Assistant Curator of Fish & Inverts

Job Details

Responsibilities

Professional Animal Care

• Manage comprehensive daily operations for fish and invertebrate animal care and advanced husbandry protocols.
• Ensure exceptional care for all animals within the collection.
• Advanced monitoring, precise interpretation, and strategic response to complex aquatic water quality parameters and environmental metrics.
• Assess dietary needs and recommend adjustments, as necessary.
• Apply principles of disease prevention, treatment, and control.
• Assist the veterinary team with examinations, treatments, and necropsies.
• Evaluate potential acquisitions or dispositions.
• Utilize effective breeding and rearing techniques.
   

Communication
 

• Keep the Curator informed of departmental progress, challenges, and needs.
• Respond to departmental correspondence and guest inquiries.
• Promote positive relationships with guests, employees, colleagues, and other departments by modeling professionalism, cooperation, and excellent service.

Department Management

• Assist the Curator with administrative responsibilities.
• Represent the Habitat Department and/or Downtown Aquarium as needed in the absence of or at the direction of the Curator and General Curator.
• Prepare annual animal inventories and required reports.
• Maintain accurate records (Species 360 ZIMS) and ensure proper backup storage.
• Delegate tasks appropriately to staff members.

Supervision of Personnel

• Set an example for the staff by reporting to work in a timely manner and maintaining a clean, professional appearance.
• Maintain an effective staffing schedule to meet departmental needs.
• Foster a supportive, growth-oriented environment that encourages staff development.
• Demonstrate and enforce proper safety procedures; review incidents to identify improvements.
• Train staff and provide ongoing training for existing team members

Facility Maintenance

• Collaborate with other departments to maintain exhibits, facilities, and the animal collection in accordance with Downtown Aquarium standards.
• Maintain all equipment in optimal working condition.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, zoology, or a related field with equivalent experience
• Minimum of five years of experience in an AZA-accredited facility, preferably with a broad range of taxa.
• Minimum of one year of supervisory or team lead experience, including staff training and performance oversight preferred.
• Open Water SCUBA certification required. Must be able to pass the institution’s dive physical.
• Demonstrated proficiency with aquatic life support systems, including pumps, filtration, ozone, UV, and automated controls.
• Strong working knowledge of animal husbandry, disease prevention and treatment, and breeding/rearing techniques.
• Organized, self-motivated, and able to manage multiple projects through completion.
• Exceptional communication skills with a proven ability to engage effectively and inclusively with guests, volunteers, media, and interdisciplinary teams from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
• Membership in professional organizations, including AZA and ZAA, preferred.
• Flexibility to work varied shifts, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, with potential accommodations for individual scheduling needs.

Contact Information

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