Job description

Mook Sea Farm Seeks Hatchery Assistants

General Overview

We are seeking full-time Hatchery Assistants to work in our oyster hatchery, located in Walpole, ME. We rear the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from egg to adult size. This is an opportunity to be a part of a team of people who are passionate about oysters and the future of aquaculture in Maine. This role is an entry level laborer position.

Location: 321 State Rt 129, Walpole, ME 04573

Job type: Full-time

Types of openings for this position:

• Weekend Hatchery Assistant (Friday - Tuesday)
• Weekday Hatchery Assistant (Monday - Friday)

Schedule(s):

• 8–10hour shifts
• Weekend Hatchery Assistant: Friday - Tuesday
• Weekday Hatchery Assistant: Generally, Monday – Friday, occasional weekends
• Working Holidays (Ability to “Bank” them for later use)

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Short-term disability
• Retirement plan
• Health savings account

Responsibilities

Hatchery Assistants’ primary responsibilities are to assist our Hatchery Technicians & Specialists in the daily operation of our hatchery. Assistants do this by maintaining the equipment and facilities where we grow millions of larval and juvenile oysters using a variety of culture systems. Duties will include cleaning and maintaining tanks/equipment and carefully following our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/checklists. Hatchery assistants are expected to carry out daily tasks with an attention to detail and a reliable work ethic. In the hatchery offseason, August – December, Hatchery Assistants will learn about the other work on the farm by working with our grow-out operations team to farm our oyster leases on the Damariscotta River. The timing of this offseason work may vary based on the needs of the hatchery and the farm.

Education and Experience

Prior education in aquaculture is not required. Prior experience working in a fast-paced environment doing manual labor is required. We can train the right person who has an interest in the work we’re doing, a positive attitude, and a great attention to detail. Hatchery Assistants should have no aversion to manual labor and work that is dirty in nature. This is a great opportunity to learn more about large-scale oyster farming!

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Teamwork & collaboration, as well as ability to take ownership of tasks and work independently.
• Ability to follow strict protocols.
• Ability to multitask effectively.
• Ability to complete tasks in a fast-paced work environment.
• Clear and direct communication.
• Ability to work systematically and problem solve.
• A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation to and from work is required.
• Willingness to work in a variety of challenging conditions.
• Understanding of scientific method and data collection is a plus.

Physical Requirements

This position requires an average of eight hours per day of standing and moving through tight spaces, and requires physical strength, balance, hand-eye coordination, and stamina necessary to complete work in the hatchery. The position requires an ability to lift, push, and/or pull up to 50 pounds, and requires manual dexterity to operate a variety of equipment. Employees should be able to tolerate exposure to typical noises associated with the hatchery. We use bleach and a variety of other disinfectants to carry out daily Hatchery Assistant job duties. The work involves a lot of equipment maintenance, and the work can be dirty.

Schedule and Pay

This is a full time, year-round job with hourly pay and benefits. Our paydays are bi-weekly on Thursdays. We are looking to employe one Weekend Hatchery Assistant and a few Weekday Hatchery Assistants.

The Weekend Hatchery Assistant schedule is Friday – Tuesday every week with Wednesdays and Thursdays off. The Weekend Hatchery Assistant is required to be able to respond to alarm calls within 1 hour on Saturdays and Sundays, although they will not be the primary person responsible for responding to alarm calls.

The Weekday Hatchery Assistant schedule is Monday – Friday, with occasional weekend coverage/shifts. The shifts are scheduled for 8am-4pm daily.

Daily shifts for both are approximately 8 hours; however, this position requires a flexible work schedule that may vary in the number of hours worked in a day, or in which the stop times may vary because we are responsible for live oysters. Holiday work is required on a rotation with other hatchery personnel and employees can "bank" holidays for future Paid Time Off.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $16.00 - $18.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 10 hour shift
• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• On call
• Weekend availability

COVID-19 considerations:
We follow state and federal CDC guidelines regarding mask wearing, social distancing, and sanitizing. All new employee’s must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and are expected to present their Vaccine Record Card on their first day of employment.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Walpole, ME 04573: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: One location

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