Fish Culturist

Position: Fish Culturist (Full Time-Permanent position)

Location: Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in Juneau, Alaska

Minimum Starting Salary: $50,000 per year DOE plus benefits

Start Date: July 1, 2025

Douglas Island Pink & Chum Inc. (DIPAC) is a private non-profit organization which manages two salmon hatcheries in the Juneau area to produce salmon for the common property fisheries of northern southeast Alaska. Macaulay Salmon Hatchery releases approximately 120 million chum fry, 1 million Chinook smolt, and 1 million coho smolt annually for domestic commercial and sport fisheries enhancement. Snettisham Salmon Hatchery produces 9.5 million sockeye smolt/fry for domestic programs, and up to 11 million sockeye fry annually for transboundary river fisheries enhancement. DIPAC also manages the Ladd Macaulay Visitor Center and welcomes up to 100,000 visitors a year through the facility.

The goal of Douglas Island Pink and Chum, Inc. is to sustain and enhance valuable salmon resources of the State of Alaska for the economic, social, and cultural benefit of all citizens, and to promote public understanding of Alaska’s salmon resources and salmon fisheries through research, education, and tourism. For more information about DIPAC, please check out the website at www.dipac.net. 

Duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• This is a full-time permanent, overtime exempt, position working under the direction of the Manager and Assistant Manager.
• Involvement in all aspects of salmon production such as broodstock capture, egg take, egg pick, incubation, ponding, transport, rearing, marking, and tagging.
• Working with hatchery systems such as water quality monitoring, record keeping and emergency procedures.
• Operating hatchery equipment including forklifts, power tools, egg sorters, fish counters, fish pumps, and other equipment.
• Work duties are performed at the Macaulay Hatchery as well as other hatchery locations/rearing sites as may be required in the course of hatchery operations.
• This position will also include supervising and leading Fish Technician staff.

Qualifications:

• Must have at least one year experience as a Fish Culturist at a chum salmon hatchery facility.
• Candidate must be physically fit and able to push, pull, and lift up to 50 pounds over 100 yards repeatedly.
• Experience supervising other staff.
• Familiarity with the programs MS Excel and Word.
• Must be able to obtain an Alaska driver’s license. A job offer for this position is contingent upon a clean motor vehicle record for DIPAC’s drivers insurance approval.
• Previous experience driving boats and a basic knowledge of knots and other marine rigging equipment is required.
• Preferred applicants will have 4yr BS degree in a fisheries/aquaculture-related field, or two-year Associates Degree in an aquaculture-related field.
• Ability to pass a background check is mandatory.

Salary and Benefits: Salary DOE. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid annual, sick and holiday leave.