(Aquaculture) Technician for the European Oyster Hatchery on Helgoland in Helgoland bei Alfred Wegener Institut für Polar und Meeresforschung

(Aquaculture) Technician for the European Oyster Hatchery on Helgoland (m/f/d) in Helgoland bei Alfred Wegener Institut für Polar und Meeresforschung

Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals.

(Aquaculture) Technician for the European Oyster Hatchery on Helgoland (m/f/d)

Background
Because of their high ecological value, native oyster beds are a focus of European conservation efforts. Against the background of ongoing and future restoration measures, the PROCEED project establishes an innovative and sustainable seed oyster production of the European oyster Ostrea edulis to support long-term restoration measures in the North Sea. The hatchery facility was installed within the existing AWI infrastructure on Helgoland in 2019. The associated research supports the technical optimization of oyster production and also includes topics such as genetic diversity and the effects/control of pathogens.

You will oversee and work in the optimization of the oyster nursery, which is located in the sea around Helgoland. Further tasks will be based around the daily production and maintenance of processes within the oyster hatchery with a focus on e.g. on microalgae production, broodstock conditioning or/and larval rearing.

Tasks
The main duties include the development, technical management and supervision of all components involved in the outdoor hatchery infrastructure (offshore and on site). These tasks require a close collaboration with the scientific diver group and the technical department at the AWI Helgoland. In addition, the tasks require the willingness to go on one-day boat trips, e.g. to deploy nursery structures.
You will also support processes within the hatchery production as needed, coordinate with the test and development project RESTORE within the group, and set up research experiments, if needed.

Technical facilities:

Cleaning, maintenance and management of the field nursery off Helgoland
Design, installation and management of additional nursery structures e.g. landers for oyster baskets
Coordinating the arrival of juvenile oysters to the Helgoland facilities, traceability and supervision of these processes
During hatchery production: e.g. operation, cleaning and maintenance of microalgae cultures (small and large scale)

Oyster husbandry:

Culture and monitoring of seed oysters (outdoor nursery)
Development of methods for the production of seed oyster products suitable for the deployment within restoration measures in the German Bight
During hatchery production: e.g. oversee feeding of broodstock oysters and oyster spat, maintaining broodstock conditioning and/or larval rearing (standard hatchery production protocols)

General

Deputy tasks within the multidisciplinary team

Requirements
We are looking for a motivated (aquaculture) technician, ideally with experience in oyster/shellfish farming who is able to adapt to the multidisciplinary tasks of this position. The position requires an education as an aquaculture technician, marine-technical assistant or equivalent education. It offers many possibilities to include one's own ideas and professional backgrounds.

You should have good English language skills. The ability to speak or the willingness to learn the German language is mandatory as a lot of the coordination is only possible in German. The readiness to work and communicate in an international team as well as good coordination skills are required. The position includes on-call and weekend duty at the hatchery.

Desirable skills and knowledge

Ability to contribute own ideas, motivation and professional experience
Ability to work independently

Further Information

For any questions you may have, you are very welcome to get in touch with Dr. Bérenger Colsoul (berenger.colsoul@awi.de; +49 (0)151-6335-142) or visit the homepage of the Helgoland Oyster Hatchery

This is a full-time position, limited until September 30th, 2025. It is also suitable for part-time employment. The salary will be paid in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Federation (Tarifvertrag des öffentlichen Dienstes, TVöD Bund), up to salary level 9b. The place of employment will be Helgoland.

The AWI is characterized by

our scientific success - excellent research

collaboration and cooperation - intra-institute, national and international, interdisciplinary