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Animal Care Assistant
Seattle Aquarium
Posted on Mar 19, 2026
Job Posting
Animal Care Technician
Department: Animal Care
Reports to: Supervisor of Birds & Mammals
Status: Temporary, Hourly non-exempt, Part-time
Hours of Work: Friday through Monday, with shifts from 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM or 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, depending on scheduling needs.
Position Overview
The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is in search of an Animal Care Technician who will be s responsible for all assigned husbandry duties of the Seattle Aquarium’s bird and mammal population. This position will be caring for: sea otters, harbor seals, northern fur seals, North American river otters, various alcids and shorebirds, and fish and invertebrates which inhabit the bird habitats. Must be organized, self-motivated, independent, and show a strong desire to complete projects. Preference given to candidates with an interest in and basic understanding of bird and marine mammal biology, water quality parameters/analysis, aquatic life-support systems, and marine and aquatic animal health. This is a part-time, seasonal, entry-level position that works no more than 1,000 hours in a calendar year.
Multicultural, multilingual, and diverse experiences are an asset in this role as we have a diverse and passionate team. The natural sciences and the conservation movement have historically marginalized many communities from taking on scientific roles such as this one. The Aquarium actively seeks to dismantle this practice and broaden participation in marine and environmental conservation professions, making them more inclusive of the full diversity of our communities and responsive to their needs and perspectives. Candidates passionate about anti-racism, social justice, environmental justice, and other intersections will be an asset to our work. All staff should value and participate in advancing and integrating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values into their work. The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant cultural, traditional practices, community programs, jobs, internships, volunteer experience, and/or formal or informal education.
Essential Functions
Animal Care:
- Perform daily animal care operations within Bird & Mammal (BAM) team, including diet preparation and delivery, habitat care and maintenance, etc.
- Observe/evaluate animal behavior to determine physical and behavioral health and wellbeing.
- Comply with all standard operating procedures and husbandry manuals for all species and animal facilities managed by the BAM team.
- Design, implement, offer, evaluate, and document a variety of behavioral enrichment opportunities for the animal collection that encourage natural behavior.
- Maintain records and reports regarding assigned species including daily veterinary reports, habitat maintenance, food consumption records, and other reports.
- Be familiar with the Animal Welfare Act and all USDA/APHIS regulations pertaining to maintaining and public display of marine mammals and birds. Ensure work output also complies with all necessary AZA accreditation standards.
Collaboration and Engagement:
- Ability to participate in drills and emergencies as necessary.
- Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with other departments to support BAM team needs or asks from others. Practice respect and reciprocity in all communications.
- Ability to communicate effectively with various levels in the organization. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Have computer skills including MS Teams applications, Excel, Word, and Tracks.
- Participate in team, department, and aquarium-wide meetings and engagements as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned
- All Aquarium staff and volunteers are expected to participate in advancing and integrating into their work Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The skills and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant cultural and community programs, jobs, internships, volunteer experience, and/or formal or informal education. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
- AA Degree in any life sciences or equivalent experience required. BA/BS in Biology, Marine Biology, or related field preferred.
- 3 months of paid or unpaid experience involving the care and husbandry of animals in a zoo, aquarium, or related environment.
- Must have a clear, basic understanding of fish and invertebrate biology and technical knowledge of marine biology, water quality analysis, aquatic life support systems, and marine animal health.
- Must maintain a current and clear understanding of life support and mechanical systems for open and closed aquariums.
- Add, subtract, multiply and divide quickly and accurately.
- Strong interpersonal, collaboration and team-building skills.
- Must possess organizational skills, be self-motivated, and communicate effectively orally and writing. Ability to use or learn various computer software products: MS Word, Excel, and Internet browsers.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk, hear, and smell.
- Ability to work in confined spaces.
- Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Have or could obtain a CPR/First Aid Certificate.
- Must be comfortable working in and around water.
Education/Training/Experience Requirements:
- Paid or unpaid animal care experience a plus, preferably in an aquarium or related environment. (AZA facility preferred).
Working Conditions:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee will need to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- Must be able to climb stairs, ladders, and steep rock work, and be harnessed with safety gear when appropriate; have a good sense of balance; and can team lift and move 50 pounds.
- Capable of being on their feet 6+ hours/day and being active through physical motions.
- Required to work outdoors year-round, near water, in confined spaces, on wet and slippery surfaces, and at heights.
- Must be able to swim.
- Requires handling, working with or exposure to large, dangerous animals, animal diseases, animal feces and toxic chemicals.
Salary and benefits: $24.51 - $25.51 per hour Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your application materials. Seasonal staff are not eligible for benefits but accrue paid sick time and are paid an additional $0.75/hour to assist with transportation costs.
How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
Interested candidates should upload a résumé to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.
Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.
Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.
About the Seattle Aquarium: The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our team increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing excellent care and wellbeing for over 5,000 animals to create an inspiring visitor experience, offer engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.
Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.
Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we’re among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 1 million people each year guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment. Learn more at SeattleAquarium.org.