Work
Hatchery & Broodstock Manager – Kingfish
Arno Bay
About Us
Yumbah is proudly positioned as Australia’s leading aquaculture company. With operations across South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, we sustainably farm abalone, oysters, mussels and kingfish for both domestic and international markets, and supply oyster spat to the South Australian oyster industry. Driven by our core values of integrity, daring and teamwork, we are committed to supporting our people and delivering a sustainable source of premium seafood protein to our customers.
Yumbah Clean Seas, now proudly part of the Yumbah Group, is a global leader in the full cycle breeding, production and sale of Yellowtail Kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi). Our hatchery sits at the heart of our kingfish operation, producing the juveniles that stock our sea sites and underpin our growth. We’re investing heavily in our people, our systems and our infrastructure, and we’re now looking for an experienced hatchery leader to help us take the next step.
The Opportunity
- Lead a high-performing kingfish hatchery producing 1 million juveniles per year.
- Operational lead on a major hatchery upgrade project, shaping the future of the site.
- Based at Arno Bay on the Eyre Peninsula – 5 & 2 roster, on-site accommodation option.
About the Role
Reporting to the General Manager – Kingfish Operations, the Hatchery & Broodstock Manager is accountable for the safe, reliable and high-performing operation of our kingfish hatchery, from broodstock husbandry and spawning through to the production of high-quality juveniles ready for transfer to sea.
The hatchery operates a combination of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and flow-through systems and is currently undergoing a significant upgrade program. You’ll be responsible for both day-to-day production and acting as the operational lead on the upgrade, ensuring it lands safely, on schedule and with minimal disruption to live production.
You’ll lead a team of around 13 staff, including supervisors, team leaders and technicians, delivering approximately one million juveniles per year across multiple spawn runs between September and February.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage broodstock health, conditioning, spawning and genetic programs.
- Plan and deliver multiple spawn runs across the September – February season.
- Oversee larval and juvenile rearing through to sea-cage transfer.
- Ensure reliable operation of RAS and flow-through systems and life-support equipment.
- Act as operational lead on the in-progress hatchery upgrade project.
- Lead, coach and develop a team of approximately 13 hatchery staff.
- Drive a strong safety, biosecurity, welfare and quality culture.
- Manage the operating budget and contribute to capital planning.
- Partner with engineering, fish health, R&D, sea operations and sales teams.
About You
- Tertiary qualification in Aquaculture, Marine Biology, Marine Science or related discipline.
- Significant hands-on experience in finfish hatchery operations – broodstock conditioning, spawning and larval rearing.
- Demonstrated leadership of multi-disciplinary teams in a production environment.
- Strong working knowledge of both RAS and flow-through systems, water quality and life-support.
- Proven ability to plan and deliver production schedules to volume targets.
- Sound understanding of fish health, biosecurity and welfare best practice.
- Strong communication, organisation and decision-making skills.
- A genuine commitment to workplace health and safety.
- Unrestricted work rights for Australia essential.
High regarded
- Direct experience with Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) or other Seriola species.
- Experience with capital upgrade or commissioning projects in a live aquaculture environment.
- Live feeds (rotifer / artemia) production and enrichment expertise.
What's on Offer
- Competitive salary.
- 5 & 2 roster with on-call requirements during peak spawn runs.
- Option to live on site – great for relocating candidates.
- A genuine leadership role with the autonomy to shape the hatchery’s future.
- The opportunity to lead a major upgrade project in a growing business.
- Stunning Eyre Peninsula lifestyle – beaches, fishing, coastal living, great schools and community.
Next Steps
If you would like to apply for this role, please lodge your application via Seek
Helping to build Australia’s Blue Economy by sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, better lives and healthy ocean ecosystems.