness and respect
- Deliver quality without sacrifice
- Produce profit and cash flow for long-term value
Job Summary after learning all stations & areas of our teammate positions:
Shift Leaders can perform and train all duties of joint teammates. They are responsible for shift supervision of teammates in successful day-to-day shift operations. They ensure great service and product quality for guests, they lead the team by example and are a role model of standards and behaviors consistent with our values and culture.
We're looking for individuals who:
- Have customer service experience in a restaurant environment- 2-3 years required
- Previous leadership, supervisory or management experience in a restaurant environment (1-2 years)
- Act with integrity and honesty
- Exercise situational leadership successfully
- Resolve conflict professionally
- Demonstrate effective oral communication skills
- Collaborate with others well
- Effectively build teams
- Lead with positivity and appreciation
Summary of Key Responsibilities:
- Maintain regular and consistent attendance and punctuality
- Deliver backyard hospitality service to all guests by anticipating needs and overall store flow
- Fairly delegate tasks so that teammates can create and maintain the City Barbeque experience for the guests
- Maintain a calm demeanor during periods of high volume or unusual events to keep store operating to standard
- Organize opening and closing duties as assigned, ensuring food safety systems are executed and work stations are clean/safe
- Follow all cash management and cash register policies, including those for cash handling, safety and security and ensures proper cash management practices are followed by shift team
- Make certain that safety and security standards are emphasized and adhered to, and that teammates are trained in appropriate responses to unsafe situations
- Assist with new teammate training by positively reinforcing successful performance
- Communicate regularly with the General Manager to provide feedback on teammate performance during shifts and to remain current with store production goals
- Create a positive learning environment by providing clear, specific, timely and respectful coaching and feedback to teammates on shift to ensure operational excellence and to improve teammate performance
Front of House position training:
Cashier – walk in/drive-thru (when applicable)
Counter Server - expo, curbside and guest services
Back of House position training:
Pits – prepare and smoke meats
Boards – line cook, meat cutter
Prep – prepare sides and desserts from scratch
Dishwasher – dishwasher, utility
QUALITY FOOD MADE BY QUALITY PEOPLE
Everyone likes to say it, but we really mean it: we're like one big family. After a taste of our incredible culture (not to mention the city's best barbeque), folks can't wait to join the team. City BBQ teammates love to serve, have fun at work & are eager to grow. We take care of our people with advancement opportunities, great pay and benefits, a dedication to work/life balance AND of course—the best free food. Enjoy it all when you join the City BBQ family.
JOINT teammate pay & benefits (this does change once you become a shift leader with us)
- Reviews (with opportunities for raises) twice a year
- Bi-weekly pay or Daily pay options*
- Up to $2,400/year in free BBQ
- 25% discount when off the clock
- Free uniforms and slip-resistant shoes
- Vacation pay*
- Holiday pay (four holidays paid - time and a half)
- 401(k) match up to 4% of salary*
- Annual scholarship opportunity (up to $3,000/year)
- Flexible scheduling
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (after 60 days)*
- Paid basic life insurance*
- Voluntary life insurance*
- Short-term disability*
- Bereavement pay
- A variety of healthcare benefits and programs, including accident and hospital insurance, Health Savings Accounts, and more*
- Purchasing Power Credit alternative
- Access to City Cares, our teammate assistance fund, for qualifying instances of hardship or disaster
- Access to counseling and community resources via our Employee Assistance Plan
- for eligible teammates
Relevant job titles include: Hostess, Host Staff, Front Desk, Greeter, Receptionist, Phone Worker, Restaurant Job, Hourly Job, Restaurant Hourly Job, FOH, Front of House, Server, Servers, Food Server, Food Service, Food Service Worker, Waiter, Waiters, Waitress, Waitresses, Food Server, Crew Member, Crewmember, Full Service Crew Member, Full Service Teammate, Limited Service Crew Member, Fast Casual Crew Member, Fast Casual Teammate, Crew Member, Teammate, Restaurant Teammate, Restaurant Crew Member, Customer Service, Cashier, Counter Attendant, Hospitality, Line Server, Chef, Cook, Grill Cook, Fry Cook, Prep Cook, Head Cook, Crew Person, Back Line Cook, Head Chef, Executive Chef
City Barbeque participates in E-Verify. To learn more, please visit: E-Verify Participation Poster EN & ES, 05.13.26.pdf
See All 11 Second Mate Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Second Mate JobsSecond Mate Job Market
Who's Hiring
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in second mate jobs.
