Exhibits Technician II - Senior Aquarist/Keeper

The Virginia Aquarium is seeking a skilled Exhibits Technician II - Senior Aquarist/Keeper to assist in the daily husbandry of the Aquarium’s extensive aquatic animal population featuring fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Candidate must possess the ability to work well individually and as part of a team. This individual will also help lead a team of husbandry section staff, divers, and volunteers and is expected to be a mentor. Excellent communication and customer service skills are a must. Come work with a fantastic team of dedicated individuals at the Virginia Aquarium!

Duties include:

• Participate and assist in overseeing the daily husbandry of a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater animals including but not limited to fish, sharks, rays, jellies, corals, and turtles.
• Participate and assist in overseeing large mixed taxa exhibits.
• Perform advanced husbandry responsibilities such as coordinating and leading animal physicals with the veterinary team.
• Design, plan, and implement animal training and enrichment.
• Perform functions as Lead Diver during aquarium husbandry dives while following the standards of the Virginia Aquarium Dive Manual.
• Participate in animal acquisitions, dispositions, transports, and acclimation processes.
• Perform life support design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
• Assess water quality and nutritional needs with senior curator and veterinary staff.
• Train and mentor volunteers, seasonal interns, part-time staff, and Exhibit Tech I staff.
• Design, propagate, and maintain live animal or food cultures as needed.
• Develop and implement operating procedures with the husbandry staff, and maintain all daily husbandry and maintenance logs on ZIMS.
• Support the guest experience by participating in visitor enhancement development and actively seek out guest engagement opportunities.
• Participate in professional development opportunities and identify opportunities for part-time staff and Exhibit Tech I staff.
• Other duties as assigned to support continual improvement efforts in the Aquarium and Quarantine buildings.
• Work Schedule: 40 hours per week; 8-hour shifts between the hours of 7am-5pm to meet operational needs. Shifts during weekends and holidays will be required.
• The City of Virginia Beach offers a generous benefits package such as health, dental and life insurance, retirement and savings plans. Other key benefits include:

Maternity/Paternity and Parental Leave

Leave Donation Program

• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistant Program
• Professional Development

Experience Required

• Requires a minimum of one (1) year full-time equivalent experience in a similar facility or program, plus any combination of additional education and experience (above the high school level) for a total of four (4) full-time equivalent years.
• Related positions that meet experience would include those such as animal trainer, biologist, or animal keeper in a similar facility that utilizes the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Individual positions will have specific requirements regarding subject expertise, skills and training; these will be noted on job requisition at time opening is advertised.
• Must have a current and valid drivers license.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess current SCUBA certification of Open Water Diver or higher from a nationally recognized certifying agency.

Further Comments

• Preferences:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in biology, marine science, zoology, aquarium science or related field.
• Five (5) years of full-time equivalent husbandry experience with both aquatic and terrestrial multi taxa closed exhibits in a public aquarium or similar setting.
• This includes husbandry and relevant life support maintenance for elasmobranchs, teleosts, and marine invertebrate species as well as reptile and amphibian species.
• Experience keeping, training, and enriching multi taxa exhibits for reptiles, large teleosts, cephalopods, and elasmobranchs.
• Knowledgeable in propagation and culturing techniques to include cephalopods and live food cultures.
• Previous involvement with designing, plumbing, and repairing systems.
• Exhibit maintenance and husbandry diving experience performed in a public aquarium or similar facility. 
• Experience with acquisitions, dispositions, wild collecting, population planning, and quarantine. 
• Experience participating or observing animal exams and/or other medical procedures.
• Ability to work well independently as well as with a team.
• Experience leading or supervising staff, volunteers, or interns.
• Skilled in communicating to the public in an aquarium, zoo or similar facility.
• Experience with animal record-keeping systems such as ZIMS, as well as experience writing clear and concise reports to be utilized for scientific purposes.
• Operating/working knowledge of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and/or the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) current standards, guidelines, and programs. 
• Operating/working knowledge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services’ current guidelines and standards.

Perks

• https://virginia-beach-departments-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/city/Careers/Full-time-Employee-Benefits.pdf

Salary

• G.19, $41,294.70 - $64,006.79 (Minimum of the Pay Range)