Safety Officer - Beach Clean-Up

POSITION TITLE: Safety Officer 

DEPARTMENT: Natural Resources - Remote Beach Clean-Up

WAGE: Contract, $1750.00, Upon Completion 

FUNDING SOURCE: Grant funded 

OPENING: May 18, 2026

CLOSING: May 28, 2026 

Position Summary:

The Safety Officer plays a critical, hands-on role in supporting the safe and efficient daily operations of the Akwe Beach Clean-Up program. This position provides direct support to beach clean-up staff and technicians, serving as a designated safety presence during clean-up activities while also assisting with operational and logistical needs throughout the day.

This role includes carrying a firearm as part of wildlife and site safety responsibilities in a remote environment and acting as the primary safety person during beach clean-up operations. While safety is the primary duty, the Safety Officer is also permitted and encouraged to actively participate in clean-up work as needed.

The Safety Officer supports smooth transitions between work sessions, meals, and basic camp maintenance, and helps ensure staff needs are met in a timely and proactive manner. This position requires flexibility, situational awareness, strong teamwork, and the ability to anticipate and respond to changing conditions in a remote setting.

The Safety Officer serves as an essential connector between the clean-up crews, support staff, and daily camp operations – helping create a safe, organized, and supportive working environment for all participants.

The Safety Officer is required to provide their own firearm and associated personal safety equipment needed to fulfill assigned safety responsibilities. The Tribe will not provide firearms. Any firearm brought to the work site must be legally owned, properly maintained, and handled in compliance with applicable laws, policies, and safety requirements.

Failure to provide required personal gear or equipment may result in the Contractor being unable to perform the contracted services and may constitute grounds for termination of the Agreement.

 Essential Functions:

• Serve as the designated on-site Safety Officer during the Akwe Beach Clean-Up operations, carrying a firearm is required to ensure staff safety in a remote environment and responding to wildlife or other safety risks.
• Monitor beach clean-up activities to ensure safe work practices, situational awareness, and adherence to safety protocols at all times.
• Actively participate in beach clean-up activities when conditions allow, while maintaining primary responsibility for safety oversight.
• Conduct regular visual sweeps of work areas and surrounding environments for potential hazards, wildlife presence, or changing conditions.
• Support clean-up staff by assisting with equipment staging, material handling, and set-up and breakdown of work areas.
• Assist with meal service, basic food preparation, clean-up, and cookhouse organization as needed to support daily camp operations.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of shared program, work, and cookhouse spaces throughout the contract period.
• Maintain reliable communication with supervisors and team members using radios or other communication tools; promptly report safety concerns, incidents, or injuries.
• Participate in daily briefings, safety check-ins, and end-of-project site clean-up.
• Uphold Tribal cultural values by modeling respect, situational responsibility, teamwork, and care for the land and waterways.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support a safe, efficient, and successful beach clean-up operation.
  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

Knowledge of:

• Working in remote field settings, including outdoor work sites with limited infrastructure.
• Safety protocols, hazard awareness, and risk mitigation practices for outdoor and environmental work.
• Firearm safety, handling, and situational use in compliance with applicable policies and training requirements.
• Environmental stewardship and beach or river clean‑up operations.
• Working with Tribal programs or Tribal staff is preferred.
• The Tlingit history of Yakutat, subsistence lifeways, and connection to land and waterways is preferred but not required.

Skill in:

• Maintaining situational awareness and making sound decisions under field conditions.
• Clear and effective oral communication, especially during safety briefings or emergent situations.
• Working collaboratively as part of a small team in remote and close‑quarters environments.
• Dependability, professionalism, and a strong work ethic during a short‑term intensive contract.
• Organization and attention to detail when monitoring safety conditions, equipment, and daily operations.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work respectfully with Tribal staff, clean‑up crews, Elders, and leadership.
• Problem‑solving and adaptability in changing environmental, weather, or logistical conditions.
• Working independently with minimal supervision while remaining accountable to team leadership.

Ability to:

• Serve as the primary safety presence for beach clean‑up activities while carrying a firearm in a safe, responsible manner.
• Balance active participation in clean‑up work with continuous monitoring of crew and site safety.
• Identify potential hazards, respond appropriately to wildlife presence, and report safety concerns promptly.
• Work outdoors for extended periods in variable weather and rugged terrain.
• Meet physical demands including walking uneven ground, standing for long periods, lifting and carrying supplies, and assisting with set‑up and breakdown of work areas.
• Adapt to shifting schedules, priorities, and field conditions during the one‑week clean‑up period.
• Maintain confidentiality and demonstrate professionalism at all times.
• Travel to, from, and remain on site at a remote location on the Akwe River for the duration of the contract.
• Follow verbal instructions, prioritize tasks independently, and support overall camp and clean‑up operations as needed.

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items. The work may require specific, but common, physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity.   The employee must be able to read, write, speak and hear.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory and Management Responsibility:

 This position has no formally assigned supervisory responsibility or authority.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Ability and willingness to carry a firearm as part of assigned safety responsibilities, in accordance with program policies and training requirements.
• Previous experience working in remote settings, environmental clean‑up, camp operations, Tribal programs, or outdoor field work is preferred but not required.
• Must be able to pass a National Criminal and State background check.
• Must be able to pass a fingerprint based National Criminal Background Check.
• Valid Alaska Driver’s License.
• Must be physically able to perform outdoor work in a remote environment, including walking on uneven terrain and carrying supplies.
• Must be reliable, punctual, and able to remain on site for the entire one‑week contract period at a remote location on the Akwe River.
  

Disclosures:

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

NATIVE AMERICAN PREFERENCE WILL BE APPLIED TO HIRING OF THIS POSITION AS DEFINED IN TITLE 25, US CODE, CHAPTER 14, SUBCHAPTER V, SUBSECTION 273 AND 274.  WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO QUALIFIED NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKA NATIVE APPLICANTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW AND TRIBAL POLICY.

Preference will be given to qualified Yakutat Tlingit Tribal Member and/or Alaska Native candidates.

THE YAKUTAT TLINGIT TRIBE IS A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. THIS POSITION MAY BE SUBJECT TO RANDOM DRUG TESTING AND CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK.