Aquaponics System Development Manager

Olakai Hawaii is hiring an Aquaponics System Development Manager in Kahuku to move a novel recirculating saltwater production system from experimental to commercial scale. The small operation already grows Salicornia sea asparagus and Gracilaria ogo in ocean-water ponds. Its next system integrates white-leg shrimp with those two crops, applying results from a 2,100-gallon trial to a 20,000-gallon installation. This is a hands-on technical farm role with biological, mechanical, recordkeeping, and business responsibility. What you will do • Provide daily husbandry for white-leg shrimp, Salicornia, and Gracilaria throughout their production cycles • Build disciplined records for water-quality variables, animal and crop performance, inputs, losses, and harvest results • Analyze results, present basic statistics clearly, and choose timely responses when water quality or performance shifts • Help commission, troubleshoot, and improve tanks, ponds, pumps, plumbing, aeration, electrical components, and supporting structures • Track costs and income, compare production results with commercial targets, and protect a positive operating margin • Turn lessons from the experimental system into safe, repeatable procedures for the larger installation How the work fits together Aquaponics links water chemistry, shrimp health, plant and seaweed growth, circulation, and farm economics. The manager must combine careful observation with measurement: confirm a questionable reading, examine the animals and crops, check the mechanical system, document the response, and review whether the change worked. Training is offered for the farm's Salicornia and Gracilaria methods, while the selected person brings prior shrimp-culture knowledge. The work is not purely supervisory; the manager will perform husbandry and spend four to six hours outdoors on many days. What the farm is looking for Applicants need an undergraduate degree or higher in marine science, aquaculture, agriculture, another STEM discipline, or a closely relevant field, plus one to two years of shrimp-cultivation experience. The farm also calls for useful construction skills in plumbing, electricity, and carpentry and basic financial-management capability. Strong candidates can interpret water-quality trends, present data without overstating it, work independently at a small site, and respond calmly to an animal-health, pump, aeration, or water-quality problem. Schedule, conditions, and compensation This is an on-site salaried position. The employer describes pay as competitive but does not publish a number, so no salary has been estimated here. Listed benefits include health insurance, free on-site accommodation if desired, training, and involvement in international partnerships. Applicants should confirm the salary, exempt status, expected weekly schedule, weekend or emergency coverage, performance goals for scale-up, housing terms, relocation support, and the present construction status of the larger system. This is an in-person agricultural position. Priorities can change with animal health, weather, crop condition, water quality, equipment availability, and harvest timing. The successful person must communicate clearly, protect animal welfare and food safety, and leave useful notes when a task or concern carries into the next shift. Gates, tools, vehicles, feed areas, water systems, and production spaces should be left clean, secure, and ready for the next person. Applicants should expect physical work that may include long periods of standing or walking, bending, lifting, repetitive hand tasks, wet or dusty conditions, and work outdoors or in agricultural buildings. Dependable arrival matters because livestock and living production systems cannot simply wait for a late shift. Candidates should confirm the exact weekly schedule, overtime treatment, training period, and benefit eligibility with the employer before accepting an offer. How to apply Email a resume and focused cover letter to wsun@marineagrifuture.com and reference the Aquaponics System Development Manager opening. Describe shrimp species and production stages handled, system volumes, water-quality parameters monitored, survival or growth results, recirculating-system troubleshooting, plumbing or electrical work, data analysis, budgets, and availability to relocate to Kahuku. Applicants may call 808-779-2885 for more information.