Purpose of the Role
The Hatchery Farm Manager will manage the day-to-day running of the African catfish hatchery.
The role includes managing broodstock, hatchery production, nursery ponds, fingerling grading, biosecurity, student training, and farm records.
This is not only a practical farm role. It is also an academic, teaching, and leadership role because the farm is a research and training institution.
The successful candidate must be able to:
Manage hatchery production
Follow written SOPs and farm policies
Reduce mortality and waste
Train students and junior staff
Keep accurate records
Support sales and revenue generation
Read, study, and continuously improve their knowledge
Work independently and report clearly to management
Main Responsibilities
Broodstock Care
You will be responsible for the daily care and management of broodstock.
This includes:
Feeding broodstock
Monitoring broodstock health
Checking maturity and breeding readiness
Following broodstock SOPs
Keeping accurate broodstock records
Recording spawning history, mortality, health problems, and productivity
Ensuring broodstock are handled safely and humanely
Hatchery Management
You will manage the hatchery production process.
This includes:
Preparing the hatchery for breeding
Supporting induced breeding
Handling eggs correctly
Managing incubation and hatching
Caring for fry after hatching
Maintaining good water quality
Monitoring temperature and oxygen levels
Using aquarium heaters, aerators, and UV water filters properly
Following early fry care protocols
Using 4 ppt saline bath from day 4 post-hatching, where required by SOPs
Monitoring fry closely during the first 21 days after production
Recording hatch rate, survival rate, growth, deformities, and mortality
Grading, Sorting, and Nursery Transfer
You will grade and sort fry and fingerlings using the farm's graders.
This includes:
Regular grading and sorting
Reducing cannibalism
Reducing size differences
Reducing avoidable mortality
Transferring fingerlings to nursery ponds from around 4 weeks
Monitoring fingerlings in nursery ponds
Preparing fingerlings and juveniles for transport and sale
Biosecurity and Incident Reporting
You must follow all farm biosecurity rules.
This includes:
Keeping hatchery and nursery areas clean
Preventing disease and contamination
Cleaning and disinfecting equipment
Monitoring fish health daily
Reporting abnormal behaviour, disease signs, mortality, or water quality problems
Reporting equipment failure or biosecurity breaches
Reporting all farm incidents to management within one hour
Keeping written records of incidents and actions taken
Production Planning and Efficiency
You will help improve production across the farm.
You will be expected to reduce waste and improve efficiency in areas such as:
Feed use
Labour use
Water use
Electricity use
Fish mortality
Grading and sorting
Equipment use
Production delays
Sales preparation
You should be willing to learn and apply ideas from:
Lean production
Toyota Production System
The Toyota Way
Continuous improvement
Standardised work
The goal is to make farm operations more reliable, efficient, and profitable.
Financial Records and Accountability
You will support the financial management of the farm by keeping good records.
This includes records of:
Production
Fish numbers
Mortality
Feed use
Sales
Stock movement
Farm costs
Equipment use
You should understand, or be willing to learn:
Basic accounting
Cash flow
Profit and loss
Financial statements
Forecasting
Cost control
Farm profitability
The role requires someone who understands that the farm must be scientifically strong and commercially sustainable.
Sales and Revenue Support
You will support the sale and marketing of farm products.
These include:
Fingerlings
Juveniles
Grow-out fish
Dried catfish and other processed products
You will work with existing market partners in:
Kaduna
Lafia
Abuja
You will also help the farm achieve monthly revenue targets needed to cover overhead costs and support business growth.
Teaching and Student Training
This is an important part of the role.
You will train and supervise:
SIWES students from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Federal University of Lafia
TVET students enrolled through our accredited vocational programmes
Junior farm workers and trainees
You will be expected to:
Deliver weekly lectures
Provide practical demonstrations
Teach online using Zoom, Google Meet, or similar platforms
Support recorded teaching sessions on the farm
Supervise students during practical farm work
Support student attendance, training records, and assessments
Help students understand hatchery, nursery, grow-out, and farm business operations
The successful candidate must therefore be comfortable with teaching, mentoring, and student supervision.
Research, Reading, and Continuous Learning
Because this is a scientific farm and research institution, the Hatchery Farm Manager must be willing to read and study regularly.
You will be expected to:
Read about African catfish hatchery production
Study aquaculture science and fish health
Learn about farm business management
Support research and farm trials
Collect useful production data
Help improve SOPs and training materials
Participate in continuous improvement projects
Carry out other duties assigned by management
Areas You Must Be Willing to Learn
Production and Operations
You should be willing to study and apply knowledge in:
Hatchery production strategy
Nursery pond management
Grow-out systems in Kaduna and Lafia
Lean production
Toyota Production System
Waste reduction
Mortality reduction
Productivity improvement
Standardisation of farm processes
Financial Management
You should be willing to learn and apply:
Basic accounting
Cash flow management
Financial records
Financial statements
Cash flow forecasting
Cost control
Profitability planning
Tax and business documentation
Marketing and Revenue Generation
You should be able to support strategies for:
Selling fingerlings
Selling juveniles
Selling grow-out fish
Marketing processed fish
Developing customer relationships
Working with farmers, traders, processors, and buyers
Growing sales in Kaduna, Lafia, and Abuja
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
The successful candidate must have:
A Degree or HND in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Animal Science, Agriculture, Biology, or a related field
At least 2 years' experience in an African catfish hatchery
Practical knowledge of broodstock care, induced breeding, fry care, fingerling production, grading, and nursery management
Ability to follow written SOPs, policies, and procedures
Good record-keeping skills
Good reporting skills
Good communication skills
Ability to teach and supervise students
Good understanding of biosecurity and fish health
Ability to work independently
Willingness to read, study, and undertake continuous professional development
Commitment to ethical, scientific, and commercially sustainable fish farming
Desirable Requirements
It would be an advantage if the candidate has:
Experience training students, interns, or junior staff
Experience with SIWES, TVET, or vocational education programmes
Knowledge of lean management or production systems
Basic farm financial management experience
Fish marketing or sales experience
Experience using Zoom, Google Meet, or other online teaching platforms
Experience preparing fish for transport and market distribution
Training and Professional Development
The successful candidate will be supported to complete relevant professional training.
This may include the NBTE Quality Assessor and Manager training as part of the Federal Ministry of Education TVET programme.
The company may also support suitable in-service training opportunities in Nigeria and, where appropriate, the United Kingdom. This will depend on business need, performance, eligibility, and company training policy.
Remuneration and Benefits
The role includes:
Furnished accommodation
Water bills covered
Electricity bills covered
Health insurance through the NHIA scheme
Health insurance cover for the employee, spouse or partner, and up to two children
Sponsored in-service training opportunities in Nigeria
Possible training opportunities in the UK, subject to eligibility and company policy
Possible work vehicle after the first year, subject to performance and achievement of agreed targets
Opportunity to work in a scientific and research-focused aquaculture institution
Opportunity to train students and contribute to vocational education
Opportunity to help build a modern African catfish hatchery and training centre
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be:
Practical
Reliable
Honest
Scientifically curious
Commercially minded
Good with records
Good with students
Willing to learn
Able to work under minimal supervision
Committed to high standards
This role is suitable for someone who wants to grow as a hatchery expert, farm manager, trainer, and future leader in scientific African catfish production.