Senior Aquarist

Anglesey Sea Zoo Marine Conservation Centre is a unique aquarium on the banks of the Menai Strait exclusively showcasing British marine species, with seawater sourced directly from the sea, and focussed on education, conservation, animal rescue and sustainability. We are renowned for our conservation efforts, including breeding programs for endangered native species such as both species of British seahorse, lobsters and spiny lobsters, aiming to eventually restore wild populations. We have been leaders in sustainability, organising beach cleans, litter surveys, and providing support to local community initiatives for over 19 years. We work with local fishermen and other stakeholder groups and contribute towards seagrass restoration around our coasts. We also rescue, rehabilitate and release stranded or injured marine animals and most recently have started rescuing cold-stunned turtles washed up on our coasts for long-term rehabilitation and release back into the wild.

The Senior Aquarist will be responsible for maintaining a high standard of animal husbandry and welfare; assisting the aquarium Curator in managing the aquarium team; helping to develop new and existing displays and visitor interactions; and assisting the aquarium Curator in ensuring aquarium admin and zoo licence compliance is kept up to date.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Ensure day to day management of animal husbandry.
• Develop animal welfare and husbandry practice improvements alongside the Curator.
• Ensure correct monitoring, management and recording of exhibit water parameters and water quality.
• Help to maintain and repair exhibit life support systems, including regular maintenance checks, servicing and record keeping.
• Assist Curator in modifying existing life support systems and pipework, or installation of new systems.
• Monitor nutrition, preparation, feeds and food storage for animal stocks, including regular review and updating of feeding regimes alongside the Curator.
• Assist the Curator and veterinary consultants with veterinary examinations, procedures and record keeping.
• Assist in the design and creation of new exhibits, as well as updating existing displays.
• Assist the Curator in ensuring all aspects of zoo licensing are complied with and that all records are complete and in the specified formats.
• Assist in the captive breeding programs for Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus, including brood stock maintenance, fry collection and fry husbandry.
• Assist with and facilitate the rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation of cold-stunned turtles and other injured or stranded animals through our on-site rescue facility.
• Assist in the breed and release program for European lobsters, including brood stock husbandry, larval collection and rearing, juvenile husbandry and juvenile release.
• Assist in local collection of live foods, as well as new livestock animals.
• Assist in the safe transportation, health checking and quarantine process for collected and new livestock.
• Assist in updating and maintaining signage and interpretation around exhibit displays.

People Management

• Assist the Curator in the management of aquarium staff and volunteers in accordance with company procedures and policies, including recruitment, staff induction, training and development.
• Help to co-ordinate volunteer and work experience programs and internship/training programs.

Customer Service / Interaction

• Must be courteous, pleasant and approachable at all times when dealing with the public and confident with customer interaction as a senior member of staff.
• Deliver scheduled informative talks and feeding displays to the public, as well as tours and educational packages to school groups.
• Attend scheduled events and outreach programs as a representative of the Anglesey Sea Zoo.
• Help to develop public talks, feeding displays, educational packages and other interactive events.
• Assist with coverage of the admissions desk, including cash handling and customer service representation.
• Assist with the creation of social media posts on relevant topics.

Other Site Duties

• The successful applicant will be a key holder and must be available for scheduled 24 hours on call for environmental and intruder alarm activations.
• Cover Duty Manager responsibilities site-wide on scheduled days when the Curator is absent, including cash handling, management and collection, ensuring proper site opening and closing down and covering first aid responses.
• Attend training courses as required by the business.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• At least three years’ fish-keeping/aquarist experience – (commercial, industrial or research and development or a combination of all these).
• Education to degree level or equivalent in an applicable science.
• Full UK manual driving licence and own vehicle.
• Availability to respond to callouts after hours on a scheduled basis.
• Availability to work weekends and bank holidays.
• Experience with zoo licence compliance and regulations or similar equivalent industry standards.
• Experience maintaining, modifying and installing common life support system components and pipework.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with seahorse husbandry, breeding and rearing in captivity.
• Ability to use Microsoft packages, in particular Excel and Word.
• Ability to speak Welsh or the desire to learn.
• Ability to use maintenance tools and equipment.
• Recognised diving / skin diving experience (PADI, BSAC or other recognised professional body).

How to Apply

If interested, please apply using your CV and cover letter by email to matt@angleseyseazoo.co.uk. Your cover letter should highlight how you would be able to fulfil this role and clearly demonstrate how you meet our requirements.