Hatchery Operations Manager

Mudcrab Hatchery Operations Manager

Location: Himamaylan, Negros Occidental
Reports To: Farm Owner
Employment Type: Full-Time, Operational (requires on-call availability)
About the Role:

We are seeking a master of metamorphosis. This is not a routine farm management position; it is a highly specialized, science-driven role responsible for the most delicate phase of the mudcrab lifecycle. The Hatchery Operations Manager will orchestrate the entire hatchery process, from broodstock maturation to the delivery of healthy, robust crablets (megalopa/crabeon stage). You will blend deep knowledge of decapod biology with industrial facility management to solve a singular, critical challenge: reliably producing life at scale.
Key Responsibilities:

1. Production Mastery & Larval Rearing

Broodstock & Spawning: Manage the entire reproductive cycle, including broodstock selection, health assessment, conditioning, and spawning induction (including unilateral eyestalk ablation where applicable) of Scylla serrata and related species.

Larval Lifecycle Management: Oversee the critical and fragile transition through all zoea stages (Z1-Z5) to megalopa and finally to crabelet. This includes managing metamorphosis, identifying staging in real-time, and adjusting protocols instantly.

Live Feed Command: Direct the high-density, axenic (zero-contamination) production of the entire live feed chain—intensive microalgae (Nannochloropsis, Chaetoceros, Tetraselmis), rotifers (Brachionus), and Artemia—with a focus on targeted enrichment profiles (e.g., HUFA, Vitamin C) for each larval stage.

2. Industrial Systems & Water Quality Management

Life Support Systems: Assume ownership of all Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and flow-through infrastructure. This includes hands-on troubleshooting and preventative maintenance of pumps, biofilters, protein skimmers, UV sterilizers, heaters/chillers, and emergency backup systems.

Parameter Precision: Maintain a non-negotiable, 24/7 stable environment by monitoring and reacting to critical parameters: temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia, nitrite, and alkalinity. Calibrate automated probes against manual titration methods regularly.

3. Biosecurity & Veterinary Health

Disease Prevention: Act as the first line of defense. Implement and enforce a fortress-style biosecurity plan to prevent catastrophic events from pathogens like luminous vibriosis, Lagenidium fungus, and ciliates.

Health Diagnostics: Perform daily microscopic health checks on larvae, identify early signs of stress, bacterial blooms, or necrosis, and execute rapid, decisive treatment protocols.

Sanitation Protocols: Enforce rigorous dry-out, disinfection, and sterilization cycles for all tanks, equipment, and facilities between production runs.

4. Data, Science, and Continuous Improvement

Forensic Record-Keeping: Maintain a meticulous, "black box" of data for every production run: survival rates by stage, daily feeding regimes, water chemistry logs, and growth metrics. This data is used to diagnose failures and replicate success.

R&D for Cannibalism Mitigation: Lead ongoing applied research trials to crack the code on the megalopa-to-crablet bottleneck. This includes innovating with shelter designs (substrates, mesh structures), optimizing stocking densities, and manipulating environmental cues to reduce aggressive behavior and maximize survival.

5. Leadership & Emergency Response

Team Leadership: Train and lead a small, dedicated team of technicians. Instill a culture of precision, cleanliness, and acute observation.

Crisis Management: This is a 24/7 life-support operation. The manager must be mentally prepared to wake up, diagnose a failing pump, a drop in dissolved oxygen, or a disease outbreak, and make life-or-death decisions for millions of animals under extreme pressure.

Candidate Profile: Are You One of the Few?

Essential Technical Mastery

Decapod Science: Deep, applied understanding of crustacean endocrinology, molting physiology, and nutritional pathology.

Aquatic Engineering: You can rebuild a pump, wire a float switch, sweat PVC pipe, and diagnose a short-circuited blower. You are as comfortable with a wrench as with a microscope.

Microscopic Eye: You can quickly identify a healthy Z3 larva from a bacterially infected one, and spot the difference between a rotifer and a ciliate bloom under a scope.

Required Background

Education: BSc or MSc in Aquaculture, Marine Biology, or related field. A proven track record can substitute for a degree.

Experience: Minimum 5+ years in a marine hatchery, with at least 2 years in a supervisory role.

Specialized Track Record: Must have direct, verifiable, hands-on experience closing the lifecycle of a decapod crustacean (mudcrab, swimming crab, shrimp/prawn). Experience with Scylla is the gold standard.

Personal Attributes

The "Biological Clock": You have an intuitive sense for the rhythm of a hatchery; you "feel" when something is wrong before the alarms go off.

Resilient Problem-Solver: You remain calm and logical when a production run crashes, immediately shifting to root-cause analysis and solution mode.

Guardian of Biosecurity: You have a slightly obsessive mindset about cleanliness and contamination control.