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

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, see the marine science interpretive diver—part time job listing.

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

Date needed: ASAP.

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, see the full associate curator of birds & mammals job description.

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 aquarist (two positions available)

As the Seattle Aquarium prepares for future expansion with the addition of the Coral-Triangle-themed Ocean Pavilion in the coming years, its Life Sciences department is growing! The fish and invertebrate (FIT) team seeks two senior aquarists (SAs) to work with our collection, which includes temperate and tropical water invertebrates, and cartilaginous and teleost fishes. Senior aquarists further the Aquarium’s mission through providing oversight of and care for the animal collection. They are responsible for assigned husbandry duties in the Aquarium’s FIT team. 

The two senior aquarists will join the tropical FIT team and work primarily at the Aquarium’s new off-site animal care center (ACC). The ACC will provide a home for many of the animals that will ultimately be placed in the Ocean Pavilion and will also support the Aquarium’s long-term need for additional holding space. We are looking for one candidate with tropical elasmobranch experience who will help lead the daily care of the elasmobranchs that will ultimately be placed on exhibit in the Ocean Pavilion. We are looking for a second candidate with coral husbandry experience to help lead efforts to propagate corals and other invertebrates for a 25,000-gallon habitat at the Ocean Pavilion. Both SAs should have experience caring for tropical teleosts and have a good understanding of basic quarantine practices.

SAs act in a lead capacity, carrying out all aspects of the daily care of assigned animals including feeding, observation, training, administration of medication, medical treatment and record keeping, among other duties.

One of the two SAs will start in early November 2021; the second will start work by February 1, 2022. Until such time as we prepare to place animals on exhibit in our new building, these are non-diving roles. Please note these roles will be required to dive in the future, likely in 2023, and will need to pass dive evaluations including clearance from a medical doctor and all requirements associated with scientific diving.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, see the full senior aquarist job description.

Date needed: One position will start in November 2021, the second position will start by February 1, 2022.  

Posting expires: Monday, September 20, 9pm PST.

Engineering/operations technician

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for an engineering/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, 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 engineering/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, see the full engineering/operations technician job description.

Date needed: Mid-August 2021.

Posting expires: Open until filled; priority given to applications received by July 16.

 

Prospect Research Officer

The prospect research officer will report to the Associate Director, Campaign and partner with the Seattle Aquarium’s Vice President of Philanthropy and the Associate Director, Individual Giving with an emphasis on major gift research and prospect management in support of the Aquarium’s capital campaign and annual and long-term fundraising activities. The prospect research officer manages the planning, design, execution and communication of a comprehensive program to optimize donor pipelines for the Seattle Aquarium. They are a strategic partner and internal consultant to other Philanthropy colleagues and to fundraisers across the organization.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, see the full prospect research officer job description.

Posting expires: Thursday, September 2.

Veterinary technician/registrar

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for a licensed veterinary technician with clinical and registrar responsibilities. Registrar duties include assisting with the Aquarium’s animal record system (Tracks) and animal acquisitions and dispositions. This is a full-time hourly position reporting to the senior veterinarian.

This position will be working within the Aquarium’s Life Sciences department, which maintains a staff of 28 full-time and part-time employees caring for sea otters, harbor seals, northern fur seals, river otters, alcids and shorebirds, temperate and tropical fish and invertebrates, and occasionally sea turtles in rehabilitation. The veterinary team consists of one full-time senior veterinarian and two relief veterinarians, with assistance from the husbandry teams.

To read a comprehensive list of essential functions, skills, abilities and other requirements, see the full veterinary technician/registrar job description.

Date needed: October 2021.

Posting expires: Open until filled; preference for applications received by September 1.

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 description. 

Date needed: ASAP

Seattle Aquarium employee performing enrichment activities with harbor seal
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