Technical employees in the field of aquaculture and restoration ecology (f/m/d)

Technical employees in the field of aquaculture and restoration ecology (f/m/d)

Bremerhaven – Arbeitsort

Beginn: Biologe/Biologin – Zeitpunkt begrenzt bis

The Institute for Fisheries Ecology of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, at the Bremerhaven location, is seeking, at the earliest possible date limited until , two Technical employees in the field of aquaculture and restoration ecology (f/m/d) in full-time (currently 39 hours/week) to work in the third-party funded project 'RESTORE’.

The RESTORE: ReOyster-Upscaling Project (Integrative Measures for the Restoration of Intact European Oyster Reef Systems) aims at the sustainable restoration of biogenic reefs in the German North Sea with a particular focus on the European flat oyster and the reef habitats it forms. The project is led by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), the Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). The Thünen Institute is responsible for the technical implementation, in particular the cultivation of European flat oysters in the hatchery. The AWI is responsible for the offshore restoration measures.

The employment relationship is governed by the TVöD Bund collective agreement and, provided the collective agreement and personal requirements are met, is remunerated according to pay grade 10 of the TVöD Bund—which corresponds to an annual salary of €53,206.44 to €74,218.22 for full-time employment.

Responsibilities

• Plan and coordinate the technical implementation of the oyster reproduction and production season, including hatchery, quarantine, production systems, and trial needs into annual and seasonal operational plans.
• Monitor production data, adjust plans in response to bottlenecks, and calculate and organize marine microalgae production and feeding requirements to ensure continuous feed availability.
• Organize broodstock quarantine, including import coordination, oyster handling, and post-season broodstock care.
• Design, set up, adapt, and dismantle reproduction, rearing, quarantine, and biosecurity systems in line with biological, technical, and operational requirements.
• Inspect, maintain, overhaul, and troubleshoot infrastructure challenges, tanks, filtration units, and rearing equipment, and convert system and process requirements into operational production procedures.
• Prepare and supervise seasonal shutdown and post-season maintenance activities.
• Perform daily hatchery and production operations, including protocol development, validation, and adaptation under changing biological or technical conditions.
• Scale marine microalgae production from laboratory to large-scale volumes and carry out or supervise feeding routines for broodstock, larvae, and nursery systems.
• Conduct key technical steps in oyster reproduction and larval rearing, including larvae collection, quality assessment, larval cohort monitoring, tank maintenance, water changes, size grading, and the transition from larvae to settlement.
• Monitor, document, and evaluate biological, physical, and production data, define standards for critical oyster production protocols, ensure sterile working conditions, and maintain full production traceability across breeding steps.
• Assess system failures, process deviations, and production bottlenecks independently and develop practical solutions.
• Carry out technical aspects of experiments and work weekend shifts as required.
• Represent the project during visits and business trips, present project objectives and results, and exchange technical methods and expertise with research institutes and industry partners.
• Support training activities and collaborative work with project partners, and prepare technical protocols and knowledge-transfer reports.

Qualifications

Professional profile:

• Completed university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in aquaculture, marine biology, biology, fisheries science, environmental science, or a comparable field.
• Knowledge of aquaculture systems and hatchery operations, particularly in marine environments.
• Experience in handling and culturing live aquatic organisms, including microorganisms.
• Knowledge of oyster farming, larval rearing, broodstock maintenance, and marine microalgae production.
• Experience in planning, setting up, and conducting experiments.
• Basic knowledge of statistical analysis and the use of relevant software.
• Knowledge of the preparation, operation, monitoring, and maintenance of technical systems and culture infrastructure.
• Proficiency in English and German, both written and spoken.
• Knowledge of documentation and data collection, as well as proficiency in standard office software.
• Willingness to undertake multi‑day business trips in support of fieldwork and sampling activities.
• Willingness to take on on‑call duties and weekend work.

Personal profile:

• Knowledge of oyster reproduction and marine shellfish culture, including larval and spat‑on‑shell production, broodstock management, marine microalgae production and feed calculations, as well as the design, operation, monitoring, and maintenance of aquaculture and quarantine systems, with experience in biosecurity, hygiene, traceability, documentation, and the planning, execution, and validation of experimental and production protocols.
• Analytical skills in evaluating biological and technical process data, monitoring key biological and physical parameters, and assessing system failures, process deviations, and production bottlenecks in order to define appropriate corrective actions.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and the use of relevant software for evaluating biological and technical data.
• Knowledge of project‑specific work plans, operating procedures, technical specifications, safety, hygiene, biosecurity, quarantine, and documentation requirements.
• Good written and spoken English and German for reviewing scientific information, presenting project content, and coordinating with international suppliers, partner institutions, and collaborators.
• Knowledge of project objectives, results, aquaculture methods used in the project, documentation standards for technical protocols and reports, and organizational requirements for project‑related travel and cooperative work.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Thünen Institute promotes professional equality between women and men and therefore expressly welcomes applications from women. The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute is committed to inclusion. Applications from people with severe disabilities are therefore expressly encouraged and will be given preferential consideration.