Overview:
We are seeking a fish husbandry technician to assist with the operations at our Steelhead smolt pen site at Glenkens Trout Farm, Dalry, Castle Douglas, which is an integral part of the supply to our sea-site production farms.

Duties will include day to day husbandry to ensure excellent welfare and conditions for our trout to grow and develop in as natural way as possible. You will be involved in daily health checks, feeding, removal and analysis of mortalities, as well as and general site maintenance. Additional seasonal tasks will include vaccinating and grading the trout.

From time to time you will help at other hatchery sites and assist our broodstock team with fish movement, spawning such as assessing maturation, fertilising, triploidisation, and preparation of ova for transportation.

The ideal candidate will have experience in this area, but we will offer full training to the right person. They will have proven qualities in teamwork, self-motivation, have a high level of Health & Safety Awareness and a full driving licence is essential. We’re looking for an enthusiastic and driven individual who has a passion for farming and a future career in aquaculture.

Why Kames?
Kames Fish Farming Ltd, established in 1972, is the UK’s largest Steelhead Trout production company, Scotland’s oldest family-owned aquaculture business, with our core values of Quality, Sustainability and Community reflected in everything we do. We’re passionate about the exceptional quality of our fish and the successful applicant would need to be serious about working hard to achieve our high standards of husbandry and welfare. We also have a long-standing record of innovation, connection to academia and education, a belief in valuing people and knowledge alongside technology, and caring for our environment and our community. This is not just our workplace; it’s our home.

Everyone in our team obtains a broad range of experience and a holistic understanding of fish husbandry through our fully vertically integrated farm, giving them a level of skill and expertise that is hard to achieve in a bigger farm setting, as well as the opportunity to be a valued voice at the table.

Kames won Best Aquaculture Company in the UK in 2022 and Best Animal Welfare in 2023 at the industry awards, and our core principles of quality, sustainability and community underpin both our everyday working life and our future strategy. In 2025 our founder Stuart Cannon received an MBE for his services to sustainable development in Scottish aquaculture, only the second time within the industry this honour has been bestowed and a testament to the pioneering spirit that runs through Kames.

The Detail:
We offer an excellent financial package depending on experience, and a salary of £26,175 inclusive of rota duties.

Normal hours of work are Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, with a weekend duty rota. We offer a bonus scheme, pension, training and birthday off.

Accommodation is available, which is shared with other Kames team members on site, in a three bedroom house on the banks of Loch Glenkens.

Please send a CV and covering letter to fish@kames.co.uk or call 01852 200286 for more details.