Aquarium Biologist - Amazon [YR]

Vancouver Aquarium Careers; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 33,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly wage

Comprehensive benefits plan

Employee and family assistance program

Company discounts

Supportive work environment

Job summary

The Vancouver Aquarium is seeking an Aquarium Biologist to develop, maintain, and interpret exhibits in the Amazon and Frogs Forever Gallery, overseeing acquisition, display and husbandry of a diverse range of species.

Key duties include ensuring welfare and regulatory compliance, maintaining environmental conditions, and collaborating with senior staff and veterinarians. Weekend and night shifts may be required; strong team and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Work experience in animal husbandry or related field.
• Ability to plan, implement, and interpret animal exhibits.
• Strong observational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and interpret exhibits within Amazon and Frogs Forever Gallery.
• Ensure animal care and welfare meet accreditation standards and regulations.
• Maintain environmental conditions, nutrition, water quality, and disease prevention.
• Coordinate with senior biologists, managers, and veterinarians.
• Assist in shipping, receiving live specimens, and training staff.

Skills

Teamwork

Observational skills

Customer service

WHMIS certification

Education

Undergraduate degree or college diploma in animal husbandry

Job description

Vancouver Aquarium, one of the many properties owned by Herschend Family Entertainment, prides itself on working towards bringing families closer together and to creating memories worth repeating. Our Core Values – greatly exceeding guest expectations, serving others, creating emotional connections, constantly improving – give us purpose and guidance.

SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Assistant Curator and Curator Amazon department, the Aquarium Biologist is responsible for developing, maintaining and interpreting various exhibits within the Amazon and Frogs Forever Gallery, through the acquisition, display, and husbandry of animals within the exhibits. The taxa involved may include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Ensuring the animal care and welfare practices meet all professional accreditation standards and guidelines and remain in compliance with all laws and regulations.
• Monitoring and maintaining assigned exhibits, reserve areas, cultures, and associated animal collection.
• Ensuring the appropriate nutritional requirements, water quality and other environmental conditions are provided and maintained for the specimens.
• Ensuring disease prevention and control are coordinated with senior biologists, managers, and veterinarian staff.
• Completing and maintaining daily animal care/husbandry records.
• Providing husbandry expertise and maintenance of live food cultures required for specimen feeding.

Develops the environments in the Amazon Department areas by:

• Assisting in planning, constructing, and maintaining exhibits to represent natural habitats.
• Assisting in acquiring new species or new specimens of existing species for display.
• Conducting research into husbandry and life history of resident and proposed species, as directed.

Interprets the environments in the Amazon Department area by:

• Researching and responding to questions from the public regarding specimens and husbandry.
• Promoting awareness of the Aquarium by talks or presentations to school groups, clubs, or the public.

Assists the Amazon Department by:

• Assisting in shipping and receiving live specimens.
• Assisting with husbandry research into care of resident and proposed species.
• Coordinating, training, and monitoring the activities of the Assistant Aquarium Biologist.
• Performing a variety of administrative duties, including custom forms, reports, animal census, ordering supplies and equipment.
• Compiling reports and applying for appropriate permits from government agencies.

Consciously improves the overall organization and its processes by:

• Promptly aiding in emergency protocol.
• Maintaining and supporting organizational safety standards.
• Continually improving our impact on the environment and greening of operations by supporting our Environmental Management Systems (EMS) protocols.
• Performing additional duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

• Undergraduate degree, College Diploma, or equivalent experience in animal husbandry.
• Minimum 3 years of amphibian experience at a professional institution is preferred.
• Direct experience in the husbandry of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds.
• Valid BC Driver’s License required.
• WHMIS Certification required (training provided).

Technical Competencies

• Ability to work in a team and self-direct with minimal supervision.
• Strong observational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Actively demonstrates company’s values and mission.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Permanent, Full-time
• Must be available to work on weekends, holidays, and occasional night shifts
• Perform repetitive cleaning tasks, including scrubbing, shovelling, and raking
• Frequent exposure to wet, slippery conditions, bright lights, strong odors, and loud sounds
• Engage in physical activities such as climbing, crouching, kneeling, and reaching
• Exposure to zoonotic diseases, cleaning chemicals and medical supplies
• Must be able to safely work with hazardous products using all appropriate safety protocols
• Work in warm, humid environments and interact with potentially dangerous specimens
• Required to work around potential water hazards
• Exposure to animal bites, animal pathogens, and chemicals
• Job requires a high degree of alertness to changing conditions when working with animals
• Requires ability to gain access to all animal holding areas some of which are difficult to enter and require ladders and walking on slippery, uneven surfaces
• Requires the ability to safely lift equipment and animals weighing up to 30kg
• Requires standing for periods of time
• Use of a shared office environment with the usual ergonomic risks

WORK CULTURE:

At VanAqua, we care about the well-being of our employees and offer support at all levels within our organization. We foster an environment of learning, supported by leaders who listen, where you are encouraged to voice opinions and share new ideas. We have developed a mental health committee to continuously find ways to support our staff and we encourage a healthy work-life balance. We look to continually assess and improve our culture to reflect the positive change we want to see in the field. It is important to find an applicant that has a positive attitude that will contribute to a healthy work culture where we celebrate each other. We are looking for someone to grow with our organization. The right fit with our team is more important than the amount of experience.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Competitive hourly wage of $24.00 to $34.00
• Comprehensive Benefits Plan for eligible team members
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Company Discounts
• Fun, supportive work environment with a mission-driven team

The Vancouver Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Candidate applications are reviewed by hiring professionals, and Artificial Intelligence is not used to screen, assess, or select candidates. Accommodation is available at every stage of the recruitment process. If you require accommodation, please contact the HR department.