TEMSCO Helicopters has a rich history in Alaska that dates back to 1958. The company got its start doing various contract/utility work before eventually becoming the originator of the helicopter glacier tour in Alaska. The company as a whole is now involved in many different sectors including firefighting, heliskiing, and tourism. In Skagway, most of our work comes from our guests off the cruise ships. We offer glacier trekking tours, as well as dogsledding tours that take place in the snow atop a glacier – both of which are bucket list experiences for many of our guests.

Our employees are integral in providing a safe, professional, once in a lifetime excursion for our guests. Job openings vary, are mostly seasonal in nature, and all have a strong focus on customer service. Though we operate year-round, our busiest time of year is when cruise ships are visiting Alaska. The cruise season begins in late April and ends in late October. The work environment in Skagway is fast-paced, exciting, and fun, with an emphasis on maintaining a safe environment for ourselves and our guests.

Temsco is one of the premier tour operators in the State of Alaska, and we pride ourselves in the experience that we offer to our guests, but also our employees. Just like our tours, a summer working in Skagway, and a summer working for Temsco, is a once in a lifetime experience.

Working in Skagway is, in and of itself, an experience unlike any other. Skagway is definitely a small town where people wave when they drive by each other, and it’s common to get “stuck” at the grocery store catching up with people you see there every week. With a small footprint, and a small population, it’s easy to feel like you know pretty much everyone in town. Because of that, much of the time small towns lack a certain…excitement. But not Skagway. Every summer Skagway’s population more than doubles with seasonal employees. All those fresh faces to town bring with them an energy that makes Skagway seem bigger than it actually is.  Skagway also does a really good job of having many entertaining community events to attend throughout the summer.

As a fairly remote Alaskan city, Skagway also has amazing access to the natural beauty that surrounds us. There are numerous hiking trails (including the world famous Chilkoot Trail), backcountry cabins available to rent, and access to biking, fishing, and kayaking. TEMSCO, being a helicopter company, has unique access to these great outdoors. We also partner with other companies in town to make their experiences available for our employees at a complimentary or reduced rate. From train rides to zip lining, rock climbing to oceanrafting, there’s no shortage of fun to be found during your time off.

Of course, we not only play hard, but we work hard too. Depending on your position at Temsco, you may be responsible for picking guests up off the ship and bringing them to our heliport, relaying safety information, loading and fueling helicopters, answering phones and taking reservations, or guiding groups across the glacier ice. We recognize the benefit of cross training our employees to provide variety, so it wouldn’t be uncommon to have multiple positions available to you. It’s important to note that due to the nature of our business, all of our positions are customer service oriented, and very safety sensitive.

All of our team members spend a great amount of time interacting with our guests and therefore play a vital role in their experience. We are looking for people that are willing to go above and beyond to make sure our guests have an experience of a lifetime. The following are characteristics that we look for in potential team members.

Must be a US citizen or have a green card – we will not be sponsoring any J1 visa applications.
Safety Focused
Enjoy working in customer service
Value working as a team
Friendly and outgoing
Polite and courteous
Willingness to learn
Excellent communication skills
Patience and a positive attitude
When hired, we ask that all employees sign a contract and agree to work for the term of the contract. Upon completion of their contract, employees are eligible for an end of season bonus based on their hours worked throughout the summer.

Dock Rep:
Work on the docks as a coordinator between cruise ship sales staff and TEMSCO base. Responsible for checking in guests, transporting them to and from base, as well as manifesting those passengers. You will occasionally be required to fuel and load/unload helicopters. Current CDL is preferred, but training is provided for qualifying applicants.

Reception:
Work at our heliport taking reservations, answering phones, checking guests in upon arrival, occasional loading of passengers into aircraft and/or van runs. Collect payment, manifest walk-in customers and keep expediter schedule updated. This position requires organization and the ability to multitask, and is integral to safe and smooth operations!

Tour Attendant:
Stationed at our helicopter base, you are often the first and last person to interact with our guests, and therefore play an important role in their experience. Your main responsibilities include greeting passengers, outfitting them for their tour, presenting safety information, fueling, and assisting passengers on and off helicopters.This position is where most first-year employees will begin working.