(Sr.) Aquarist, Aquarium Sustainability

Shedd Aquarium; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Vision Insurance

Dental Insurance

Paid Time Off

401(k)

Transit Subsidies

Employee Discounts

Employee Tickets

Job summary

Shedd Aquarium in Chicago seeks an (Sr.) Aquarist to oversee daily husbandry of marine animals and live food cultures, focusing on larval development and sustainable practices. The role supports coral-like habitats, early life-stage care, and collaboration with AZA partnerships.

The successful candidate will mentor interns, lead projects, and maintain high standards of animal welfare, safety, and recordkeeping within a dynamic, collaborative team.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience providing aquatic animal care in an accredited zoo or aquarium.
• 1+ years of experience caring for marine teleosts and sea jellies.
• 1+ years of experience maintaining and managing live food cultures.
• Knowledge of aquatic animal husbandry, training, enrichment, and collection planning.
• Working knowledge of water chemistry and water quality management for marine systems.
• Demonstrated ability to safely care for and handle aquatic animals.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate commitment to Shedd Aquarium's vision, mission, and values.
• Provide high-quality husbandry, including diet preparation, feeding, enrichment, behavioral observations, recordkeeping, and habitat maintenance.
• Maintain accurate animal records using TRACKS and communicate animal care observations and concerns in a timely manner.
• Care for specialized marine habitats and animal collections, including sea jellies, sea dragons, marine teleosts, and cold-water invertebrates.
• Prepare, maintain, monitor, and harvest live food cultures, including phytoplankton, rotifers, copepods, and brine shrimp.
• Support larval development and rearing programs through husbandry, monitoring, and care of animals through early life stages.
• Monitor culture performance and animal development, applying critical thinking to identify challenges and improve outcomes.
• Support species sustainability initiatives, including collaborative projects and AZA partnerships.
• Maintain front-of-house habitats and back-of-house areas at inspection-ready standards.
• Collaborate with Animal Health to support preventative care, assessments, and treatments.
• Perform routine equipment and habitat maintenance and identify and report larger repair needs.
• Provide daily direction, coaching, and feedback to interns and volunteers.
• Collaborate across Animal Care and other divisions to support animal welfare, departmental goals, and institutional priorities.
• Evaluate husbandry practices and recommend improvements that advance animal care and operational effectiveness.
• Maintain compliance with applicable safety, legal, and regulatory requirements, including OSHA standards.
• Participate in required meetings, organizational initiatives, and Shedd's DEAI commitments.
• Participate in dive operations as needed and comply with all policies and protocols established by Shedd's Dive Control and Safety Team.

Skills

Aquatic animal care

Marine teleosts

Live food culture management

Water quality management

Animal welfare

Larval rearing

Leadership & mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in marine biology or related field

Job description

TITLE: (Sr.)Aquarist, Aquarium Sustainability

DEPARTMENT: Aquarium Team

REPORTS TO: Supervisor, Aquarium Sustainability

STATUS: Full-time, Non-Exempt

PAY RATE: $26.00 - $35.00/hour

LOCATION: Chicago - Onsite

We are open to hiring at either the Aquarist or Senior Aquarist level. Placement will be determined based on demonstrated experience, scope of past work, leadership, and ability to independently manage complex creative projects.

Time Commitment

• Orientation (First Week): Monday–Friday
• Onboarding & Training (1 Month Minimum): Thursday–Monday
• Regular Schedule (Ongoing): Sunday - Thursday.

POSITION OVERVIEW

This Aquarist is responsible for the daily husbandry, care, and welfare of a diverse collection of marine animals and live food cultures, including marine teleosts, cnidarians, syngnathids, sea jellies, sea dragons, and cold-water invertebrates. Working as part of a collaborative team, the role supports Shedd Aquarium's specialized marine habitats, live food production, and larval development programs.

