Anyone who has watched the Duluth Lift Bridge levitate over Lake Superior then return to Earth probably has wondered about the person at the controls, an unseen driver fielding requests for passage from captains of massive laker freighters and jaunty sailboats.
It's one of those hand-of-God jobs. And it's open.
The city of Duluth soon will hire a new bridge operator to help oversee the round-the-clock operation of the span that, during the busy seasons of spring and summer, averages 26 lifts a day. The newbie will join three current operators and one supervisor.
It's the first posting since 2011, said Matt Silverness, in the city's human resources office.
The pay is good, $42,000 to almost $50,000, and the view is great, albeit on an intermittent basis.
While it admittedly appeals to the kid in all of us, the qualifications include one to three years of specialized electrical training or working with "complex mechanized equipment," according to the posting on the city of Duluth's site.
Crowd-wrangling is a big part of the job, making sure all pedestrians are clear of marked areas before the bridge begins to rise. Years ago, tourists used to be able to ride the bridge. Alas, now you have to get hired as its operator.
Unfortunately, the application period expired last week. But start working on that specialized electrical training now, so you're ready for the next job opening. □
