Aquarist

Merlin Entertainments Group; Scarborough; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in Scarborough is looking for an Aquarist to ensure high levels of animal health and welfare at SEA LIFE. Key responsibilities include caring for animals, routine maintenance of systems, and water quality checks. Qualifications include experience in public aquariums and skills in animal training and husbandry. This full-time, permanent role offers various benefits including discounts and annual passes. Ideal for those passionate about marine life.

Benefits

40% off LEGO online

25% discount in retail shops and restaurants

Merlin Magic Pass for free tickets

Enjoy the Ride Pass

Discounted rates at Merlin hotels

Employee pricing on cinema tickets

Qualifications

• Experience in animal care within public aquariums.
• Ability to maintain and operate life support systems.
• Demonstrated skills in animal training and enrichment.

Responsibilities

• Care for animals and ensure their health and welfare.
• Maintain filtration and life support systems.
• Prepare suitable diets and provide medication to animals.

Skills

Experience within public aquariums

Maintenance and operation of life support systems

Demonstrable experience of animal husbandry

Skills in animal training

Enrichment skills

Education

Degree level qualification in animal care or marine biology

Job description

What you’ll bring to the team

Do you dream of working alongside majestic sharks, playful penguins or our cheeky seals? If you’re a dedicated aquarist, SEA LIFE Scarborough offers a varied workload. Whether that’s creating enrichment or rescuing injured seal pups from our local coasts. We’re home to Yorkshire’s only seal hospital and work closely with national animal charities and other rehabilitation sites across the UK.

Structured progression and career path

We have a structured progression plan for our display teams in place across the UK, which means we can now offer a role between levels 1 and 5 and will be compensated accordingly. Successful performance can lead to you becoming a Displays Supervisor and with so many sites across the world, the opportunities are endless.

Key responsibilities

You’ll play a vital part in caring for our animals, ensuring consistently high levels of animal health and welfare as well as looking after and carrying out routine maintenance of the filtration and life support systems, crisis management equipment and environmental alarms. Other duties include back washing main filters, water changes, water quality checks, water parameters, health checks, plus training and enrichment.

You’ll prepare suitable diets and feed all livestock, as well as provide medication and treatment of animals under direction. You will also provide 24‑hour alarm cover on a rota basis and maintain strict codes of practice for the use, storage and record keeping of all medications and chemicals according to HSE, COSHH and SSSMZP regulations.

This is a full‑time, permanent role, working any 5 days out of 7. This will include weekends and bank holidays on a roster basis.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience within public aquariums involving maintenance, plumbing and operation of life support systems.
• Demonstrable experience of animal husbandry with freshwater, marine animals, and amphibians.
• Skills in animal training and enrichment.
• A degree level qualification in animal care, marine biology or equivalent (not essential).

Benefits

Alongside becoming an expert in washing up, you’ll also receive:

• 40% off LEGO online.
• 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants.
• Merlin Magic Pass – giving you free tickets to all our attractions worldwide for you, your family, and friends every year.
• Enjoy the Ride Pass – giving you and 5 others a Merlin Annual Pass (Gold edition).
• Discounted rates at Merlin hotels all over the world.
• Employee pricing up to 55% off cinema tickets.

If you have any questions or if you require any assistance, because of a disability, medical condition, or being a care leaver, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and one of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Pay Range

Compensation between GBP £25,991.00/Yr.-