Hatchery Operations Specialist

Bellingham Technical College (BTC) invites applications for one full-time professional exempt position as Hatchery Operations Specialist. This is an exempt, non-represented position, is Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exempt from overtime and is at-will. This position reports to the Dean of Professional Technical Education and is anticipated to start in June 2025.

Under the guidance of the Hatchery Managers, the Hatchery Operation Specialist assists in daily husbandry, maintenance, and coordination of activities for the Whatcom Creek Hatchery at the Maritime Heritage Park in Bellingham and the Bellingham Hatchery at Whatcom Falls Park in cooperation with the Bellingham Technical College’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program. The Hatchery Operation Specialist will also assist the Hatchery Managers in filling out state and federal forms, recording data and maintaining logs for hatchery operations, attending meetings, and generating reports. Under the direction of the instructors, this position also assists in the supervision of students, along with operational support of student projects.

This position may also, during certain times of the year, assist with hatchery operations at the Samish Hatchery in Burlington, WA, the Lake Whatcom Hatchery in Bellingham, WA, and the Kendall Creek Hatchery in Deming, WA, when the BTC Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program works offsite. The position may also require occasional travel to other partner sites for transporting materials and hosting field trips. The Bellingham Technical College Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program operates in partnership with several regional and statewide industries and agencies. The anticipated schedule is Monday – Friday from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm; however, during certain times of the year, the work schedule may vary due to animal husbandry needs. Some weekend and evening work may also be required. This position is on-call during off-hours for hatchery related business and emergencies. The position is full-time at 40 hours per week September 1 – June 30 and part-time at 20 hours a week July 1 – August 31. 

BTC is a premier higher education institution working to provide student-centered, high quality professional technical education throughout Whatcom County and is the only technical college serving northwest Washington State. The College is uniquely positioned to offer exceptional training and educational opportunities to area residents and employers. Founded in 1957 as Bellingham Vocational Institute, it has continued to offer high-quality education in a supportive, student-first environment. BTC has been serving its region with workforce education degrees and certificates to approximately 6,000 students per year. The college provides professional technical programs and courses, adult basic education, English Language Acquisition programs, academic courses, community education, a few direct transfer degree opportunities, and two Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degrees. BTC works closely with regional employers and other partners to develop programs and train students to fill regional workforce demands and support economic development.
  
 BTC is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming campus that supports diversity, promotes a sense of community, provides an effective work and learning environment, and encourages respect for individuals. As an Equal Opportunity employer, BTC values diversity and aims to recruit employees that reflect the diverse backgrounds of our community, including ethnicity, national origin, religion, race, gender, gender identity, age, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, disability, political status, and sexual orientation. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to a successful and supportive learning environment for a diverse student and employee population with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

• Daily husbandry for algae, shellfish, and fish including feedings, cleanings, and routine sampling; including calculations of feed schedules, growth rates, stocking densities, and water flows.
• Daily monitoring of water quality parameters to ensure maintenance of optimum conditions for aquatic life.
• Daily operations and maintenance of culturing equipment; including pumps, filters, UV sterilizers, air compressors, generators, chillers/heaters, and monitoring/alarm systems for flow through, P-RAS, and RAS.
• Maintain hatchery grounds and outdoor systems; including fish ponds, fencing, salmon ladder, and water intake system.
• Collect and maintain culturing logs to track feeding, growth, health, water quality, and other husbandry parameters to produce hatchery reports. 
• Maintain strict biosecurity protocols and report on organismal health; including sterilization of fomites, observations of species behavior, and administering treatments under the Hatchery Managers’ supervision. 
• Supervise student workers in the hatchery setting; including reports on student progress and evaluations of student performance sent to instructors and managers, as needed.
• Assist Hatchery Managers with projects and research, as needed. 
• Assist program faculty with student training, as needed. 
• Carry out transfers of shellfish and finfish to hatchery, release, planting, and/or commercial sites, following permitting protocols and working collaboratively with program partners.
• Build and repair culturing systems, when needed.
• Adhere and ensure compliance with applicable safety laws and program standards. 
• Demonstrate respect for diverse colleagues, students and community members. 
• Work collaboratively with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Treaty Tribes co-managers.
• Work within College guidelines in purchasing supplies for the hatchery.
• Work under the guidance of the Fisheries & Aquaculture faculty and in coordination with department goals and projects.
• Demonstrate and model professional work standards: conduct, work ethics, positive interpersonal skills, problem solving, teamwork within the college and department.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to Bellingham Technical College's Mission.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate degree in Aquaculture, Fisheries, Aquatic Ecology, Natural Resources Management, or related field with one year of experience in aquaculture, hatchery operations, or related field; 

