Summary:
The Hazardous Cargo Specialist is responsible for preparing dangerous goods and hazardous materials for transport via military aircraft, civilian/commercial aircraft, vessel, and ground transport. This position works closely with military personnel as well as civilian contractors both on base at McMurdo station as well as at various USAP field camps in Antarctica.
Position Responsibilities:
Maintains a safe workplace and demonstrates a high level of safety awareness.
Complies with all ASC Environmental, Safety and Health (ESH), Waste Management and Quality Assurance requirements, goals, policies and procedures.
Accurately identifies, classifies, packages, marks, labels and documents hazardous goods for transport in compliance with 49CFR parts 100 - 185, IATA, AFMAN 24-604 and/or IMDG regulations.
Is cognizant of the relationship between the transportation regulations to merge and apply these regulations for multi-modal shipments.
Safely handles and stores hazardous materials in accordance with applicable federal and military regulation.
Researches and responds to customer inquiries regarding transport regulations of hazardous material.
Packs temperature-controlled science samples in accordance with established procedures to ensure the safety of the samples during retrograde shipping, to include both commercial airline and surface shipping methods.
Assists science team and community members in the proper packaging, labeling, and documenting of general cargo for shipment to field sites or for retrograde.
Performs cargo movement including receipt, storage, retrieval and onward movement of United States Antarctic Program (USAP) materials.
Accurately tracks the movement of cargo throughout all phases of shipment.
Performs daily routine prevention maintenance checks on ATO vehicles and loaders.
Ensures that each ATO vehicle has the proper operating/safety equipment aboard (i.e. chocks, window scrapers, etc.).
Safely transports McMurdo-generated cargo to appropriate staging areas for onward shipment both on and off the continent.
Safely operates all ATO vehicles in varying road and weather conditions while obeying all speed limits.
Possesses and applies a thorough working knowledge of MAXIMO Palletizes cargo and applies proper restraint.
Loads ISO shipping containers and performs blocking and bracing of cargo inside the containers to comply with maritime shipping requirements.
Communicates via two-way radio in accordance with proper radio etiquette and procedures.
Ensures workspaces and staging areas are properly maintained and organized.
Must be capable of regularly lifting 40 pounds (safety regulation maximum).
Works rotating shifts, including weekends and extra hours, as required.
Coordinates changes at any hour day or night.
Works 9-12-hour shifts - non-stop during resupply vessel operations.
Performs other duties as required.
Required Education, Experience, Certificates and Licenses:
High School diploma or GED
Four years of experience of inventory control, warehousing, or aircraft cargo handling experience, including receipt, storage, and/or retrieval
Expected Skills and Competencies:
HazMat employees must complete required initial training of 49CFR, IATA, IMDG, and AFMAN24-604 within 90 days of beginning the job in 5 key training areas.
general awareness/familiarization
function-specific
safety
security awareness
in-depth security training, if a security plan is required;
Previous experience in a customer service environment
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 2000 software within the Microsoft Windows operating system, and hazardous materials databases
Knowledge of aircraft load planning and regulations governing transportation of hazardous materials
Clear, accurate, concise communication skills.
Capable of interpretation of law text.
Ability to adapt to dynamic situations.
Preferred:
Military aircraft knowledge is preferred.
Cargo operations experience within the USAP Program is preferred.
Certification of training and/or previous knowledge, use, and understanding of 49CFR, IATA, IMDG, and AFMAN 24-604 is preferred.
Physical and/or Other Requirements:
Willingness and ability to deploy to Antarctica for extended periods
Successful completion of Medical and Dental examinations required by the NSF for deployment to Antarctica
Successful completion of drug screening and background check required by employer
Successful completion of Federal Background Check required by the NSF
Must be willing and able to lift and move items, parts, assemblies, and equipment up to the safety regulation maximum as required by the position.
Must be willing and able to perform physical activities including heavy lifting, climbing in and out of equipment, crawling, and working outdoors in extreme cold as required by the position.
Must participate in community programs, such as “house-mouse” (chores), “daisy-picking” (cleaning-up around the station), recycling efforts & safety objectives.
Valid Driver’s License issued in the United States
No clearance requirement but the contract and/or the site requires US Citizenship to be approved for access. (includes NACI / T1, MRPT, CAC): Must be able to obtain and maintain facility credentials/authorization. Note: US Citizenship is required for facility credentials/authorization at this work location.
Safety - Amentum enforces a safety culture whereby all employees have the responsibility for continuously developing and maintaining a safe work environment. As appropriate, each employee is responsible for completing all training requirements and fulfilling all self-aid/buddy aid responsibilities, participating in emergency response tasks, and serving on safety committees and teams.
Quality - Quality is the foundation for the management of our business and the keystone to our goal of customer satisfaction. It is our policy to consistently provide services that meet customer expectations. Accordingly, each employee must conform to the Amentum Quality Policy and carry out job activities in compliance with applicable Amentum Quality System documents and customer contracts. Each employee must read and understand his/her Quality Management and Customer Satisfaction responsibilities.
Procedure Compliance - Each employee must read, understand, and implement the general and specific operational, safety, quality and environmental requirements of all plans, procedures and policies pertaining to job.
Skills Required
- High School diploma or GED
- Four years experience in inventory control, warehousing, or aircraft cargo handling (receipt, storage, retrieval)
- Completion of initial 49CFR, IATA, IMDG, and AFMAN 24-604 HazMat training within 90 days (general awareness, function-specific, safety, security awareness, in-depth if required)
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Office 2000) and hazardous materials databases
- Knowledge of aircraft load planning and hazardous materials transportation regulations
- Ability to accurately identify, classify, package, mark, label and document hazardous goods in compliance with applicable regulations
- Ability to perform physical tasks including regularly lifting up to 40 pounds, heavy lifting, climbing, crawling, and working outdoors in extreme cold
- Willingness and ability to deploy to Antarctica for extended periods
- Valid United States Driver's License
- US Citizenship required for facility credentials/authorization (NACI/T1/MRPT/CAC)
- Successful completion of NSF-required medical and dental examinations
- Successful completion of drug screening and employer background check
- Successful completion of Federal Background Check required by NSF
- Ability to safely operate ATO vehicles, perform daily preventative maintenance checks, and communicate via two-way radio
- Familiarity with MAXIMO for palletizing and cargo tracking/restraint
- Previous customer service experience and clear, concise communication skills
- Certification/training and/or prior knowledge of 49CFR, IATA, IMDG, AFMAN 24-604
- Military aircraft knowledge
- Cargo operations experience within the USAP Program
Amentum Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Amentum and has not been reviewed or approved by Amentum.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare offerings are described as comprehensive, with medical, dental, and vision plans and multiple PPO/HSA options. Mental health support via an employee assistance program and other wellness resources is also included in the benefits mix.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a meaningful part of total rewards through a 401(k) plan with employer matching. Profit-sharing contributions and immediate or near-term vesting in some cases further strengthen the retirement value proposition.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off benefits are presented as solid for the sector, including tiered PTO accrual by tenure and a set of paid holidays. Role-dependent flexible or remote work options and leave programs add to perceived work-life support.
Amentum Insights
What We Do
Amentum is a premier global technical and engineering services partner supporting critical programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. We draw from a century-old heritage of operational excellence, mission focus, and successful execution underpinned by a strong culture of safety and ethics. Headquartered in Germantown, Md., we employ more than 20,000 people in 48 states and 28 foreign countries and territories. Visit us at amentum.com to explore how we deliver excellence for our customers’ most vital missions.





