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Aquaculture Systems Technician

University of North Carolina Wilmington
$49,000 - $55,965
paid holidays, sick time, retirement plan
United States, North Carolina, Wilmington
Dec 13, 2024
Posting Details


Benefits of Working at UNCW
Want to become a soaring UNCW Seahawk and work at one of the best universities on the East Coast? Want to put your toes in the sand after a day of work? The University of North Carolina Wilmington offers a wonderfully vibrant university community along with a beautiful location just miles from the beach.

Employees of UNCW are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other programs, resources, policies, and practices that help to support a work/life balance. Our programs have been designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit your needs and the needs of your family. Full time employees are eligible for dental, vision and health insurance plans. Health insurance benefit plans eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.

Full time employees are also eligible for the tuition waiver program which covers the cost of tuition and fees for up to three (3) undergraduate or graduate courses per academic year at UNCW or any other university within the UNC System. In addition, UNCW covers the cost of tuition and fees for one UNCW course each summer session.
As a full time employee, UNCW also offers a free membership to the Campus Recreation Center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, meditation and yoga sessions, voluntary supplemental insurance coverages, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays, 24 hours of paid community service leave time, paid vacation and sick leave accrual and family medical leave after 12 months of continuous service.

We also offer an abundance of training and development programs through our Dare to Learn Academy,and the employee assistance program, many of which are offered free of charge.
Recruitment Range $49,000 - $55,965
Vacancy Number S02573
Position Title Specialty Trades Technician
Working Title Aquaculture Systems Technician
Competency Level Journey
Home Department Center for Marine Science - 30600
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Center for Marine Science ( CMS) is recognized both nationally and internationally for conducting research that contributes to the understanding of environmental processes and problems. CMS strives to engage communities to address societal issues and promote use-inspired innovations.

Through research, education and outreach, the Center strives to increase knowledge about coastal and marine sciences and cultivate community engagement in coastal resilience. This includes a variety of fields such as physical oceanography; marine and coastal biology; marine, atmospheric and natural products chemistry; marine geology; aquaculture; environmental sciences, marine policy, human health, and sociology. Currently there are more than 100 active research programs supported by CMS and over 140 scientists, staff and students broadly associated with the unit.

The teaching and research facility located on the Intracoastal Waterway in southeastern North Carolina features state of the art core facilities in spectrometry and spectroscopy, light stable isotopes, biotechnology, aquaculture, DNA and water quality analysis as well as running seawater systems, a coastal workboat fleet and a wide range of oceanographic equipment that are available to all CMS researchers.

CMS supports educational programs related to marine science, including the Applied Coastal and Ocean Science Ph.D. program and MS Marine Science degree as well as courses and students from various marine-science related academic departments across the breadth of UNCW. It also supports several outreach entities, including NC Sea Grant, the NC National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Marine Quest, among others.

The Center operates from four primary sites: the main facility referred to as Center for Marine Science at Myrtle Grove (with an Aquaculture facility and pump station located on the ICW), the CMS-Operations at Wrightsville Beach, the UNCW/ CMS Aquaculture Facility at Wrightsville Beach, and the Pumping Station at Banks Channel. The Aquaculture Facility houses four indoor research laboratories and over 50,000 sq. feet of research space utilizing flow-through, filtered and/or recirculated seawater. The current CMS-Operations facility houses administrative offices for Aquaculture. The 80,000 sq. feet Marine Science Center at Myrtle Grove substantially strengthens and expands international mariculture research, while the stand-alone Aquaculture facility at Wrightsville Beach enables on-going international marine research projects (mostly mariculture of finfish, etc.). The Pump Station at Banks Channel houses the motor control center for raw seawater pumps for the Wrightsville beach facilities and has undergone substantial physical improvements. The Pump Station at Myrtle Grove (on the UNCW pier located on the ICW houses two pumps with their electronic control boxes and the underwater sea-water intakes forthe aquaculture supply lines (two) and the discharge line (outfall.)
College Center for Marine Science - 306 College
College/School Information
University Information
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to- BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation's only bachelor's degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university's efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.
Location of Workplace CMS Myrtle Grove
Brief Summary of Work for this Position
Responsibilities of the Aquaculture Systems Technician include:

  • Focused, hands-on, trades-type work in engineering, design, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing areas with emphasis on design of aquatic systems.
  • Working closely with the Aquaculture Systems Technician and the Research Operations Manager to maintain support system equipment at both aquaculture plants and pumping stations.
  • Establishing and maintaining laboratory safety plans and enforcement of safety standards, hazardous waste handling, and training students in safe use of shop tools and routine safety procedures.
  • This position may serve as the on-site representative for work by contractors.
  • This position will occasionally work at sea on the RV Cape Fear and as support for the marine/mariculture science research projects (when needed.)
  • This position helps the Research Operations Manager with budgeting of maintenance and supply expenses in the Aquaculture Department.


