Part Time Aquarist - Reptiles, Birds, and Program Animals

Maritime Aquarium; East Norwalk (CT); On-site; USD 24,000 - 34,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Leave (Sick Time)

Employee Assistance Program

Free Single Membership to The Maritime

Job summary

The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT is seeking a Part Time Aquarist for reptiles, birds and program animals. The role focuses on caring for diverse life forms, maintaining life-support systems, and delivering engaging public presentations.

The position offers weekend and holiday work, up to 28 hours weekly, at an hourly rate of $21.13. A four-year or two-year degree paths are noted, with SCUBA certification preferred and strong English skills required.

Qualifications

• Prefer four-year degree (B.S. or B.A.) in marine biology, biology, zoology, psychology or related field.
• A two-year degree (A.S./A.A.S.) in a relevant field plus a minimum of two years’ experience in a public zoo or aquarium husbandry/operations position may be substituted for formal education.
• A minimum six months’ experience in animal care (may be any combination of paid work, internships, or volunteer service) preferred
• Basic knowledge of animal husbandry, behavior, and life support systems (LSS)
• General knowledge of water quality testing, medical dosing, and lab equipment
• Strong command of the English language, both written and verbal
• Ability to lift 60 pounds
• Ability to negotiate stairs, climb high obstacles and maneuver easily in exhibit and support areas
• Able to negotiate various field conditions
• Ability to work standing up for extended periods of time
• Valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record
• SCUBA certification preferred
• Able to work weekends and holidays

Responsibilities

• Provide care for various species of herpetofauna, birds, insects, small mammals, and fish.
• Participates in daily animal presentations, involving handling a variety of animals and speaking to the public on a microphone
• Provide daily animal care, including diet prep and feeding and exhibit cleaning
• Maintain exhibits and back-of-house areas and life support systems, including cleaning, backwashing, and water changes, etc.
• Evaluate animal health, diets, appetite and behavior, and report findings to manager
• Administer medication to animals as directed by veterinarians
• Performs water quality analysis, makes adjustments, follows up with subsequent testing
• Participate in or assist with the capture and restraint of a variety of taxa
• Provide shadowing opportunities for aquarists, interns, and volunteers in routine animal care, safety procedures, and aquarium operation as needed
• Participates in collecting trips, animal transports, and procedural tasks, following legal regulations and ethical best practices
• Enter and update animal records in TRACKs; assist in research projects as necessary
• Uphold AZA and USDA standards in daily work
• Deliver public presentations
• Work to desensitize animals for program and training and administer enrichment
• Participate in public training demonstrations and/or keeper talks
• Conduct welfare assessments and report findings
• Interact positively and professionally with guests, animal care and veterinary staff, and volunteers, and report issues to supervisor and act in a professional manner
• Follow all safety protocols and understand their role in emergency procedures, responding to emergencies as required
• Maintains a variety of collecting equipment.
• This position will require the individual to work weekends and holidays, assist with after-hours emergencies, and to travel for extended periods of time to perform collecting and transport duties.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Animal care

LSS maintenance

English communication

Physical stamina

Education

Bachelor's degree in marine biology or related field

Associate degree in a relevant field

Tools

SCUBA certification

Life support equipment

Job description

Part Time Aquarist - Reptiles, Birds, and Program Animals

Norwalk, Connecticut

Organization Background

Maritime Aquarium’s mission is to ignite a connection to Long Island Sound and the ocean to enrich the lives of all people and inspire action to protect our blue planet. For 38 years, the Aquarium has played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Norwalk and the region. The second largest family attraction in Connecticut, and 50 miles from New York City, the Aquarium hosts nearly 450,000 guests annually. Its primary exhibits take guests on a voyage from the shallow salt marshes and estuaries to the depths of the Long Island Sound and the ocean beyond, culminating with habitats for sharks and harbor seals.

Altogether, the Aquarium is home to more than 8,000 animals and 285 species in 75 exhibits. Anew 4D Theater offers a unique sensory film experience for guests. Its education programsintroduce nearly 50,000 students, campers and scouts to marine and STEM education. TheAquarium is recognized as a top aquarium in the nation and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is an active participant in the local and regional community. The strength of the Aquarium is its approximately 97 full-time and 78 part-time employees, seasonal staff, and our volunteers.

Position Overview

The Aquarist at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is responsible for living specimens and maintaining their life support systems.

Compensation

This is a part-time position with an hourly rate of $21.13.

Schedule

The schedule for this position will vary, but will not exceed 28 hours per week.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide care for various species of herpetofauna, birds, insects, small mammals, and fish.
• Participates in daily animal presentations, involving handling a variety of animals and speaking to the public on a microphone
• Provide daily animal care, including diet prep and feeding and exhibit cleaning
• Maintain exhibits and back-of-house areas and life support systems, including cleaning, backwashing, and water changes, etc.
• Evaluate animal health, diets, appetite and behavior, and report findings to manager
• Administer medication to animals as directed by veterinarians
• Performs water quality analysis, makes adjustments, follows up with subsequent testing
• Participate in or assist with the capture and restraint of a variety of taxa
• Provide shadowing opportunities for aquarists, interns, and volunteers in routine animal care, safety procedures, and aquarium operation as needed
• Participates in collecting trips, animal transports, and procedural tasks, following legal regulations and ethical best practices
• Enter and update animal records in TRACKs; assist in research projects as necessary
• Uphold AZA and USDA standards in daily work
• Deliver public presentations
• Work to desensitize animals for program and training and administer enrichment
• Participate in public training demonstrations and/or keeper talks
• Conduct welfare assessments and report findings
• Interact positively and professionally with guests, animal care and veterinary staff, and volunteers, and report issues to supervisor and act in a professional manner
• Follow all safety protocols and understand their role in emergency procedures, responding to emergencies as required
• Maintains a variety of collecting equipment.
• This position will require the individual to work weekends and holidays, assist with after-hours emergencies, and to travel for extended periods of time to perform collecting and transport duties.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Prefer four-year degree (B.S. or B.A.) in marine biology, biology, zoology, psychology or related field.
• A two-year degree (A.S./A.A.S.) in a relevant field plus a minimum of two years’ experience in a public zoo or aquarium husbandry/operations position may be substituted for formal education.
• A minimum six months’ experience in animal care (may be any combination of paid work, internships, or volunteer service) preferred
• Basic knowledge of animal husbandry, behavior, and life support systems (LSS)
• General knowledge of water quality testing, medical dosing, and lab equipment
• Strong command of the English language, both written and verbal
• Ability to lift 60 pounds
• Ability to negotiate stairs, climb high obstacles and maneuver easily in exhibit and support areas
• Able to negotiate various field conditions
• Ability to work standing up for extended periods of time
• Valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record
• SCUBA certification preferred
• Able to work weekends and holidays

Retirement Benefits and Plans

Paid Leave (Sick Time)

Employee Assistance Program

• Free Single Membership to The Maritime Aquarium

This job description is not designed to cover orcontaina comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that arerequiredofthe employee for this job. Duties,responsibilitiesand activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The Maritime Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Maritime Aquarium’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.