The Curator is the head of the Displays team, overseeing animal care and welfare and display development and design for the aquarium. The Curator achieves high standards of display presentation and animal husbandry for various salt and freshwater species. The Curator supervises the displays team and assists with routine maintenance and animal husbandry issues. The Curator works closely with the General Manager and Merlin’s Global Conservation, Welfare and Engagement division to create engaging exhibits, maintain animal health, and enhance guest experiences.

• Directs exhibit upkeep, animal husbandry practices and planning for more than 20 animal habitats

• Assists in the continual development and strategic planning of the display’s areas in line with the long term goals of the company

• Play a key role in any displays related capital works from concept creation through to completion and continual operation and manages all husbandry and life support of aquarium systems

• Oversees daily care of animal exhibits including diet preparation, feeding and general care, and maintenance of aquatic exhibits in accordance with established protocols

• Ensure that correct levels of livestock and key species are maintained in all displays through proactive collection planning

• Participates in specimen transports, water quality testing, quarantine, diagnosis and treatment of fish disease

• Maintains accurate daily records for aquarium systems and exhibit specimens

• Supervises day-to-day activities of all aquarists and divers, including scheduling. Plans and facilitates professional development and training for aquarist staff

 • Communicate and liaise with the Merlin Animal Welfare Division, veterinarians and Biological Services, as needed to ensure best operating practices and animal care.

• Ensures effective planning and implementation of routine maintenance of displays and life support systems.

• Maintains strict codes of practice for the administration and storage of all medical treatments

 • Ensure that accurate and up to date displays records are complete for all displays and livestock, including deliveries, collections, mortalities, feeding and associated matters.

• Ensure and maintain continually high levels of cleanliness in all the displays, quarantine, and food preparation areas, as well as associated plants and workshops.

• Ensures that the statutory regulations both state and federal, e.g., OSHA are maintained for displays areas

• Adheres to all state and federal standards for the State’s Zoo Licence as well as AZA standards

• Ensures that all licenses and regulations associated with livestock acquisition (i.e. State Game and Fish Dept., USFW), holding, display and transportation, are met and adhered to

• Ensure displays budgets are operated within monthly and yearly constraints.

• Assist the General Manager in the generation of the annual displays budgets and capital expenditures

• Initiates and continually updates the displays development plan for the site

• Carry out and oversee any specific research and development projects to improve animal husbandry and the onsite displays as directed by the General Manager and in conjunction with the Merlin Animal Welfare Division/Biological Services.

• Represent the site within the North American SEA LIFE Curator community in functions such as regional collection planning, and dive safety

• Motivates and trains the displays staff on the local site

•  Other duties as assigned

Undergraduate degree in Life Sciences. Minimum 5 years of experience of aquatic animal care in a professional aquarium environment. Minimum 3 years of managerial experience supervising teams and individuals, preferably in a professional aquarium environment Advanced open water SCUBA certification. Proven knowledge of the maintenance and operation of large life support systems including, but not limited to, sand filters, canister filters, UV sterilizers, protein skimmers, and ozone generators. Aquarium dive program management skills and experience preferred. Advanced knowledge and experience working with a wide variety of tropical and temperate marine and freshwater specimens including, but not limited to, sharks, rays, jellies, corals, seahorses, cephalopods, and turtle. Advanced knowledge and experience in the quarantine, diagnosis and treatment of fish disease. Strong water quality testing and record-keeping skills.

• Must be willing to work flexible hours, including evenings, holidays, and weekends to support site operations.

• Ability to obtain Rescue Diver Certification within 90 days of hire.

• Ability to obtain and hold a current First Aid and CPR certification.

• Travel as needed.

About the Perks

In return, you will find a competitive salary and benefits package (including a medical, vision, dental, life insurance, and 401(k) matching plan offering), and benefit from free entry to all of our Merlin attractions which also extend to family and friends.  In addition, you can expect continued growth of joining an exciting, global organization.

Everyone Matters at Merlin.  

At Merlin we welcome the world to our magical attractions and resorts every day and we want to reflect that same multicultural mix inside our business too. We strive to create an inclusive and diverse workplace where people can be themselves, have the same opportunities and thrive together. Because at Merlin, everyone matters! Together, we work to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, no matter their age, race, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Although we understand that we'll always be learning and growing, we aim to be the most inclusive and flexible employer in our industry. 

We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to perform their best at interview, so if you have any additional requirements due to ill health or a disability, please contact our friendly team to have a discussion. You can get in contact at NAPeopleHUB@merlinentertainments.biz.