Additional duties for this position include:

  • Fabrication tasks in support of facility improvements for the support of funded research programs. Working with existing staff to fabricate the needed components to improve the cost effectiveness of CMS operational support team.
  • Electrical installation or troubleshooting components.
  • Operating vessel to inspect and clean pump intakes.

  • PVC welding to fabricate/repair facility components; and
  • Engineering and design of new and existing research holding tanks or modifications of research holding tanks.
  • Works on-call every other week and weekends.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
High school diploma or equivalency and two years of experience related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and
experience.
Preferred education, professional skills and experience
Preferred Knowledge:

  • Closed and open recirculating aquaculture systems.
  • Automated monitoring systems.
  • Water quality relating to the needs of aquaculture.
  • Sand filters, UV sterilizers, foam fractionators, and chillers.
  • Fluid dynamics and pump dynamics to achieve maximum flow desired.
  • AC and DC electrical system design and function.
  • Electrical trades at a level sufficient to analyze electrical systems, determine needs, and design and implement the system.
  • Integrating AC and DC circuitry.
  • Specialized electrical components such as time delay relays and variable speed drives.
  • Electrical formulas to calculate power consumption, volts, amperage and efficiency.
  • Modern re-circulating aquaculture systems.
  • Construction functions as applied to aquaculture including electrical, mechanical, and fluid dynamics.
  • Hydraulic systems and high and low pressure air compressors.


Preferred Skills:

  • Electrical: Voltmeter and ammeter for diagnosis and repair replacement.
  • Mechanical: Repair electric motors, hydraulic lift equipment, low or high pressure air compressors, and small gasoline engines/generators.
  • Plumbing: Repair leaks, rebuild valves, fabricate or modify sections of piping under pressure.
  • Fiberglassing: Repair existing seawater tanks or components in aquaculture system or to repair hull of small boat.
  • Carpentry: Build and repair walls or partitions and to construct pump houses and additions to current small building and sheds.
  • Engineering: Design and assembly of closed and open aquaculture/mariculture recirculating systems.

Preferred Abilities:

  • Perform as an independent, self-directed professional with minimal instruction.
  • Access/diagnose malfunctioning equipment for mechanical, electrical, or fluid flow problems.
  • Read and understand blue prints and electrical diagrams.
  • Demonstrate and understand appropriate terminology involved in mechanical, carpentry, electrical and plumbing trade work.
  • Exercise good judgement and initiative in meeting facility goals.
  • Develop and maintain effective working relationships with students, faculty, and contractors.
  • Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
  • Understand the fundamentals of the various scientific experiments in process and identify potential events that would negatively impact the research.
  • Perform physical work in inclement weather and for long periods of time.
  • Use computers and other electronic devices for writing memos and e-mail, and for monitoring complex electronic systems.

Required Certifications or licensure
NC Drivers License required.
FTE 1.0 (40 hours per week)
Months Per Year 12 Months
Work Days Monday - Friday
Work Hours 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Type of Position Permanent
Anticipated Ending Date if Time-Limited
Position Number 1746
Job Posting Date 12/13/2024
Posting Close Date 01/17/2025
Number of Openings Single Incumbent
Special Notes to Applicants
PLEASE NOTE: This posting will close at 11:59PM (Eastern time) on the posted closing date. To receive full consideration, please be sure you have fully completed the entire application, including the 'Work History' section before you apply for this position. Applications must be submitted through the online application system to be considered.

This position is being recruited at the Journey level. If no applicants apply who meet the required competency and training & experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations.
EEO Statement
At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington ( UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents - except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.
Eligibility for Employment
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.
External Link to Posting https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/34592
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