- USCG-issued Second Mate Unlimited or Near Coastal license
- STCW Basic Safety Training certification and endorsements current
- Minimum 3 to 5 years of sea service on vessels of relevant tonnage
- Experience as officer of the watch on vessels of similar type or trade
- Proficiency with ECDIS and electronic chart navigation systems
- Cargo operations knowledge relevant to vessel type such as tanker or dry bulk
Tips for Your Second Mate Job Search
List your STCW endorsements clearly
Hiring managers scan for specific STCW certifications before reading anything else on a second mate resume. List each endorsement with its full name and expiration date in a dedicated credentials section so nothing gets missed during a quick review.
Tailor your sea-service documentation
Different employers weight sea-service time differently depending on vessel type. When applying to tanker companies, lead with tanker tonnage and cargo experience. For offshore vessels, front-load DP operational time and offshore hours so your experience matches what the posting actually requires.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists second mate openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by vessel type first
Second mate roles vary significantly between tankers, container ships, OSVs, and ferry systems. Applying to roles that match your actual vessel experience dramatically improves callback rates, since watch-standing responsibilities and cargo handling skills don't transfer equally across all vessel categories.
Prepare for a practical chart-work assessment
Many maritime employers include a chart plotting or passage planning exercise in the interview process. Practice constructing voyage plans with current chart software your ECDIS certification covers, and be ready to walk an interviewer through hazard identification and contingency routing decisions out loud.
Follow up through the vessel operator directly
If a crewing agency posted the opening, identify the vessel operator behind the role and confirm your application reached their crewing department. Manning agents sometimes manage high volumes of applications, and a direct follow-up with the operator ensures your credentials aren't overlooked in the queue.
Second Mate Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most second mates?
The most active employers for second mates right now are City Barbeque, Amentum, and Metris Global, and the most openings are in California, Ohio, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Vessel type and trade route are the main factors driving where openings concentrate at any given time.
How many second mate jobs are remote?
About 0% of second mate openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, which is low compared to most professional roles given the nature of watch-standing duties. The small remote share tends to cluster around shore-side marine operations roles, vessel traffic services positions, and maritime training instructor openings rather than active shipboard billets.
How do you become a second mate?
You become a second mate by first earning a third mate license through a Coast Guard-approved maritime academy or by accumulating qualifying sea service and passing the USCG licensing exam. After serving as third mate, you build the additional sea service hours your credential requires, complete any mandatory STCW endorsements, and apply to the National Maritime Center for the second mate upgrade.
Can you get hired as a second mate with limited experience?
Getting hired as a second mate with limited post-license experience is realistic if you target smaller vessel operators, inland or coastwise trades, and companies that run structured cadet-to-officer pipelines. Emphasizing bridge watchkeeping time, cargo operation experience, and completed STCW refresher courses helps close the gap, and some ferry and offshore support operators specifically hire newly upgraded second mates for less complex routes.
What does the second mate interview process look like?
Second mate interviews typically begin with a credentials review where the hiring officer or crewing manager verifies your license, STCW endorsements, and sea service record. A practical component often follows covering passage planning, emergency procedures, and cargo or stability calculations. Final stages usually include a medical examination and a brief conversation about vessel operations, schedule, and rotation expectations before an offer is extended.
Where can I find and apply to second mate jobs?
You can find and apply to second mate jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States in one place. Search the listings for roles that match your license type, vessel experience, and preferred trade route, then apply directly to each listing that fits your background.
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