Job Description
This is a shipboard position with the Military Sealift Command, a U.S. Navy command. Ships operate worldwide, so the work is at sea and the San Diego location is a reference point only; assignments are made by MSC. Applications are submitted through MSC's own application portal (apply.sealiftcommand.com) - contacting your Veteran Staffing Consultant does not submit one.
MSC's average annual earnings for this role: $116,218 plus a recruitment bonus of up to $22,858. That is total take-home including overtime and penalty pay, not the base pay in the job announcement.
Announcement opens continuously from 10/01/2026, with periodic cut-offs.
A recruitment incentive is authorized for eligible selectees and requires a service agreement. Incentive is paid as a lump sum at the beginning of employment with the Command. Mixed Work Schedule, VEOA candidates and Annuitants selected for employment are not eligible for recruitment incentives.
The Operations Chief is a civil service mariner (CIVMAR) employed by the Navy to serve the Military Sealift Command (MSC) onboard naval auxiliaries and hybrid-manned warships worldwide, in peace and war. MSC exists to support the joint warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations. MSC provides on-time logistics, strategic sealift, as well as specialized missions anywhere in the world, in contested or uncontested environments.
The Operations Chief is a member of the Deck Department and reports directly to the Navigator/Operations Officer. The Operations Chief assists in gathering, interpreting, and disseminating all operational information necessary to carry out the mission of the ship.
The duty of the Operations Chief is to support the Navigator/Operations Officer in coordinating and communicating externally from the ship with the task group operational commanders, customers, and MSC ashore units. Internal to the ship, the Operations Chief assists the Master and Navigator/Operations Officer with the scheduling of operational events; drafting and interpreting naval message traffic; anticipating and forecasting future tasking as well as tactical maneuvering and tactical communications.
The responsibilities of the Operations Chief are to ensure consistently successful execution of ship's schedule, mission accomplishment and proper operational reporting. The Operations Chief is required to maintain situational awareness of all near and long term operational events, always staying ahead of the pace of operations (OPTEMPO). Additionally, and when directed, the Operations Chief is responsible for communicating the ship's operational status and intentions to all appropriate commanders and customers.
The Operations Chief is knowledgeable in standard naval message drafting with emphasis on the following message formats:
- OPSUM/OPREP-5 (Operations Summary) (Operations Report)
- OPSTAT RESREQ (Operational Status Replenishment at Sea Request)
- OPTASK RAS (Operational Tasking Replenishment at Sea)
- CLF REPORT (Command Logistics Fleet Report)
- LOGREQ (Logistics Request)
- CASREPS (Casualty Reports)
- DRRS-N (Defense Readiness Reporting System-Navy)
- INCHOP REPORTS (When changing Operational Commanders)
- MRI (Mail Routing Instructions)
- ESQD EVENT WAIVER (Explosive Safety and Quantitative Distance)
- OPREP-3 (Special Incident Reporting)
The Operations Chief is capable of making clear and concise voice reports telephonically or by radio using standard naval terminology and proper etiquette. The Operations Chief is competent in written exchanges and is able to compose necessary communications via email (unclassified and classified), and "chat" rooms - in a manner that is professional, clear, concise, succinct, and factual.
During underway replenishment evolutions the Operations Chief will be called upon to serve as the bridge tactical communications watch stander. Therefore, the Operations Chief shall be capable of properly operating the following:
- L/L (Land Launch)
- NAVY RED (Secure Voice)
- FLT TAC (Fleet Tactical Communication)
- CHAT GUARD (For area of operation)
- Nixie Remote
- Degaussing Remote
- Radar
- WRN-6 GPS
The Operations Chief shall be capable of coding, decoding, and interpreting tactical signals associated with Joint, Allied, and Navy Publications.
Job requires knowledge and proficiency in navigational techniques and equipment; use and interpretation of charts; plotting positions on charts; fundamentals of ECDIS and GPS; time zone conversions; use of maneuvering boards for tactical maneuvering exercises; as well as the calculation of time/speed/distance.
Must be able to use applicable software applications.
Ensures continuing application and compliance with EEO laws, regulations and policies.
Everything in this Position Description is considered to be an essential function of this position.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Minimum Eligibility Requirements: Must be a United States citizen of at least 18 years of age and possess and maintain:
- U.S. Regular Passport (also referred to as a tourist or blue passport) with minimum of ten (10) months of expiration date.