A key focus of this position is the care and production of live food cultures and support of larval development initiatives, including invertebrate culture and teleost rearing through early life stages. This role contributes to advancing Shedd's standards for larval care, animal welfare, and species sustainability through collaboration with internal teams and AZA sustainability partnerships.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Other duties may be assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Core Responsibilities

• Demonstrate commitment to Shedd Aquarium's vision, mission, and values.
• Provide high-quality husbandry, including diet preparation, feeding, enrichment, behavioral observations, recordkeeping, and habitat maintenance.
• Maintain accurate animal records using TRACKS and communicate animal care observations and concerns in a timely manner.
• Care for specialized marine habitats and animal collections, including sea jellies, sea dragons, marine teleosts, and cold-water invertebrates.
• Prepare, maintain, monitor, and harvest live food cultures, including phytoplankton, rotifers, copepods, and brine shrimp.
• Support larval development and rearing programs through husbandry, monitoring, and care of animals through early life stages.
• Monitor culture performance and animal development, applying critical thinking to identify challenges and improve outcomes.
• Support species sustainability initiatives, including collaborative projects and AZA partnerships.
• Maintain front-of-house habitats and back-of-house areas at inspection-ready standards.
• Collaborate with Animal Health to support preventative care, assessments, and treatments.
• Perform routine equipment and habitat maintenance and identify and report larger repair needs.
• Provide daily direction, coaching, and feedback to interns and volunteers.
• Collaborate across Animal Care and other divisions to support animal welfare, departmental goals, and institutional priorities.
• Evaluate husbandry practices and recommend improvements that advance animal care and operational effectiveness.
• Maintain compliance with applicable safety, legal, and regulatory requirements, including OSHA standards.
• Participate in required meetings, organizational initiatives, and Shedd's DEAI commitments.
• Participate in dive operations as needed and comply with all policies and protocols established by Shedd's Dive Control and Safety Team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional Responsibilities at the Senior Level

• Take primary ownership of designated habitats, collections, live food cultures, larval programs, or operational responsibilities.
• Serve as a role model by demonstrating excellence in animal care, professionalism, collaboration, and safety.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching, and mentorship to Aquarists, interns, and volunteers.
• Apply advanced technical knowledge to troubleshoot complex husbandry and culture challenges and improve larval rearing practices and program outcomes.
• Lead assigned projects and initiatives, including the development and refinement of husbandry practices, culture protocols, and larval care methodologies.
• Contribute expertise and leadership to species sustainability initiatives, AZA partnerships, and cross-functional projects.

QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marinebiology, zoology, animal science, or related field, or demonstrated equivalent knowledge.

Minimum Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience providing aquatic animal care in an accredited zoo or aquarium.
• 1+ years of experience caring for marine teleosts and sea jellies.
• 1+ years of experience maintaining and managing live food cultures.
• Knowledge of aquatic animal husbandry, training, enrichment, and collection planning.
• Working knowledge of water chemistry and water quality management for marine systems.
• Demonstrated ability to safely care for and handle aquatic animals.

Additional Qualifications for Senior Consideration

• 3+ years of experience providing aquatic animal care in an accredited zoo or aquarium.
• Advanced experience in marine animal husbandry and live food culture management, including troubleshooting and improving production practices.
• Experience supporting larval development, propagation, or rearing programs.
• Ability to independently manage complex animal care responsibilities and lead projects or operational initiatives.
• Experience developing or improving husbandry practices, culture protocols, or larval rearing methodologies.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or providing technical guidance to team members.
• Strong judgment, initiative, and ability to balance animal care, team, and organizational priorities.

Certifications

• Must possess a valid driver's license or obtain one within 6 months from the start of employment.
• Must possess a valid passport or obtain one within 6 months from the start of employment.
• Must possess a minimum of open water SCUBA certification. Employment contingent upon passing a dive physical and check out swim test protocol administered by Shedd Aquarium's Dive Operations.

Physical Readiness

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Lift up to 40 pounds
• Sit
• Stand
• Stoop
• Kneel
• Walk
• Swim
• Hear

Working Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

This person may be exposed to:

• Water
• Heat
• Cold
• Hazardous Chemicals
• Low noise
• Moderate Noise
• Loud Noise

BENEFITS OF WORKING AT SHEDD

We offer competitive compensation packages and opportunities for professional growth within our organization.

• Medical Insurance, including FSA and HSA plan options
• Vision and Dental Insurance
• Accrued Paid Time Off
• Up to 12 Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
• 401(k)
• Discounted Parking and Public Transit Subsidies
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Wellness program, including Preventive Care Incentive
• Employee Discounts
• Employee Tickets

Reasonable Accommodations

Shedd Aquarium is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodations for any part of the employment process, please email us at [e-mail].

We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ community, veterans and active duty military, parents, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from all cultural backgrounds to apply. Shedd Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.