Ambassador Animal Aquarist Technician

***Position will function as Ambassador Aquarist Technician***

This is an hourly, temporary 11-month position.  It is classified as temporary/part-time and does not include state benefits.  This position will work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and holidays. Schedule will be set upon hire.  Up to 40 hours per week.

The North Carolina Aquarium's mission is to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. This mission is achieved by attracting, retaining, and developing a world class team of professionals; providing visitors with outstanding exhibits, experiences, and customer service; practicing sustainability, internal customer service, and fiscal responsibility; and working to save and restore aquatic species and habitats.

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is located in Manteo, NC and is nine miles from the Atlantic coastline in Nags Head.  The 61,000 square-foot facility overlooks the Croatan Sound and houses over 1600 animals in its collection. Over 280,000 guests visit the aquarium each year to see the largest collection of sharks in North Carolina, learn about sea turtle conservation, participate in a variety of programs, enjoy the beauty of the area, and think about how special North Carolina’s waterways are.

Department Information: 

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) takes care of the things that people love about North Carolina, literally from A to Z. The Arts to the Zoo, and so much else – parks, aquariums, historic sites, archaeology, African American Heritage Commission, science and history museums, the state Symphony, Library and Archives, historic preservation, land and water stewardship, and more. These places, and the ideas they represent, create a shared identity in North Carolina. They provide common ground. Everyone is welcome. The Department’s vision is to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational, and economic future of North Carolina. Our goal is to promote equity and inclusion among our employees and our programming to reflect and celebrate our state's diverse population, culture, and history. We encourage you to apply to become a part of our team.

Description of Work:

Primary duties for this position are to provide support and coverage to the Aquarium’s Ambassador Aquarist and the Education Department.   The position will be responsible for assisting aquarists and educators in a variety of tasks required for the care, maintenance, transport, and interpretation of the Aquarium’s ambassador animals. Time will be split between supporting animal husbandry and providing support for animal ambassador programs, with priority being placed on assistance with education programming; the proportion of time spent in each area will vary daily and seasonally depending upon departmental needs. Animal ambassador programs may take place on or off-site, and assisting with transporting animals off-site will be a significant component of this position.  The selected candidate must possess the initiative and confidence to work with a minimum of direct supervision. They must have excellent communication skills and the flexibility to adapt the daily workload to changing conditions.

The position will perform the following essential functions under the supervision of the Curatorial staff, husbandry team and education team:

• Maintaining and cleaning select animal habitats, animal transport habitats and behind-the-scenes workspaces.
• Preparing animal diets and feeding select animals.
• Participating in training sessions with select animals.
• Ensuring that the Aquarium’s Ambassador Animal policies are being followed.
• Transporting ambassador animals around the aquarium as well as off-site.
• Monitoring ambassador animals for signs of disease, injury or stress.
• Handling live animals during educational programing.
• Public speaking; both formal and informal interactions with guests.
• Providing staffing coverage for touch habitats.
• Maintaining detailed, accurate, and up-to-date records.
• Conducting animal welfare assessments.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

• This position will require work in hot, humid, cold, windy and wet indoor and outdoor conditions.
• This position will require lifting heavy items (approximately 50 pounds), walking and standing for extended periods of time, bending, kneeling, squatting, reaching and crawling. 
• Candidate must possess a valid driver’s license and have the ability to obtain an NC driver’s license within 6 months. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Experience with aquatic or terrestrial animal husbandry and handling is preferred.
• Ability to collaborate, communicate and work effectively in a team environment or independently.

Experience Required

• High school or General Educational Development (GED) diploma and one year of experience related to knowledge, skills, and abilities; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

How to Apply

A North Carolina State Application Form PD-107 is required, and may be downloaded from the NC Office of State Human Resources website at NC State Government Paper Application for Employment (PD-107).  A cover letter and resume may also be submitted but will NOT be accepted in lieu of the NC State Application PD-107 form.  Applications which do not include the applicant’s signature are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Applications may be submitted by mail, email, or fax by 5:00 on the closing date of the posting:

All relevant experience must be included on application to receive proper credit. A resume and cover letter may be submitted along with the completed state application.

The Department of Natural & Cultural Resources (DNCR) uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Personnel Act with the most qualified applicants.  When a salary range is posted, the actual salary will be based on relevant competencies, knowledge, skills and abilities, internal equity and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position.   Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institution. The State of North Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

It is the policy of the State of North Carolina and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that all employees provide proof of employment eligibility (immigration and naturalization) on the first day of employment. We participate in E-Verify (Employment Eligibility Verification System).