Nursery Manager

About Mainstream Aquaculture

Mainstream Aquaculture is one of Australia’s largest and most advanced producers of premium barramundi, operating integrated hatchery, nursery, grow-out and processing facilities across multiple regions. We are committed to sustainable aquaculture practices, innovation in water quality and fish health management, and the development of our people and systems to deliver high-quality fish to local and export markets.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Nursery Manager to lead nursery production and daily operations at our Maryville facility in Queensland. This position works in partnership with the Farm Site Managers, and a site based Regional Manager in a coordinated structure, supporting 7-day operational coverage and strong leadership continuity across the site. The successful candidate will drive survival and growth outcomes, effectively optimise efficiency and manage risk, uphold biosecurity and environmental compliance, and foster a safe, high-performing, and collaborative team culture. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a blend of technical skill particularly with juvenile fish husbandry and fish health management, operational oversight, and people management capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate daily nursery operations to achieve survival, growth and supply targets.
• Liaise with the hatchery team (VIC) to plan and coordinate the arrival of each new batch.
• Oversee water quality management, fish husbandry and feeding
• Oversee coordinated response strategies to effectively manage fish health and biosecurity risk.
• Plan and manage grading, stock transfers and tank/pond maintenance schedules.
• Motivate, train, and support nursery staff to deliver consistent high performance.
• Maintain accurate stock records, survival and growth data, and nursery reports.
• Coordinate with team members to ensure proper maintenance of all nursery infrastructure and that equipment is safe and reliable.
• Work collaboratively with other Managers to ensure smooth 7-day management and response coverage.
• Uphold environmental stewardship, ensuring all activities comply with licence conditions, environmental regulations, and company sustainability standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and innovation in nursery operations.
• Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring all nursery activities comply with WHS legislation and company procedures, hazards are identified and controlled, and incidents are reported and investigated promptly.

About You

You’ll bring a strong background in aquaculture or intensive animal production, ideally in hatchery or nursery production, with demonstrated leadership in managing people, performance, and systems. Experience with barramundi or other warm water species is highly desirable but not essential. We value strong operational capability in planning and communication and the right leadership mindset.

Essential attributes:

• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team.
• Strong understanding of juvenile fish husbandry and fish health management.
• Sound understanding of water quality management and biosecurity practices.
• Excellent planning, organisation, and reporting skills.
• Experience receiving and acclimatising live fish and coordinating grading and stock transfer programs.
• Working knowledge of environmental compliance and regulatory frameworks.
• Sound mechanical aptitude and practical problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to safety, sustainability, and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge and strong understanding of RAS systems

Why Join Us?

At Mainstream Aquaculture, you’ll be part of a progressive, growing company leading the way in sustainable aquaculture. We offer competitive remuneration depending on experience and flexible options may include housing support as part of the package and genuine career development opportunities across our national and US-based operations.

How to Apply

Please submit a tailored cover letter outlining your interest in Mainstream Aquaculture and your suitability for this role, along with your CV.

Applications without both a tailored cover letter and CV will not be evaluated for this position.