Assistant Curator/Lead Keeper
Full time @Sea To Believe Aquariums Shortlist Email JobJob Detail
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Job ID 15465
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Career Level Manager
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Experience 2 Years
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Industry Husbandry
Job Description
Assistant Curator / Lead Keeper
Houston Interactive Aquarium & Animal Preserve
Location: Houston, TX | Employment Type: Full-time | Compensation: $50,000–$60,000 plus benefits
Schedule: One weekend day required
About the Role
You run the floor — making sure the Curator\’s and Owners standards are met every shift, with every animal in our mixed collection. This is a hands-on leadership role: you\’ll work alongside the keeper team day to day, train and schedule staff, lead guest encounters, and step in for the Curator when needed.
Reports to: Curator of Animal Care
Direct reports: Keeper staff
What You\’ll Do
- Conduct daily rounds; verify feeding, cleaning, training and enrichment logs
- Execute feeding protocols and monitor body condition; flag deviations
- Train new keepers and document their training
- Perform hands-on husbandry on the floor
- Escalate animal health concerns to the Curator and attending veterinarian
- Lead guest encounters and animal presentations
- Maintain quarantine protocols for new arrivals
- Execute emergency and contingency plans on-site as directed by the SOPs
What You Need
- Two or more years of professional animal care in a zoo, aquarium or wildlife facility
- Demonstrated husbandry competence across at least two taxa
- Ability to lead a shift and correct employees without drama
- Reliable, punctual, and comfortable with weekend and holiday work
What Sets a Candidate Apart
- Animal training and operant conditioning experience
- AZA or ZAA institution background
- Life support system operation
- Bilingual English/Spanish
