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WOWonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & AquariumAquarium

Lead Aquarist

Location

Springfield, Missouri, United States

Work type

Onsite

Employment

Full Time

Experience

6+ years

Compensation

Compensation not disclosed

Posted

23h ago

Summary and responsibilities

Role overview

Summary

The Lead Aquarist provides daily leadership, training, and mentorship to a team of Aquarists, ensuring exceptional animal care and husbandry standards across multiple exhibits. This role involves coordinating daily operations, collaborating with Curatorial Staff on animal welfare and exhibit development, and participating in veterinary rounds.

Ready to Lead at One of America's Top Aquariums?

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium is seeking an experienced Lead Aquarist to join our Life Sciences team. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate animal care professional to combine hands-on husbandry with leadership, mentorship, and exhibit management in a world-class facility housing more than 35,000 animals.

If you're looking to influence animal welfare, develop future aquarists, and grow toward a management career, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

  • Provide daily leadership, training, and mentorship to a team of Aquarists.

  • Ensure exceptional animal care and husbandry standards across multiple exhibits.

  • Coordinate daily operations, maintenance, enrichment, feeding programs, and recordkeeping.

  • Collaborate with Curatorial Staff on animal welfare initiatives, collection planning, and exhibit development.

  • Participate in veterinary rounds and support animal health assessments.

  • Lead animal moves, introductions, and major husbandry projects.

  • Assist with hiring, onboarding, and development of Aquarists, interns, and volunteers.

  • Help shape the future of the department through process improvements and leadership initiatives.

What We're Looking For

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Biology or a related field (or equivalent experience).

  • 6+ years of experience working with captive freshwater and saltwater fish and invertebrates.

  • Previous leadership or supervisory experience.

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

  • Experience with operant conditioning and animal training is a plus.

  • Ability to meet dive and swim requirements within six months.

Why Join Wonders of Wildlife?

  • Work in one of the nation's premier aquarium and conservation facilities.

  • Lead a talented team dedicated to animal welfare and excellence.

  • Gain experience in exhibit planning, collection management, and leadership development.

  • Clear growth potential into future Curatorial and management roles.

  • Make a meaningful impact in conservation, education, and animal care.

Updated 23h ago

Candidate fit

Skills and qualifications

Additional skills

Leadership • 1+ yrs
Animal Care • 1+ yrs
Husbandry • 1+ yrs
Exhibit Management • 1+ yrs
Communication • 1+ yrs
Organizational Skills • 1+ yrs
Problem-solving • 1+ yrs
Operant Conditioning • 1+ yrs

Experience

6+ years

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

Compensation not disclosed

VisibilityShared on listing
CurrencyUSD
PeriodHourly

Benefits and perks

Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance

Location, schedule, and role shape

Work setup

Work conditions

Primary locationSpringfield, Missouri, United States
Work typeOnsite
Global hiringNo

Bandwidth profile

peopleHigh9/10
physicalMedium6/10
cognitiveHigh8/10
executionHigh8/10
creativityMedium6/10
uncertaintyMedium7/10
communicationHigh9/10

Context on the employer

Company snapshot

Company

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium

Team size

Growing team

Location

Springfield, Missouri, United States

Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium is a 350,000-square-foot wildlife and aquarium destination featuring 1.5 million gallons of exhibits and more than 35,000 animals. Recognized as one of America's leading aquariums, Wonders of Wildlife inspires conservation through immersive experiences that connect guests with the natural world.

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Lead Aquarist

Springfield, Missouri, United StatesFull Time