Overview

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity.  We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission.  We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

Job summary

The Assistant Aquarist assists all levels of Husbandry Operations staff with the cleaning and maintenance of exhibit and holding tanks, diet preparation and feeding, collection of organisms and other husbandry tasks as needed. The Assistant Aquarist may in some situations work unsupervised and will be required to work forty hours per week.

Core Responsibilities

• Performs general cleaning and maintenance of live exhibit tanks and displays
• Performs general cleaning and maintenance of quarantine, holding and other back-of house live organism culture and service areas
• Performs multiple daily routine assessment rounds to check exhibit conditions, animal health and life support systems status
• Assists Animal Food Room Technician with diet preparation
• Assists staff with feeding of exhibit and non-exhibit animals
• Assists staff with collecting and other field work
• Assists the Aquarists, Senior Aquarists, Curators, and Team Leaders as required

Absolutely Required Skills / Knowledge / Ability / Experience or Education

• Previous experience with the care and maintenance of aquariums
• Inclination toward the study and understanding of aquarium biology and systems

Desired Skills / Knowledge / Ability / Experience or Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology or related field or working toward a degree
• SCUBA certification desired, but not required (the Assistant Aquarist will generally not dive as part of this role, but SCUBA certification is a requirement to progress through further promotional processes)
• Ability to pass an occupational/scientific dive physical examination (if applicable)

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an environment free from any form of unlawful discrimination. Discriminatory actions are strictly prohibited and we are committed to engaging in affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination. It is the policy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium to promote a positive program of specific practices designed to ensure equal opportunity without regard to race, sex (including breastfeeding and conditions related to breastfeeding), color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partnership status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, special disabled veteran status, veteran status, medical condition, genetic characteristics and information, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), parental status, political affiliations, military service, family care leave status, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful. This policy governs all aspects of employment at the Aquarium, including hiring, assignments, training, promotions, compensation, employee benefits, employee discipline and discharge, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

Teresa J. Merry, SPHR
Chief Human Resource Officer