Fleet Manager

Position Description: About Circle Seafoods Circle Seafoods’ mission is to raise the value of wild Alaska salmon. We started in 2023 with a simple idea. If salmon is chilled on the boat, frozen whole at ultra-low temperatures within hours of being caught, and handled with care all the way to the shelf, pink and chum salmon can earn a place in the market they have never held; currently pink salmon are 48% of the global wild salmon biomass and 20–30% is grade 3 (dog food). Imagine the industry value if this was reduced to 5%. In our third year of operations, Circle salmon and roe is sold under our own brand in over 4,000 stores in the US and by major retailers across Europe and Japan. None of it works without the fleet. Every fish we buy is caught by independent seiners, most of them Alaskan families who have fished these waters for generations. Our job is to make sure the value they create on deck comes back to them at a sustainable and fair price for their catch. Position Overview 2026 was our largest season. We bought more fish than ever, the largest fleet in our history fished for us, and it was our first full season on Circle I, our freezing barge. Our fleet has grown every year and now stands at approximately 20 seine vessels. In 2027 we return to Southeast Alaska with the capacity and the customers to keep growing. For decades pink and chum salmon have been treated as a commodity, and fishermen have been paid accordingly. We have shown that better handling earns a better price and that the price can be shared with the people who catch the fish. We now have the resources and the standing to help change where this fishery is headed: what it is worth, what it pays, and how proud a family can be to fish it. This role is how that reaches the fleet. At most processors this work is split among several people. At Circle one person will own it for a fleet of about 20 boats, small enough that you will know every captain and most of the crews. You will shape the function, decide which services we develop, and define how Circle and its fishermen work together. As the fleet grows we expect you to build and lead a team. Key Responsibilities Fleet Recruitment and Retention Recruit captains who fit how we work, and keep the ones we have. Be the person a fisherman calls first, in season and out. Develop Circle’s approach to loyalty and retention: what makes a boat choose to fish for us and come back the next year. Have the hard conversations directly and fairly. A disputed weight, a long wait to offload, a price that moved, a rumor on the dock. In-Season Fleet Coordination Fishermen are independent and fish where they choose. You’ll stay close to where the fleet is fishing and coordinate tenders, offloads and delivery timing so boats spend their time fishing and not waiting. Help set the price, announce it clearly, and explain how it works so no one is surprised by a fish ticket. Be the link between the boats and the barge on capacity, ice, tender coverage and turnaround. Quality and Incentive Programs Help fishermen adopt the handling practices our product depends on, through education and by showing them the results. Better handling raises the value of their catch and of the fishery. Run and improve our incentive programs so that fishermen who invest in quality are paid for it. Close the loop. Bring back to the fleet what we learn from our own handling, our secondary processors, our buyers and the people who eat the fish, so a captain knows how their salmon did on the shelf. Fishermen Services Manage the services we provide the fleet (e.g. slush ice, tendering, the skiff program), and work out which ones we should add or change as we grow. Work with finance so fish tickets and payments are accurate and on time. Know the ADF&G rules that affect our buying and the fleet’s season, and keep fishermen informed when they change. Fleet Representation to Senior Management Represent the fleet to senior management. W…

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