Air Transportation Specialist II - Antarctica

About the role

This position supports cargo and passenger movements to and from McMurdo and South Pole Stations in Antarctica. The specialist supervises and mentors a cargo team of four people, coordinates daily tasking and cargo staging with shift supervisors and load planners, and works 12-hour rotating outdoor shifts, including weekends and inclement weather.

Key responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor a four-person cargo team and complete end-of-season evaluations.
• Train department personnel in aircraft loading and unloading, pallet building and restraint, and operating material handling equipment and light vehicles.
• Coordinate daily tasking, cargo staging and transportation needs with the ATO Shift Supervisor, Airfield Shift Supervisor and Load Planners.
• Help create, review and maintain procedures for loading aircraft, preparing cargo, operating vehicles and documenting receipt and delivery.
• Conduct and document daily maintenance checks on equipment such as pallet jacks, forklifts, Delta III and Kress transport vehicles, passenger vans and pickup trucks.
• Use material handling equipment including wheeled forklifts (4,000-15,000 lb capacity) and cargo sleds, following safety and security precautions for hazardous materials, special cargo, mail and baggage.
• Supervise palletization of cargo, quality-assure that it is properly secured per USAF regulations, and ensure hazardous cargo is handled per military and commercial regulations.
• Oversee cargo transport between airfields and storage areas, load and unload aircraft, check arriving cargo against manifests and document overages, shortages or damage.
• Maintain and inventory tie-down equipment (463L pallets, cargo straps, chains and tensioners) and prepare damaged pallets and equipment for shipment.
• Report safety incidents immediately, attend safety meetings and follow the employer's safety, quality and procedure-compliance policies.

Required profile

• High school diploma or GED; minimum 1 year of experience loading/unloading aircraft, operating material handling equipment, or processing and maintaining records of passenger and cargo movement.
• Preferred: 1 year of supervisory experience and previous remote logistics experience.
• Valid US driver's license; US citizenship required for facility credentials at this location.
• Medical, dental, drug screening and federal background checks completed; willingness to deploy to Antarctica for extended periods.
• Able to lift and move items up to the safety regulation maximum, climb ladders and platforms, and work outdoors in extreme cold.

Required skills

• Knowledge of passenger and cargo movement functions, transport aircraft types and configurations, airlift directives and cargo restraint techniques and calculations.
• Teamwork and ability to work outdoors in adverse conditions.