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Regional hiringpublishedExternal employer
SASt Andrews Aquarium
St Andrews AquariumAquarium

Animal Keeper

Location

St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

Work type

Onsite

Employment

Full Time

Experience

2-5 years

Compensation

£26K - £26K per year

Posted

5h ago

Summary and responsibilities

Role overview

Summary

This role involves the daily care and husbandry of aquatic and terrestrial animal collections, including cleaning exhibits, feeding, monitoring animal health, and maintaining life support systems. The Animal Keeper will also engage with the public through presentations and educational sessions, contribute to site maintenance, and assist in training new staff and volunteers.

Aquarist / Animal Keeper

Position Summary
The Aquarist / Animal Keeper is responsible for the daily care and welfare of aquatic animal collections, ensuring high standards of husbandry, exhibit maintenance, animal health, water quality, and guest engagement. This role supports conservation, education, and operational excellence while maintaining a safe and enriching environment for animals, staff, and visitors.

Key Responsibilities

Animal Care & Husbandry

  • Provide daily care for marine and freshwater fish, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles.

  • Clean and maintain animal exhibits, quarantine areas, food preparation spaces, and support facilities.

  • Prepare diets, feed animals, monitor nutrition, and maintain food inventories.

  • Observe animal health and behavior, report abnormalities, and assist with veterinary procedures and treatments.

  • Maintain accurate husbandry, medical, feeding, and welfare records.

  • Monitor water quality in exhibit and quarantine systems and maintain testing records.

  • Support enrichment, behavioral conditioning, and welfare initiatives.

  • Assist with research projects, animal transfers, and collection management as needed.

Exhibit & Life Support Systems

  • Assist with routine maintenance of life support systems (LSS).

  • Monitor exhibits and equipment, identify operational issues, and report defects promptly.

  • Maintain high standards of cleanliness, safety, and presentation across exhibits and operational areas.

Team & Operational Support

  • Assist in training and mentoring interns, volunteers, work experience participants, and new animal care staff.

  • Collaborate with colleagues to ensure efficient daily operations and excellent animal care.

  • Participate in emergency procedures, drills, and special projects.

  • Support inventory management of animal feeds, equipment, and supplies.

Guest Engagement & Education

  • Deliver engaging keeper talks, public feeding demonstrations, and educational presentations.

  • Interact professionally with visitors, answering questions and promoting conservation awareness.

  • Support themed events, outreach programs, and media activities when required.

  • Maintain a professional appearance and comply with uniform and PPE requirements.

Additional Duties

  • Attend required training and assist at other facilities when needed.

  • Support seasonal events and other operational activities.

  • Perform additional duties as assigned to meet business needs.

Qualifications

Required

  • Strong knowledge of animal husbandry, welfare, and safety practices.

  • Experience observing animal behavior and supporting enrichment programs.

  • Ability to work with both aquatic and terrestrial species.

  • Good physical fitness and ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions.

  • Strong communication, teamwork, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred

  • Experience as an animal keeper or aquarist in a zoo, aquarium, or accredited animal care facility.

  • Knowledge of Life Support Systems (LSS) or willingness to develop expertise.

  • Completion of a Zookeeper/Aquarist Apprenticeship, Diploma in the Management of Zoo and Aquarium Animals (DMZAA), or equivalent qualification.

  • Experience delivering educational presentations or public outreach programs.

Updated 5h ago

Candidate fit

Skills and qualifications

Additional skills

Animal Husbandry • 1+ yrs
Animal Welfare • 1+ yrs
Life Support Systems (LSS) • 1+ yrs
Behavioral Observation • 1+ yrs
Veterinary Care • 1+ yrs
Teamwork • 1+ yrs
Communication • 1+ yrs
Customer Service • 1+ yrs

Experience

2-5 years

Certifications

Zookeeper and Aquarist Apprenticeship Programme • Required
Diploma in the Management of Zoo and Aquarium Animals (DMZAA) • Required

How this role is positioned

Role classification

Job domains

Operations

Industries

Wildlife & Conservation

Employment

Full Time

Contract duration

Permanent

Hiring type

Direct

Global hiring

Location specific

Offer details

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

£26K - £26K per year

VisibilityShared on listing
CurrencyGBP
PeriodYearly

Location, schedule, and role shape

Work setup

Work conditions

Primary locationSt Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
Work typeOnsite
Global hiringNo

Bandwidth profile

peopleMedium7/10
physicalHigh8/10
cognitiveMedium7/10
executionHigh8/10
creativityMedium6/10
uncertaintyMedium6/10
communicationHigh8/10

Context on the employer

Company snapshot

Company

St Andrews Aquarium

Team size

Growing team

Location

St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

St Andrews Aquarium is an animal care facility located in Scotland, dedicated to the daily care and husbandry of aquatic and terrestrial animal collections.

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Animal Keeper

St Andrews, Scotland, United KingdomFull Time