OR 

• One-year Certificate in Aquaculture, Fisheries, Aquatic Ecology, Natural Resources Management, or related field with two years of experience in aquaculture, hatchery operations, or related field;

OR

• Three years of experience in aquaculture, hatchery operations, or related field;

AND

• Demonstrated proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite of programs.
• Ability to demonstrate cultural humility (including an awareness and understanding of minoritized populations) that includes a commitment to listen, learn and work with others to create an educational and work environment that affirms commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Valid driver’s license 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Aquaculture, Fisheries, Aquatic Ecology, Natural Resources Management, or related field; 
• Supervising, mentoring and/or other leadership experience;
• Project management;
• Experience raising and caring for aquatic organisms, including algae and shellfish;
• Experience with maintenance and repairs of culturing equipment;
• Experience working with state, federal, tribal, and/or private entities;
• Forklift certification;

Physical & Work Environment:

Requires being mobile and standing for long periods of time; walking, stooping, bending and lifting; manual dexterity; repeated pushing, pulling and lifting of 50 or more pounds; bending, twisting, crouching, kneeling, and squatting; reaching below knees, knees to shoulders, above shoulder; working on uneven surfaces; work both indoors and outdoors, often in inclement weather conditions and extreme ambient temperatures (heat or cold); ability to work while standing in cold water (pond and streams) wearing waders, personal floatation device (PFD), and rain gear; ability to swim in deep and/or swift moving water; work from heights as high as 25 feet and utilize ladders. Also requires working at a computer several hours a week.

Compensation, Benefits and Work Schedule:

The salary is $4,491 per month (~$53,893 annual).

Position receives 8 hours per month of sick leave, 16 hours per month of vacation leave, 24 hours of personal leave and 12 paid state/college holidays per calendar year. Benefits also include a Washington State insurance package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability; a retirement benefits package, with choice between the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Plan 3 or the State Board Retirement Plan (SBRP) 401A plan TIAA. Additional optional benefits include ability to participate in a medical Flexible Spending plan, Limited Purpose Flexible Spending plan, or Health Savings Account; Dependent Care Assistance; discounts for automobile and homeowner insurance, tuition waiver; two voluntary investment (not matched) programs - TIAA (403b) or the State Deferred Compensation (457) plan. Employee Assistance Program (EAP); up to 21 days of military leave; up to 5 days of paid bereavement leave, paid civil/jury duty, ability to participate in a shared leave program; and up to 2 days of unpaid holiday for reasons of faith or conscience.

Work Schedule:

The anticipated schedule is Monday – Friday from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm; however, during certain times of the year, the work schedule may vary due to animal husbandry needs. Some weekend and evening work may also be required. This position is on-call during off-hours for hatchery related business and emergencies. The position is full-time at 40 hours per week September 1 – June 30 and part-time at 20 hours a week July 1 – August 31. The position will be expected to work onsite full-time.

Application Procedures and Deadline:

Required application materials must be completed and submitted online

at http://www.btc.edu/jobs and received by 5 p.m. on May 2, 2025, for priority consideration. Application materials received after this date and time may be considered until the position is filled.

More information about Bellingham Technical College is at www.btc.edu or contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 752-8354. You will be contacted if selected for an interview. At this time, BTC is not sponsoring H-1B Visa's.

Required Application Materials:

• Completed Online BTC Employment Application & Online Supplemental Questions;
• Current resume or Vitae of education, experience and other relevant achievements;
• Cover letter describing interest in working at Bellingham Technical College and with the Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program;
• Official transcripts of any degrees listed as part of the minimum requirements will be required upon hire, but not as part of the application process.

Interviews are expected to be held in-person between May 21-23, 2025

Salary : $53,893