Facility
The Florida Aquarium
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
Position Summary
Work on the Fish and Invertebrate Team to achieve The Florida Aquarium’s mission to entertain, educate, and inspire stewardship about our natural environment by exemplifying the Aquarium’s values of Respect, Trust, and Excellence. Directly care for the aquarium’s aquatic animals within our collection. Perform essential and secondary job functions in accordance with guidelines set and approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and other safety regulatory agencies.
Education and Pre-requisites
Essential Position Functions
• Maintains the highest level of animal care and wellness
• Performs husbandry duties of daily animal care including but not limited to preparing food, feeding animals, cleaning animal habitats, and preparing daily reports
• Promptly reports any animal injury, illness or abnormal behavior to Animal Health team to ensure the highest standards for all animals
• Regard for human and animal safety foremost when assisting or leading a team handling
large elasmobranchs, teleosts and chelonioids
• Ensures accurate animal record keeping
• Applies knowledge and identifies issues with habitat and life support systems
• Delivers extraordinary customer service to all aquarium guests and internal customers
• Assures behavior consistently meets the FLAQ values of Respect, Trust and Excellence
• Executes behavior shaping plans for aquatic animals with proficiency
• Applies knowledge and identifies problems with projects and tasks in a team setting
• Completes complex work processes without supervision
• Provides multipart formal and informal guest presentations throughout the galleries and behind the scenes unassisted
• Cleans habitat pathways, service and holding areas, commissary, and backup areas
Secondary Functions
• Maintains the highest aquatic habitat standards
• Initiates and executes exhibit improvements and modifications independently
• Initiates and executes presentations and reports independently
• Maintains tools and equipment necessary for the care of the collection
• Assists in maintaining husbandry SOPs
• Represents the aquarium at selected professional development opportunities
• Participates in meetings with curators, biologists and other aquarium departments
• Works with volunteers and interns within scope of position
• All other duties as required
Education, Requirements, and Technical Skills
• Minimum of 4.5 years of experience in a facility working with aquatic and terrestrial organisms including but not limited to: live coral, jelly cultures and displays, syngnathid cultures and displays, marine teleosts and elasmobranchs, and sea turtles
• BS or higher degree in a biological science or related field. Additional experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Knowledge of habits, food requirements and cleaning needs of a diverse animal collection consisting of marine fish and invertebrates, and sea turtles
• Knowledge of life support systems and water quality parameters for aquatic species
• Knowledge of Animal Record Keeping systems (ZIMS/ISIS) preferred
• Knowledge of Windows and Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook)
• SCUBA certification required with ability to advance to Open Water Scientific Diver/Rescue Diver level within 6 months of hire
• Must be willing and able to obtain a valid State of Florida Driver’s License
• Flexibility in working weekends, evenings, and holidays
Compensation and benefits
Health Benefits, Wellness and PTO, Attraction Shares, Memberships and More!
Application instructions
For more information and to apply please visit: https://www.flaquarium.org/careers