Exhibits Technician II

Job Duties:

The Virginia Aquarium seeks 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 oversight of daily husbandry for a variety of freshwater & 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 contractual staff, and Exhibit Tech I staff. Design, propagate, and maintain live animal or food cultures as needed.

• Develop and implement operating procedures with husbandry staff, and maintain all daily husbandry and maintenance logs in ZIMS recordkeeping system.

• 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 contractual 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.

Official City Job Description:

Working Conditions:

Minimum Requirements:

MINIMUMS: 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. 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.

Additional Requirements:


DMV Transcript: Required
CDL: Not Required
DOT History: Not Required
CPS Check: Not Required
Physical: Required
Respirator: Not Required
Polygraph Review: Not Required
Psychological Screening: Not Required


Attachments Required:

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, jellies, 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 in 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.
• 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.

Special Instructions:

• Please complete the application in its entirety and include your resume if required by the posting.
• Your responses to any "Supplemental Questions", if attached to this requisition, must be supported by the information you provide on your application and/or resume; or otherwise demonstrated during the hiring process.
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V RS Contribution: All full-time employees are required to contribute 5% of annual salary toward their retirement account; in accordance with VRS retirement provisions. This will be handled through a pre-tax payroll deduction.

Drug Free Workplace: The City of Virginia Beach maintains a drug free workplace.