Assistant Manager, Education, Lost World Aquarium

KERZNER INTERNATIONAL LIMITED; Dubai; On-site; AED 100,000 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

KERZNER INTERNATIONAL LIMITED in Dubai seeks a Marine Educator Supervisor to oversee daily operations of the Marine Educator team, ensuring the delivery of educational activities to the highest standards.

You will coach staff, develop and deliver educational programs and tours, coordinate with Admissions, Dive teams and other departments, and monitor guest experience while maintaining animal welfare practices and AZA-aligned education strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Biology, Zoology, Marine Science, or related field.
• Minimum 2+ years supervisory experience.
• Experience in education and guest experience in a zoo, aquarium or museum is required.
• Experience in developing and implementing educational programmes and materials.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the Marine Educator team to maintain high educational standards.
• Engage guests and colleagues with information about marine life and conservation.
• Deliver and delegate educational programs and marine activities.
• Monitor bookings and coordinate resources for groups to ensure best guest experience.
• Coach staff on marine life conservation and interpretation methods; provide feedback.
• Coordinate with Admissions and Dive teams on programs and tours.
• Handle administrative duties including scheduling, supplies, events, and reporting.
• Support development and implementation of educational programming aligned with AZA Standards.
• Generate reports relating to education and guest evaluations to inform programming enhancements.
• Oversee quality and performance assessments for Marine Educators and Team Leaders.
• Pursue ongoing professional development for self and staff.
• Ensure service standards and department targets are met.
• Maintain current SOPs and manuals; organize meetings and trainings.
• Ensure a clean and safe environment and adhere to animal welfare practices.
• Assist in recruiting, onboarding, and retention of colleagues; manage performance.
• Promote colleague engagement and assist in conflict resolution as needed.
• Liaise with Sales DMCs PR and Marketing for groups and media shoots.
• Execute additional duties to successfully carry out Aquarium operations.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Leadership abilities

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Education, Biology, Zoology, Marine Science, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Overseas the daily operations of the Marine Educator team to ensure the appropriate delivery of educational activities is maintained and of the highest standards
• Interacts and engages with guests and colleagues in an engaging and professional manner sharing information about marine life and conservation and ensure Marine Educators comply to the same
• Delivers and delegates the educational programs and marine animal activities upon the needs of the operation with flexibility to meet needs of small and large groups
• Monitors school and other educational program bookings and ensures required resources and team are briefed to deliver the best guest experience
• Ensures that coaching and development on detailed knowledge of marine life conservation and interpretation methods is carried out by supervisors through structured listening research participation and delivery to Marine Educators by using learning resources provided
• Ability to provide constructive feedback on frequent trainings and assessments
• Liaises closely with Admissions and Dive teams to update Marine Educators on educational programs and tours
• Carries out and delegates administrative duties including scheduling ordering of supplies planning of events and generating reports
• Supports the Manager Conservation and Education in the development and implementation of both informal and formal educational programming in line with the Education Strategy and AZA Standards
• Undertake and generate reports relating to education and guest evaluation to inform educational programming enhancements and ensure KPI s are met
• Oversee and conduct regular quality and performance assessments for Marine Educators and Team Leaders in line with the training and assessment plan
• Continuous personal and professional development must be carried out for self and for Marine Educators with emphasis on conservation education
• Ensures that service standards are carried out by self and Marine Educators to maintain and exceed department targets for quality assurance guest surveys
• Oversees that all information contained in SOP s and department manuals are current and accurate
• Organizes and delivers meetings and trainings as needed
• Ensures a clean and safe environment for guests is maintained and the Marine Educator team abides by correct animal welfare practices
• Assists in tracking assessing and coaching colleagues conducting cross exposure programmes
• Assists in the recruiting of high-quality colleagues and manages the development motivation and retention of colleagues
• Conducts and oversees sufficient onboarding for new colleagues in line with the onboarding plan
• Assists in managing colleague performance through coaching and recognition annual performance reviews where applicable to improve colleagues output
• Assist in performing disciplinary action and counseling when needed to ensure accountability and performance expectations are met
• Promotes Colleague Engagement to maintain engaged colleagues throughout the course of the year
• Assists in conflict resolution in difficult guest transactions
• Must be skilled in articulate and professional communication both verbally and written
• Assists in conflict resolution involving colleagues and manage performance regularly
• Must be skilled in articulate and professional communication both verbally and written in accordance with HR practices and progressive correction
• Liaise closely with Sales DMCs PR and Marketing departments for groups and media shoots
• Executes any additional and reasonable duties that may be asked in order to successfully and efficiently carry out Aquarium operations

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Education, Biology, Zoology, Marine Science, Communication, or related field (desirable)
• Supervisory Experience of at least 2+ years
• Previous Experience in Education and Guest Experience in a zoo, aquarium or museum is required
• Previous experience in the development and implementation of educational programmes and materials
• Skills in conducting education evaluation for educational activities
• Proficient Skills in Microsoft Office / Outlook / Excel / Word / PowerPoint
• Strong interpersonal skills & organizational skills
• Strong administrative abilities accompanying a strong customer focus
• Leadership abilities including but not limited to strong communication skills, follow-up & task management
• Ability to work outdoors, as well as fast-paced conditions
• Must be able to stand for long time periods and be able to be fit to walk around the property
• The ability to troubleshoot and resolve problems quickly