Do you want to play a key role in tackling global challenges in the salmon industry?

If you are passionate about fish health and driven by the opportunity to contribute to further development in this field/industry, this could be the right position for you. Our goal is to provide you with a clear and concise understanding of the role, so you can assess if it aligns with your skills, interests, and ambitions.

What’s the job all about?

Research

As a Researcher Fish Health (RFH) at Cermaq Group, you are a key player in tackling the big challenges in the global salmon industry. You are a part of the Fish Health team supporting our Operational Companies (OpCo’s) in Norway, Chile, and Canada. The team's job is to keep the fish across our facilities healthy and happy, and we have a wide range of tasks and projects such as vaccine development, agent tracking, biosecurity, antibiotic resistance tracking, welfare measurement and consultancy.

You are responsible for diving into research findings and sharing them within our organization. You write reports and give advice, which is a big part of what we do both internally and externally. Sometimes, you share our results outside the organization through reports or presentations at conferences.

Lab & field work

A part of your day can include lab and fieldwork. In the lab, you'll do things like collect samples and use techniques like qPCR, PCR, sequencing, bacteriology, and histology. In the field, you'll collect samples from fish and the environment, which directly contributes to our research efforts. You work with issues found in all of our production areas global.

Projects

Your role involves participating in the planning and execution of both large and small research projects. You understand that deep commitment to fish health and animal welfare is essential to succeed in this role and you are engaged and curious in the close collaboration with our OpCo’s, external research partners and the supplier industry so that the projects create value. As RFH you have an operational understanding and a practical approach as you provide support and advisory to our OpCo’s and embrace the importance of building relations and great collaboration.

The Team 

As RFH you will be a part of, and an important contributor to, our Fish Health team of four where our Global Fish Health Manager, Henrik, is your leader.

You will primarily manage your own workday based on your responsibilities, tasks, deliverables, and appointments. While you are comfortable working independently and take initiative, you thrive in team settings and always prioritize collaboration.

We operate on an international level and are lucky enough to collaborate with people from different parts of the world, in all our production areas. The position is based at our office in Bergen (located at UiB) and you will mainly work from there.

A short intro of the organization

Cermaq is divided into Group and the Operating Companies which are in Chile, Canada, and Norway. Cermaq Group consists of 39 employees in Oslo and Bergen working with global functions like Finance, Communication, Sustainability, Global IT, Legal, Fish Health, Innovation and HR.

Keys to thriving and succeeding in this role

To succeed and thrive in the role of Fish Health Researcher at Cermaq, you should have a background as a Fish Health Biologist or Veterinarian, supported by 2–7 years of experience in the aquaculture industry. Practical experience from fish farming operations, fish health services, or supplier companies within feed, vaccines, or related sectors is essential, along with a solid understanding of the salmon production cycle.

The role requires strong analytical skills, including proficiency in tools such as Excel and the ability to manage and interpret large datasets. Experience with laboratory techniques, such as qPCR, PCR, microbiology, sampling, and RNA/DNA purification, is highly desirable; however, training can be provided if required. Excellent written communication skills in both Norwegian and English are mandatory, while proficiency in Spanish is considered an advantage. Experience with project-based work is crucial, and knowledge of statistical methods and phylogenetics/WGS is beneficial.

The position offers a dynamic work environment involving a combination of laboratory work, office tasks, and fieldwork, with a strong emphasis on the practical execution of projects. The position will involve some travel.

Does this sound like a job where you would thrive like a fish in water?

If the answer is yes, we encourage you to provide a brief introduction about yourself as a starting point. However, what we value most is gaining insight into what you have learned from your experiences, both from your CV and other aspects of your life.

To help us better understand your suitability for the role, we would appreciate if you could elaborate on the following:

Laboratory and field experience: Please briefly describe your experience in laboratory and fieldwork that may be relevant to this position. For example, practical experience from fish farming operations, fish health services, or supplier companies within feed, vaccines, or related sectors, as well as your understanding of the salmon production cycle.

Project experience: Share an experience where you worked with others to achieve a common goal. We are particularly interested in understanding how you contributed to the project's success and what role you played in driving results.

Structured and detail-oriented work results: Please provide an example of a time when you delivered high-quality results through structured and detail-oriented work. Describe your approach, the steps you took, and the outcomes achieved.

By addressing these points, you will help us better assess how your experience and skills are aligned with the requirements of the position.

Some practical information

The recruitment process: We will review applications and get in touch with relevant candidates on an ongoing basis. The first step will be a short introduction where we get to know each other a bit better, and you will get more information about the process moving on.

Application deadline: You can apply until 06.04.25, but the sooner the better.

What now?

We hope that the information you received here has been helpful in your process of sending us your application. If you have any further questions, feel free to get in touch! You can find contact information in the ad. Otherwise, just hit “apply”.