The North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher is seeking a dynamic, efficient, and enthusiastic individual to join our team as an Aquarist.

Determining individual animal nutritional needs, securing, culturing, preparing and feeding the animals assigned to them.
Daily care and maintenance of fish, aquatic invertebrates, some care of reptiles, amphibians, and birds.
Recognizing symptoms of disease and poor animal health and administering appropriate treatments.
Effectively utilizing operant conditioning and implementing behavior training.
Enthusiastically interpret animal care, enrichment, and training during scheduled public programs.
Maintaining life support systems.
Maintaining water chemistry in all assigned systems.
Managing effective quarantine of newly acquired specimens.
Ability to work within permitting guidelines of protected species
Maintaining accurate data bases.
Conducting SCUBA assisted diving to clean tanks, perform educational programs and collect specimens.
Responding to animal strandings and rehabilitation.

Must be able to lift and carry 50 pounds.
Weekend and holiday work required.
Must be able to obtain SCUBA certification within 60 days of employment.
Must meet DNCR Fleet Safety Guidelines and have ability to obtain and maintain a valid NC driver's license.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies
To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the application form.
Any information omitted from the application form will not be considered for qualifying credit
In order to qualify for this position, you must meet ALL the following KSA's listed below: Experience managing aquatic animals in a public Aquarium, Zoo, Museum, or comparable setting. Experience with operant conditioning, training, and behavioral enrichment of animals in a public Aquarium, Zoo, Museum, or comparable setting.
Experience maintaining life support systems and associated water chemistry at a public Aquarium, Zoo, Museum, or comparable setting. Demonstrated experience with quarantine protocols of fresh or marine fish species, herps, or amphibians.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.”
If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for detail. Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Biology, Botany, Conservation, Education, History or Zoology from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of museum or related work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience

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 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.

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.

Aquarist

North Carolina Aquarium At Fort Fisher Kure Beach, United States Posted: March 29, 2024