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Aquaculture Hatchery Technician

About Sea & Reef Aquaculture

Sea & Reef Aquaculture is a marine finfish hatchery that specializes in the captive breeding of marine ornamental fish for the aquarium hobby. We sell our fish wholesale to pet stores and distributor across the country and to overseas markets. By raising fish in captivity, we help reduce the fishing pressure on the world’s coral reefs. We are a team-oriented company that has been in business for 20 years. We believe that our greatest asset is our workforce. Working well in a small team with a positive attitude is critically important for this position.

Learn more about Sea & Reef Aquaculture at our website www.seaandreef.

Job description

Sea & Reef is hiring a full-time Aquaculture Hatchery Technician to join our team of biologists and passionate fish enthusiasts.

The person hired will be responsible for aspects of hatchery support. The core duties of the job include:

  • Feeding fish and maintaining tanks
  • Feeding and care of broodstock fish
  • Feeding and care of juvenile fish
  • Maintenance of live food cultures
  • Maintenance of live algae cultures
  • Larval rearing feeding and maintenanc
  • Recirculating system maintenance
  • Water quality monitoring
  • Assisting with building of Aquaculture Recirculation Systems (ARS)
  • Packing of fish and preparing of shipments
  • General hatchery maintenance and cleaning
  • Working a flexible schedule including weekends and holidays

 

The Aquaculture Hatchery Technician position is a full-time year around position in our land based marine ornamental hatchery in Franklin Maine. There are various areas of the production, including broodstock fish, larval rearing, juvenile fish grow-out, preparing packing and shipping of fish, recirculating Aquaculture (RAS) system maintenance, live phytoplankton and zooplankton culture, water quality monitoring, product development and more. We strive to cross train our staff to be able to work in each of these areas to make the work more varied and for continuing educating purposes. The work is labor intensive, and the candidate can expect to be on their feet in a busy environment for most of their daily shift. It is a must that the candidate is physically fit and have good balance and hand-eye coordination.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a candidate with the following qualities:

  • Ability to work well in a small team.
  • Hard working and punctual.
  • Enthusiastic and positive attitude.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • A drive to meet and exceed performance expectations and goals.
  • Tenacious attention to detail.
  • Ability for follow strict standard operating procedures (SOP).
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple priorities and quickly learn new procedures.
  • A desire to learn new skills and work in a small, but dynamic team.
  • Flexibility & dependability with work schedule.
  • Basic skills in using various power tools (not a requirement, but an advantage).
  • Must be able to perform physically demanding labor and the ability to lift 50-70 lbs from the floor.

 

Work Schedule

The typical shift starts at 8:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm. This includes a 30-minute paid lunch break. The work week is 40 hours. We have staff on site 7 days per week 365 days per year and therefore it is implied that some weekend work is required. Typically, our staff work 4 weekdays and one weekend day per week (have Friday-Saturday off or Sunday-Monday). Likewise, it is expected that candidate will work some (but not all) holidays.

Pay and Benefits

The pay is hourly compensation with payroll every two weeks. New employees have a sliding pay scale for the first 12 months of employment, which starts around $16.50 per hour end increase every few months to about $18.00 per hour at the end of the first year. After the first year, pay raises are given on a yearly basis according to personal and company performance. Starting pay will vary according to prior experience in the field.

We offer paid time off (PTO) and some paid holidays. The number of PTO days increase over the first few years of employment. More time off beyond PTO can be requested but will be unpaid. We strive to accommodate and support our team members.

Requirements

US work authorization (no exceptions)
Valid US drivers license & own reliable transportation.
Prior aquaculture or related experience

To apply
Please email cover letter and resume to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. attention: Soren Hansen