Employment
The Tasmanian seafood industry is the most valuable seafood industry in Australia, with a production value of more than $1.3 billion.
Importance of Aquaculture to Tasmania
The industry directly employs an estimated 3,439 FTE positions.
Seventy-five per cent of the seafood workforce is employed in the aquaculture sector, including salmon processing. Of that, 67 per cent are employed full time and almost half are under 40 years of age.
The gross value of marine farming in the state is $874 million. Salmonids are worth $838 million alone and employ more than 2,200 direct FTE positions.
As many as 5,200 jobs in associated businesses rely on the salmon industry.
Diversity of employment
Employment opportunities
Petuna’s team is made up of 80 per cent local employees. We pride ourselves on creating a diverse range of employment opportunities for Tasmanians in regional areas, such as Devonport, Cressy and Strahan.
Our job opportunities cover a wide variety of fields, including marine biology, veterinary science, sustainability and environmental science, marine operations (freshwater and saltwater), research and development, community engagement, management, quality and processing, work health and safety, legal, human resources, sales and marketing, finance and retail.
Employment opportunities
At Petuna we have always known our people are our best asset and are pivotal to our ongoing success.
We are fortunate to have employed a team of self-motivated Tasmanians who are continually looking for new ways to improve the way we do things.
Here are just three of our valued team members.
Johnny De Deuge
Biomass Planning Manager
Johnny has 12 years’ experience in the Tasmanian salmon industry, following the completion of a Bachelor of Aquaculture at the University of Tasmania. His primary focus during this time has been on the technical and biological aspects of production, but he has also had experience managing operational teams during this period.
Johnny joined Petuna in 2014 in his current role of Fish Performance Manager. He has also completed post-graduate studies in Education and has spent time working as a school teacher – an experience which has proven beneficial in various frontline management roles.
Zoey Ngui
Hatchery Technical Assistant
Zoey graduated with a Bachelor of Marine Biology from the University of Melbourne in 2016 and a Master of Applied Science in Aquaculture from the University of Tasmania in 2018. She completed work experience (in the middle of spawning season) at Petuna in Cressy during her time at UTAS, which led into her permanent employment with the company.
As Hatchery Technical Assistant at Petuna, Zoey assists hatchery management in administrative and technical requirements, ensures all Standard Operating Procedures are reviewed and updated, supports production data collection and collation, supports with our Breeding Program Management, as well as assisting with spawning and reproduction strategy and operation.
Yvonne O’Neill
Factory Supervisor
Yvonne has almost 20 years’ experience with Petuna, having begun her employment as a Process Worker/Leading Hand in 2001. When the opportunity presented to progress within the organisation, Yvonne took on the role of Factory Supervisor, where she now oversees the daily planning of set tonnage and orders, as well as being responsible for the supervision of the team at the Devonport Processing Facility. She is motivated by the opportunity to develop a strong work force and enjoys the satisfaction that comes from ensuring production targets are met safely on a daily basis.
Jobs at Petuna
Petuna employs people from a range of backgrounds, with a strict no discrimination policy based on race, religion, disability, age or gender. We have a multicultural workforce with a diverse range of qualifications and skills across the organisation.
Our people come first at Petuna and as such, we invest in health and wellbeing programs as well as training and development opportunities for our employees.
If you are interested in joining the Petuna team, please email your resumé and cover letter to careers@petuna.com.