Careers

The Seattle Aquarium is much, much more than the exhibits, animals, activities and experiences that bring hundreds of thousands of people to our facility each year—our passionate staff members are a key element of what sets us apart. We're firmly committed to hiring highly skilled, talented and motivated people who genuinely want to contribute to our shared success. We seek out employees who lead by example, acting with truth, sincerity and fairness in all decisions. We have a positive, visionary view of our organization and its future, and hope you will join in our commitment to our mission, service and quality.

The Seattle Aquarium is a progressive, equal-opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce. As we move forward, we are committed to making the Aquarium a diverse, inclusive and welcoming space for our staff, partners, audiences and community as a whole.

 

Current openings

Our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values

Sustainable

Adopting and promoting, internally and externally, practices that improve ocean health.

Awe inspiring

Creating captivating experience for all audiences.

Learning & improving

Fostering, evaluating and applying knowledge and discovery.

Inclusive community

Recognizing that diversity is critical to achieve our mission.

Scientific Integrity

Ensuring our credibility with evidence-based practices.

Honoring place

Using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

What Sets Us Apart

Seattle Aquarium volunteers
Culture

The Seattle Aquarium works to ensure that we are inclusive and welcoming to all segments of the community. We strive to have our audience reflect the diversity of our region, including underserved populations and groups, and have developed inclusive outreach and community engagement/action programs to help us toward that goal.

 

Historic photo of Pier 59
History

The Seattle Aquarium is the ninth largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance and among the top five paid visitor attractions in the Puget Sound region. Since our opening, we’ve hosted over 22 million visitors and provided marine conservation education to over 1.6 million school children. We’re proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Seattle Aquarium employees preparing to dive
Conservation

The Seattle Aquarium aims to be a leader in conservation and education, defining the role of a great Aquarium in the 21st century as a catalyst for public engagement. Our focus is on making an impact: through our programs, partnerships, outreach efforts and more—helping people learn to love Puget Sound and Earth’s one big ocean, while galvanizing them to take action to protect these precious resources.

Seattle Aquarium volunteers

Great Benefits

We are invested in providing high-quality, comprehensive benefits and understand their importance for you and your family. Full-time staff enjoy the following benefits:

  • Medical*, vision* and dental coverage
  • An employer-funded health reimbursement account*
  • Access to medical- and dependent-care flexible spending accounts*
  • Basic life insurance
  • Short- and long-term disability
  • Access to voluntary life insurance
  • 403b retirement plan with employer matching funds*
  • Subsidized ORCA pass*
  • Family Plus membership*
  • Participation in annual variable pay program*
  • Generous paid time off

*Part-time staff are eligible for these benefits.

Current Openings

Associate Curator of Birds & Mammals

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for an associate curator for birds and mammals (BAM) to join the Life Sciences team. This position is responsible for assigned husbandry and staff supervisory duties for managing the Seattle Aquarium’s bird and mammal population, assisting the curator for birds and mammals with administration, leadership, and management of team operations. 

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, and to apply, please see the full associate curator of birds & mammals job posting.

Application deadline: Open until filled, preference given to applications received by Monday, September 27, end of day

Recruiting timeline:

  • First interview, using Zoom: complete by October 9
  • Second interview, using Zoom: complete by October 22
  • Third interview, on-site: complete by November 8

Start date: December 2021

Date needed: December 2021

Senior communications manager

As a member of the marketing and communications (MarCom) team, you will deliver critical storytelling that improves organizational sustainability and supports significant growth in fundraising, both of which will allow us to inspire more people to act on behalf of the ocean, a mission especially critical to our times. Working under the direction of the director of marketing and communications, you will identify, integrate and align priority educational and action-oriented messages across our communications to the public, the board, our donors and our partners to advance the Aquarium’s mission. You will drive the development of the Aquarium’s first organization-wide communications message platform, integrating priorities and themes from all departments that will be carried out through appropriate communication channels. This need is especially important now, as the Aquarium expands its conservation efforts and community programs and completes a $160-million comprehensive capital campaign for the new Ocean Pavilion. You will be responsible for managing two direct reports with possible additional direct reports at the discretion of the director of marketing and communications.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, and to apply, please see the full senior communications manager job posting.

