Overview:
Waterfield Technologies Inc, (WTI) in partnership with KMD is looking for full-time workers, interested in pursuing a career in freshwater aquaculture with an interest in sustainable food production. WTI is an agricultural production, service, sales, and research company that focuses specifically on aquaculture, hydroponics, and all the systems that interconnect these two production methods.

The current production focus is on breeding multitrophic aquaculture seed (fry) for sale. Research focuses on key new products, systems, and genetics that improve yields and productivity in multitrophic aquaculture systems. Fundamentally WTI works at the intersection of animals, plants, and bacterial communities that all must work together for consistent operations as well as optimized yields and profits.

The Company is currently focused on work with Tilapia, but will be adding fresh-water Crustaceans and Mollusks over time. The Company has been operating since 1993, and has a long line of naturally produced genetic improvements, (no GMO or other techniques are used) working on lower costs to grow through improved growth, better feed efficiency, and a specialty of very hardy fish with a high level of disease resistance.

A key agenda is lowering production costs to make aquaculture products so much less expensive to grow and purchase that they help put ocean-overfishing out of business with more competitively priced products sold in consumer markets.

This is a dual-job position, combining production work with some lab/ research work, and some office assistant work, on a ratio roughly of 75% production work and 25% lab/ breeding/ research/ office work. The split will depend on individual candidates' skills and interests. Depending on preference, work could be all production-based.

We will be providing considerable training and experience and want individuals who can help 'repay' this training by being around to help get real projects completed. The company has temporary lodging on the property which can be provided free as part of the compensation.

The production work involves moving in and out of fish tanks, pulling nets, and handling fish on a daily basis. You will be wet, several days a week. It can be hot and work can be physically hard. But being in the water help keep one cool. No tasks require excessive strength, no more than lifting 50 lb. bags of salt or feed, but across the day endurance is needed.

Production Responsibilities:

Individually or in teams of two, select broodstock, and stock in various tanks for breeding.
Collect fry/PL and other juvenile species for growing out.
Grading fry via grading nets - moving fry amongst grow-out tanks.
Feeding fish and general hatchery chores/light maintenance of some equipment.
Packing and delivery of products to a range of farms on the US east coast.
Perform water quality and parasite tests.
Collect tissue samples from specimens, and coordinate with outside labs and geneticists for results analysis.
Helping with zooplankton and alga production needed for early life stages
Some grounds work, cutting grass, pruning bushes & tree's needed.

The Lab/ Office/ Research work is just what it sounds like - extensive work in the office, working on Mac computers, working with the FileMaker database and Excel spreadsheets, and online research. Work will be fast-paced and as intellectually challenging as production work is physical.

The Company works directly with many local farms and farmers, and some duties will involve visiting farms and providing support in technical or any other ways possible. If the candidate has strong driving skills then there is an option to be a primary or backup driver for our once a week fry delivery to local farms, or regional airports for international customers.

Office/ Lab/ Research Responsibilities:

Gather, process, and analyze in-house breeding and production data.
Entering production data in databases (FileMaker) / Excel. Helping to generate reports.
Working to help write parts of Grant, or writing new Grants depending on skills.
Helping with Office IT work. Helping with basic software updates and resolving inevitable software bugs.
Assisting with special operations projects, quotes for equipment, and business research areas.
Support design and manage a range of research programs to improve production and broodstock genetics.

Qualifications:

Graduate or undergraduate with a strong interest in environmental science, marine biology, aquaculture, or related fields with a preference for a 3.0 GPA, but open to individuals who do not test well in school but can demonstrate knowledge in the field with a strong work ethic, and aptitude for on-the-job learning.
Good writing skills are a plus - experience in grant writing is an extra big plus.
Interest in lab work as well as hands-on technical production work.
Experience with Microsoft and Mac applications, attention to detail for data gathering, charts, and checklists.
Independent, self-motivated worker.
Experience with FileMaker is a large plus.
Willing to get wet - work in fish tanks, sort and handle fish.
Strong interest in reversing climate change and market-based solutions to solving some of the world's largest environmental problems, as well as a commitment to production work.

Job specifics:

Entry-level pay scale, with the opportunity to grow to new positions and new locations.
Multiple opportunities for time-and-a-half for early AM packing jobs or extra pay for delivery to customers' farms.
Part or full-time on-site housing is available depending on need or preference.
A mix of physical work, combined with technical lab, research, and computer work.

The Company is expanding to at least two new hatchery locations in the next year, so opportunities exist, once having spent ~2 years training at the current location, to transfer to help startup, work at, or in time become a manager of new hatchery locations. Theses locations will be in the Caribbean, Central & South America, and strong Spanish language skills are a plus. Other locations in a 3 to 4 year time frame will be throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Contact:

Please contact John Cunningham (jcunningham115@gmail.com) with any questions.

KMD Associates jobs

Research Technician (Aquaculture/Genetics Production)

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