Position: Fish Health Practitioner / Veterinarian / Nurse /Biologist Number of Position(s): 1

Place of work: Kamembe-Rusizi District

Reporting Line: Managing Director

Working days: According to contract

Fixed term Contract: 2 years renewable

Aquasante Rwanda Ltd is a for-profit company based in Rusizi-Kamembe. We operate a tilapia fish farm in Lake Kivu.

Job Description 

Aquasante is seeking a dedicated Nurse, Biologist, or Veterinarian to lead our fish health and biosecurity efforts. You do not need to be a fish expert yet, but you must have a strong medical or biological foundation.

You will oversee the overall health and welfare of our fish through disease monitoring, diagnostic lab work, and the implementation of strict biosecurity protocols. You will also play a key role in the development of our new hatchery.

Key Responsibilities 

• Fish Health Surveillance:
• Perform routine and needed inspections where fish is monitored for signs of disease, stress, or changes in behavior.
• Sampling & Lab work:
• You will be responsible for practical lab tasks, including taking samples for agar plates, resistance testing, using the microscope for diagnostics, gram staining, and preparing samples for PCR.
• Diagnostics & Treatment:
• Identify diseases and set up the right treatment plans. This includes calculating and formulating medicated feed when necessary.
• Biosecurity & Protocols:
• Your main job is prevention. You will identify biological hazards, write necessary protocols, and make sure they are followed to ensure food safety and prevent disease outbreaks. • Education:
• To train staff to recognize biohazards and understand the “why” behind our health routines. The long term goal is to build a culture where every worker takes responsibility for preventing disease.
• Hatchery Development: You will be an important fish health advisor during the startup of our new hatchery.
• Records: Keep order and accurate records of all medications and other health data.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, or higher in either:

Nursing, Biology, Veterinary Medicine, Aquaculture Science or a related field

You should have a degree-level understanding in some, or several of the following fields:

• Genetics, Cell biology & PCR
• Microbiology, Virology & Parasitology
• General Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology
•  Pharmacology & Antibiotic treatment
• Water Chemistry
• Food safety & Toxicology
• Biosecurity
• Hygiene understanding
• Lab-skills
• Data & Documentation

Personal Qualities (Our most important criteria) 

Analytical Mindset & Willingness to Learn:

• You ask “Why?” when you see a problem. You want to find the root cause and take the initiative to learn the necessary in order to solve it.

 Integrity & Transparency:

• You report things honestly. We value truth much more than “good news.”

Professional Courage:

• You speak up if you disagree or don’t understand, even if you are talking to an expert. • Constructive Feedback:
• You see feedback as a tool to get better at your job, not as a personal attack. • Accuracy:
• You are careful with details, whether it is in the lab, during diagnostics, or in your reports. • Hands-on & Office:
• You are comfortable doing practical work out on Lake Kivu, but you are also comfortable in the office writing protocols and keeping track of production data.

 Teaching:

Being comfortable with sharing you’re knowledge, to train and mentor other staff.

The successful candidate is not necessarily an expert today, but has an foundation and a desire to become the next fish health expert. You must be prepared for an intensive learning curve under a Norwegian veterinary supervision.

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• Minimum +1 year of practical experience

• Ability to train and mentor farm staff

• First Aid and Basic Life Support

Language: Excellent written and verbal English skills are required.