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) with a minimum of ten (10) months remaining of expiration.
- United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner's Credential (MMC), with a minimum of ten months remaining of expiration date.
- United States Coast Guard (USCG) Medical Certificate without any Limitations/Restrictions, with a minimum of ten (10) months remaining of expiration date.
Position Specific Requirements:
- Merchant Marine Credential (MMC) with entry level endorsements as Ordinary Seaman, Wiper, or Stewards Department (FH) and: AND Must have at least 6 years military experience (E5 or above) as an Operations Specialist (OS) or Quarter Master (QM). OR U.S. Navy Active Duty Line Officer (O-3 or above), LDO, or CWO with Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) qualifications and at least 3 years of seagoing experience. OR Sailed with MSC as an RET2 or above and possesses a minimum of 3 years Navy seagoing experience (E5 or above) as an Operations Specialist (OS) or Quarter Master (QM). OR Sailed in any rating with a minimum of 4 months documented experience in the Operations Department onboard MSC ships as Operations Assistant.
Work for Warriors is a no-cost employment program of the California Military Department for Service Members, Veterans, and military family members. The Veteran Staffing Consultant for Military Sealift Command is Chuck Callahan.
Qualifications
State
Immediate Fill
Job Reference
Mission
As a global Type Commander (TYCOM) and Navy Component Commander to U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), MSC provides combat logistics, special mission, service support, and strategic sealift to deploy and sustain U.S. Forces worldwide, during peacetime and war.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As the Department of War’s maritime logistics provider, Military Sealift Command (MSC) delivers agile, persistent, and innovative sealift logistics solutions to the Navy and Joint Force, generating effects across the spectrum of military operations in strategic competition, crisis, and conflict.
MSC crews, trains, equips, and operates more than 140 government and commercially-owned and chartered vessels to directly support Navy Fleet Commanders. MSC, as Naval Sealift Transportation Command (NAVTRANS), also serves as the Naval Component of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM).
The MSC Fleet includes cargo vessels, tankers, naval auxiliaries, and a variety of special mission ships. MSC ships are underway around the world to serve joint warfighters and call on ports in every continent, including Antarctica.
MSC Area Commands provide expertise and operational perspective to Navy Fleet Commanders worldwide. The Area Commands are operationally focused and aligned with the Numbered Fleet logistics staffs in their respective theaters: MSC Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia; MSC Pacific in San Diego; MSC Europe and Africa in Naples, Italy; MSC Central in Manama, Bahrain; and MSC Far East in Singapore. The MSC Area Commands also directly command and control vessels assigned USTRANSCOM missions as part of the NAVTRANS mission.
Ship maintenance and support functions are integrated into six maintenance hubs under the Area Commands in the following locations: Naples, Italy; Manama, Bahrain; Singapore; Yokohama, Japan; San Diego and Guam.
MSC is a $5 billion per year organization which provides services to the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, U.S. Transportation Command, Missile Defense Agency, and other U.S. government agencies.
Worldwide operations are funded through two working capital funds, complemented by Navy’s Operations and Maintenance funding to support Maintenance and Repair. The Navy Working Capital Fund is used to support Navy Fleet Commanders and other Department of War entities. The Transportation Working Capital Fund is used to support sealift services.
MSC receives direct funding appropriations from the Navy for Maintenance and Repair. MSC customers transfer funding for their requirements to MSC into the appropriate working capital fund and MSC draws from the fund to pay for command operations. Essentially, MSC is primarily funded by purchases from its customers.
Unlike private industry, that budgets to make a profit, the goal of the Working Capital Fund is to break even, i.e., charges levied on customers equal MSC’s expenses and no more.
Created in 1949, MSC, then called Military Sea Transportation Service, became the single managing agency for the Department of War’s ocean transportation needs. MSC has been present during every major conflict since World War II, providing vital logistics and operational support to the U.S. Navy and Joint Force around the globe.
MSC is focused on continuing to achieve maritime success in a contested logistics environment by developing new technologies and strategies. The next decade will see the delivery of new ships with modernized systems, and emerging capabilities such as new ship to shore connectors, unmanned resupply, and expeditionary munitions reload to better support distributed maritime logistics and no-fail mission sustainment.