Seasonal Shellfish Technician

Start Date: July 11, 2025 | End Date: January 07, 2026
County: York County
Job Type: Other

Estimated start: Mid July 2025

Duration: 8 Weeks, 14 hours a week,

Location: Town of Wells (Wells Harbor)

The Town of Wells is seeking a seasonal Shellfish Technician.  This position will help support the workings and operations of a wet lab facility and clam hatchery located at the mouth of the Webhannet River at Wells Harbor. The individual in this position will be part of a dynamic and interactive team who will be involved in the day-to-day operations of this facility, including daily maintenance and inspection of the facilities and sea life there-in, public outreach, community activities as well as experiments located at the facility and town dock.

Primary tasks will be centered around the daily operations of a clam hatchery and associated wet lab space that are purposed for research, shellfish production, and educational outreach. This individual may also provide both field and lab-based research and monitoring support for projects including, but not limited to lobsters, crabs, invasive species, marsh monitoring, larval fish surveys, microscopy, as well as some data entry and management.

This position will be approximately 50% hatchery and wet lab work, and 50% general maintenance. Under the primary direction and guidance of the Harbormaster, the following tasks are considered regular and routine:

Regular and Routine Duties

• • • • Maintaining good hatchery practices for shellfish aquaculture (feeding, cleaning tanks and cages, sea life sorting)
      • Helping to support and run a public touch tank and commercial lobster holding tank
      • Monitoring and maintaining water quality and chemistry through calibration, deployment, and maintenance of water quality instrumentation
      • Supporting ongoing research and monitoring projects through technical help
      • Plankton tows at the harbor’s dock location
      • Public outreach and interpretation to seasonal visitors, researchers, town residents, students, and educators. 
      • Assisting in other lab or Harbor based project support as needed, and time allows

Required Qualifications & Skills

Applicants should be interested in aquaculture, aquatic, or environmental sciences with some prior interest in the area of biological or environmental sciences, or a closely related field such as marine biology or fisheries. Lab and/or technical experience is also highly desired. Applicants should be highly motivated, able to work collaboratively as a member of a team, work well independently, be organized and detail oriented. Because this position involves considerable interactions with the public, applicants should also be outgoing and enthusiastic about the project, and able to deliver information about the facilities, sea life, and any on-going research and monitoring activities to visitors and guests.

Other required qualifications are as follows:

• Ability to perform semi-physical labor (ability to lift 50 lbs.)
• Ability to work and operate effectively in outdoor environments in all weather conditions

• Enjoy working both in the field and in a dynamic lab environment
• Strives for accuracy and dependability
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing

One or more of the following skills are desired but are not essential:

• Some experience working in a wet-lab, hatchery, or fish farm setting
• Quantitative or analytical skills with software packages
• Experience with small boating operations and on-the-water field experience

Salary & Compensation

$17.00 per hour

Submission Deadline

Open Until Filled

Applications for Employment can be obtained by visiting the Town’s website at www.wellstown.org or the Human Resources Department at Wells Town Hall.  Completed applications should be sent to: Attn Human Resources, Town of Wells, 208 Sanford Road, Wells, Maine 04090, or email to [email protected].   

To be considered for employment with the Town of Wells, applicants must complete the Town’s Application for Employment.  Please do not use the “apply online functions” provided through Facebook or any other social media platforms.  

The Town of Wells is an Equal Opportunity Employer