VACANCY for Senior Hatchery Technician

The National Lobster Hatchery, in Padstow, Cornwall are looking to recruit a Senior Hatchery Technician.

This is a full time post on a two year, fixed term contract with a starting salary of £19,684.

Closing date for applications:     15^thDecember 2012

The Organisation:            The National Lobster Hatchery can be found on the docks of picturesque Cornish fishing village of Padstow.  The charity aims to promote sustainability issues in coastal fisheries through programs of Stock enhancement, research and education; supported by the visitor centre, corporate sponsorship, grants and donations.

Aim:      To run the Hatchery on a day to day basis and further develop the hatchery based production of juvenile lobsters for the charity’s stocking program in conjunction with the R&D Officer and the General Manager.

Key responsibilities:

·                     To supervise and oversee the day to day operation of the hatchery (including supervision of staff and volunteers)

·                     To ensure that all life support systems (LSS) and hatchery equipment are maintained in a clean and functional state

·                     To maintain and develop the hatcheries marine recirculating aquaculture systems

·                     To follow SOP’s and procedures as laid out in the operations manual

·                     Care of brood-stock, larvae and juveniles on a daily basis

·                     To organise and co-ordinate the seeding program in conjunction with the various stakeholders (including some work on inshore commercial fishing vessels)

·                     Ensure that hatchery consumables are kept in stock

·                     To collect and record data on the daily operations within the hatchery

·                     Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of technology and developments, relevant to the NLH’s objectives

·                     To be on a rota to ensure adequate cover is provided 24/7 and to hold a pager for evening cover.

Required Personal skills and qualifications:

Essential Requirements:	Desirable Requirements:
·         Proven husbandry skills and experience with a variety of aquatic species ·         3 years + experience in the operation, maintenance and construction of recirculation systems ·         Experience in supervising staff and volunteers ·         Excellent communication and organisation skills ·         Accuracy and attention to detail ·         Full clean driving license	·         A good honours degree and preferably a post graduate qualification in aquaculture or a related discipline ·       An understanding of fisheries sustainability issues ·       Experience in algal culture and live feed production ·       Experience in microbiological assays ·       DIY /practical skills

For further information and to apply:     Please send a C.V and formal covering letter outlining why you feel you are suitable for the role to:

FAO: The General Manager

National Lobster Hatchery

South Quay

Padstow

Cornwall

PL28 8BL

                                                                                                                                                                      

VACANCY - Research & Development Officer

Pay/conditions:           £22,000 starting salary, based at the National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow, some work away from site will be required as will some antisocial hours and weekend cover. This is a fixed term contract for 23 months, with a view to becoming permanent.  Annual leave for this position is 22 days per year excluding public holidays.

Qualifications:             The successful applicant will have a PhD in lobster culture or a closely related discipline and a good honours degree in marine biology and or fisheries/aquaculture science.

Skills and experience:  

The successful applicant will have the following skills and experience:

·         Proven project management skills and a track record of completing research projects through to publication. 

·         Excellent communication skills both written and oral including a track record of presenting at National and International scientific conferences, as well as through other forms of media (TV, radio, newspapers etc.).

·         The ability to network in order to create and maintain functional partnerships.

·         Experience of involving key stakeholders (fishermen and fish-farmers) in R&D projects.

·         Extensive experience of lobster larval and post larval culture and its development. 

·         An exhaustive knowledge of the scientific literature on the European Lobster pertaining to its: culture, fisheries management and stocking.

·         A track record of supervising postgraduate students in delivering component parts of research projects.

·         Feed development, morphometric assessment and microbiological assays pertaining to lobster culture.

Summary of role:            

The overarching aim of the position is to build the charity’s capacity for research.  The role will have 3 key functions:

·         To advance the charity’s stock enhancement program by improving culture techniques (and therefore post release survival) and to support on-going work to assess the effectiveness of the charity’s stocking program.  Specifically the charity would like to establish a pilot scale cage culture site during this project and make significant advances in stabilising larval culture.

·         To raise restricted funds to support further development of the charity’s research and development operations and to ensure that the position remains an economically viable one.

·         To publish and present the findings of the charity’s research and disseminate these findings as broadly as possible in order to continue developing the charity’s academic reputation.

·         The National Lobster Hatchery operates under an equal opportunities policy

 

Closing date for applications: Monday 22nd October @5.00pm

Interview date: TBC

Start date: November/December 2012

For further information contact:       Dominic Boothroyd, General Manager

The National Lobster Hatchery

South Quay

Padstow

PL288BL

01841 533877

Email: info@nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk

Web: www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk

 

This position is funded by the Coastal Communities Fund