Husbandry Lead
Stewards the living animals in the League's care across the breeding and holding systems.
Role Summary
The Husbandry Lead stewards the living animals in the League's care across the Broodstock Ark and the holding systems — because where the fleet defends the ocean abroad, Husbandry rebuilds it at home, clutch by clutch and release by release. The Lead owns daily welfare, breeding cycles, and larval rearing, and works the line with Biosystems and Climate engineers to hold water chemistry and life-support within the bands each species can survive. The role is accountable for every animal's registry record, for rewilding-release readiness handed to the Restoration team, and above all for the League's non-captivity standard — no cetacean or protected species is held a day longer than its recovery requires. This is 24/7 work where a missed parameter is not a metric, it is a life.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee daily husbandry, feeding, and health of broodstock and recovering animals across the Broodstock Ark and holding systems.
- Manage breeding cycles, larval rearing, and rewilding-release readiness in coordination with the Restoration & Rewilding Lead.
- Maintain water chemistry and life-support parameters jointly with Biosystems and Climate engineering, intervening on any out-of-band excursion.
- Keep registry records current and accurate for every animal under care, syncing to NEREID and the Universal Marine Registry.
- Uphold the non-captivity standard for cetaceans and other protected species, releasing the moment recovery permits.
- Lead the husbandry watch rotation and the animal-emergency response for disease, spawning, and life-support events.
Required Qualifications
- Senior aquarist or aquaculture husbandry background.
- Breeding-program and larval-rearing experience across taxa.
- Working knowledge of water chemistry and life-support systems.
- Commitment to welfare-first, release-oriented practice.
Preferred Qualifications
- Marine-mammal or protected-species husbandry experience.
- Veterinary or animal-health diagnostic training.
- Familiarity with the Broodstock Ark systems and the AquaLink mesh.
- Experience handing animals to rewilding-release programs.
Certifications
Curricula are delivered through the Training Academy; currency is tracked on the HR training matrix.
| Certification | Status at Hire | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Animal Welfare & Husbandry | Required | Annual |
| Water-Quality & Life-Support Awareness | Required ≤ 60 d | 24 months |
| Zoonotic-Disease & Biosecurity | Required | Annual |
| Protected-Species Handling | Preferred | 24 months |
Physical & Hazard Requirements
- Handle large, stressed, or venomous animals under welfare protocol.
- Pass annual biosecurity and zoonotic-exposure medical.
- Sustain a 24/7 watch rotation including nights and holidays.
- Carry the emotional load of welfare decisions and animal loss.
Compensation Band
Career Path
The Husbandry Lead (O-4) advances to Breeding Program Director (O-5) or laterals to the Restoration & Rewilding Lead, carrying animals from the Ark to open water. Husbandry Leads with systems aptitude partner closely with Biosystems Engineering on life-support design.
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