Recruiting timeline:

  • Application deadline: November 5
    Priority given to applications received by October 20 
  • First round interview: complete by November 12
  • Second round interviews: complete by November 19  
  • Start date: December 1 (ideally)   
Marine Science Interpreter Diver - PT

The Aquarium is looking for a part-time, benefitted marine science interpretive diver to join the Visitor Engagement team. Marine science interpretive divers are the leads in the habitats at the Seattle Aquarium. We oversee the interpretation volunteers, lead volunteer enrichments and interpret the habitats to Aquarium visitors both informally and during formal interpretive presentations. 

This position also includes delivering the underwater interpretive shows in our Window on Washington Waters, Underwater Dome and Pacific Coral Reef habitats as both divers and dry-side interpreters. This includes daytime, special event and evening event programming. Total allocation of job responsibilities includes approximately 50% volunteer supervision/presentations, 25% project/administrative work and 25% interpretive diving.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, and to apply, please see the full marine science interpretive diver—part time job posting.

Posting expires:  Priority given to candidates who apply by August 28, 2021, end of day. Open until filled.

Date needed: ASAP.

Aquarium Life Support and Facility Operations Technician

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for a life support and facility operations technician to join the team. This position provides essential services, support and technical expertise for a variety of maintenance/repair activities and coordinates work with skilled crafts and with other departmental work units under the supervision of the Aquarium engineer. Responsibilities include being dependable and accountable across all assigned tasks; effectively communicating across departments; collaborating in team settings; coping with change and operating at times in environments of uncertainty; utilizing sound analysis, good judgment and experience when solving complex problems; and demonstrating a willingness to learn new methods and approaches to challenges. The life support and facility operations technician is expected to respond to emergencies on an as-needed basis.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, and to apply, please see the full aquarium life support and facility operations technician job posting.

Date needed: ASAP

Posting expires: Open until filled

Senior marine science educator

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for a senior marine science educator to join the school and public programs (SPP) team. This position will primarily be an implementer, schedule planner and curriculum-development support for all programs offered for the kindergarten through high school audiences within the SPP team, with priority given to outreach programming. The senior educator will work with the school outreach coordinator to lead and support staff while instructing programs in local schools and at local field sites, ensure the ongoing excellence of SPP programs, assist with the development of new programming, and assist with the scheduling of staff and resources as needed. We view this work through an equity lens, with the goal of removing barriers where they exist for members of the community to meaningfully engage with the Aquarium; to foster authentic, mutual relationships between the Aquarium and the community; and to bring diverse audiences together to achieve our mission. This work supports our strategic plan goal of inspiring conservation and making the Aquarium and its programs accessible and welcoming to all.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, and to apply, please see the full senior marine science educator job posting.

Recruiting timeline:

  • Application deadline: open until filled.
  • Resume review: early November.
  • Interviews: November and December.
  • Position start date: January 2022.
RETAIL SALES ASSOCIATE—AQUARIUM GIFT SHOP

Note:  The retail sales associate position is through the Seattle Aquarium's gift shop partner, Event Network.

Join our friendly and enthusiastic team as a part-time, seasonal sales associate to help create fun and surprises as you interact with Aquarium visitors to deliver a fantastic experience. We’re looking for someone who naturally enjoys interacting with people of all ages; is welcoming, positive, engaging and friendly toward our customers, team members and venue staff; is able to proactively intercept, engage and demonstrate product to customers and can effectively communicate product features; and is able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and evenings. Previous retail, cash-handling, merchandising skills and customer service experience are a plus. 

To learn more and apply, see the full retail sales associate job posting.

Date needed: ASAP

Seattle Aquarium employee performing enrichment activities with harbor seal
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