Fish Hatchery Technician

Job Description

The department of Comparative Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a Part Time (20 hours a week) Fish Hatchery Technician to join their team.

Reporting to a Teaching Professor, the Fish Hatchery Technician is responsible for supports the UW Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) by performing basic fish husbandry duties and assisting in technical, scientific, and maintenance functions for the zebrafish facilities in the Life Sciences and Health Sciences buildings. Under supervision, this position helps maintain facility operations, monitors fish health and water quality, and ensures compliance with biosecurity protocols.

This is a critical role in the care and maintenance of aquatic laboratory animals, contributing to UW's research and academic mission.

Husbandry 70%

• Maintains proper function of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems by completing required maintenance and assisting with needed repairs/replacement of components. Performs general facility care and maintenance; assists in the repairs of facility equipment.
• Set-up tanks and changes tanks. Washes and disinfects husbandry equipment, fish holding tanks and components, water intakes, effluent gutters, spawning traps, tanks, and lids. Assists supervisor on the monitoring of mechanical washer function, refilling chemical tanks/reservoirs, ordering, receiving, and properly storing washer chemicals, and assisting with vendor preventative maintenance scheduled activities.
• Monitors fish behavior and records mortalities; examines mortalities for clinical signs of disease; monitors water quality and rearing environments; notifies supervisor and Veterinary Services when abnormalities occur.
• Records data; collects, evaluates, and records water quality parameters which include temperatures, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen/total gas, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, alkalinity, and hardness; monitors, adjusts, and maintains water treatment monitors and treatment systems.
• Assists with keeping track of fish tank inventory for regular tank census recording and reporting to supervisor.
• Euthanizes fish that have been labeled by tank for euthanasia.
• Assists with supervisors on the evaluation and coordination of physical plant identified issue for work order submission and resolution.
• Maintains culture facility including collection, feed calculation and dispersion of live feed organisms Artemia nauplii and Brachionus plicatilis. Assists with maintenance of culture equipment and feed systems.
• Assists in transferring, preparing and mixes fish food; feeds fish.
• Maintains facility reagents and general organization of all facility areas.

Administration 30%

• Assists in monitoring and responding to all alarms that provide security and protection of animals or systems in rotation with other team members.
• Assists in the training and oversight of student employees.
• Assists with the organization and storage of active and historic records at facility.
• Assists with the maintenance of facility-wide biosecurity program and ensures employees, students, and laboratory members follow biosecurity guidelines.
• Performs other duties as required.

The salary information provided below is for a full-time position and will be prorated by 50% as this is 50% FTE position.

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

• High School graduation or GED
• Equivalent education/experience.

• Certifications from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS).

• Work is primarily performed indoors in controlled research settings with aquatic laboratory animals.
• May require protective clothing and precautions against potential exposure to infectious agents.
• Standard work hours are Saturday–Tuesday or Thursday–Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• D…