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

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.

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.

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.

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

Volunteer Engagement Manager

The Seattle Aquarium is hiring a volunteer engagement manager. The manager defines and implements the vision and goals for adult and youth volunteer programming at the Seattle Aquarium and is ultimately responsible for its development, expansion and evaluation. Current programming includes exhibit interpreters, life sciences/animal husbandry, diving, special events, and administration. The manager also currently oversees the Aquarium’s college internship program and would be a leading voice in the near-term evolution of this program as we explore strategies to make the program more open and accessible to students from all cultures and backgrounds.

For more information and to apply, click here.
Posting expires: Open until filled.

Engineering Operations Technician

The Seattle Aquarium is recruiting for an engineering/operations technician to join the facilities department. This position provides support and technical expertise for a variety of maintenance/repair activities and coordinates work with skilled crafts and other departmental work units under the supervision of the Aquarium engineer. Responsibilities include presenting a high level of dependability and accountability across all assigned tasks, effectively communicating across departments, collaborating in a team setting, 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.

For more information and to apply, click here.
Posting expires: January 18, 2019.

Citizen Science Instructor

Seattle Aquarium citizen science instructors work with a professional team of marine educators to provide an in-depth science program serving approximately 400 local high school students and their teachers. Duties include instructing diverse groups of high school students in varied topics including field-based data collection methods, identification of Northwest intertidal species, and the scientific practices as defined by A Framework for K-12 Science Education.

For more information and to apply, click here.
Posting expires: Open until filled; priority consideration for applications received before December 30, 2018.

Director of Life Sciences

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for the next director of life sciences to join the team. This senior leadership position reports to the Aquarium COO and is an integral part of the Aquarium’s executive team. The director is responsible for managing all aspects of animal husbandry and welfare and is a member of the Aquarium conservation leadership team. We are searching for a candidate who values collaboration, brings creative ideas forward and helps staff develop and excel in their roles. As the organization moves toward expansion and building of the new Ocean Pavilion, the director will play a significant role in the design and planning of our newest exhibit space.

For more information and to apply, click here.
Posting expires: February 15, 2019

College Internship Program

Volunteer

News & Updates

View all News & Updates

Jan 17

What’s your (re)solution for a plastic-free ocean?

The New Year has arrived and many of us are figuring out our personal goals to make 2019 the best year yet! We at the Aquarium are making our own resolution: to be part of the solution in the fight for a plastic-free future.

Jan 10

Orca update: A new year and lots of work to do

Over the past year the Aquarium has been trying to keep our readers up to date on the challenges facing our local orca population. The southern residents, better known as the J, K and L pods, are down to just 74 family members and news recently broke that two more members of J and K pods are struggling to get the food they need to survive.

Dec 28

Sea cucumbers: not vegetables!

What’s soft, squishy, able to spill its guts and found in most Seattle Aquarium habitats? The sea cucumber! These invertebrates (animals without backbones) can confuse or harm predators by expelling their internal organs—literally spilling their guts—along with a toxic substance, in the direction of an attack. The missing organs regenerate in one to five weeks.

See more from the blog