Husbandry Manager - New England Aquarium

Under the direction of the Associate Curator, the Husbandry Manager provides hands-on supervision of daily husbandry and project activities in the quarantine and holding areas of the Quincy Animal Care Center. They are responsible for coordinating and implementing daily operations that adhere to protocols established by the Associate Curator, as well as ensuring the highest standards of animal care. This includes developing animal care standards (SOPs) and ensuring compliance to these standards. The Husbandry manager will also direct, evaluate, and develop husbandry staff and plan sub-department activities, Aiding the Associate Curator in departmental administration and staff development.

This is a full-time regular position offering a comprehensive benefits package. The schedule will be Sunday - Thursday from 8a - 4:30p EST. This is an on-site position, mostly based at our Quincy facility, but applicants should be able to report to both campuses as needed. Work hours may vary and will occasionally require coverage on weekends, some holidays, and occasional early morning or late-nights.

ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP FUNCTIONS

1. Supervise, manage, and delegate the daily routines of Quincy Husbandry aquarists to ensure the highest standard of animal care, promote efficiency in the department, and provide adequate personnel coverage at all times.
2. Provide guidance, mentoring, training, and feedback to new hires and existing staff on animal husbandry, life support design, operation and maintenance, project work, and adherence to deadlines.
3. Provide oversight on volunteer and intern needs and their subsequent training.
4. Ensure open lines of communication both within the team and between collaborating teams; ensure team delivers prompt feedback.
5. Review and approve bi-weekly timecards in accordance with Finance Department deadlines.
6. Conduct annual performance appraisals; provide on-going performance feedback to team members; recognize and champion achievement and address performance issues.
7. Conduct interviews and make recommendations for hiring new Aquarists.
8. Exemplify and support a culture of teamwork and collaboration amongst Animal Care Division staff and across other divisions.
9. Demonstrate NEAq values and behaviors and coach staff as needed to build a collaborative team reflective of the values.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Organize and direct the daily operations of the Quincy Animal Care Center Husbandry staff and primary functions including quarantine, transition and enrichment programs, coordination of medical procedures with the Animal Health Department, and collaborative projects with other departments (ACCOL)
2. Assess the status of exhibits and recommend corrective actions.
3. Promote efficiency by aiding departmental prioritization of daily work and projects (including FLSA implications). Evaluate the adequacy of staffing coverage and make recommendations to Associate Curator and Curator. Provide coverage support when needed.
4. Develop and implement animal husbandry protocols and standard operating procedures including quarantine treatments, diet, nutrition, biosecurity and equipment maintenance and operation.
5. Oversee the use and maintenance of the Quincy Animal Care Center Storage Area.
6. Act as Department liaison with other NEAQ departments and external parties when appropriate.
7. Participate in record keeping, report writing, generation and review of purchase orders, budget preparation, and management of fish food inventory, in area(s) of responsibility.
8. Participate in detailed management of assigned Life Support Systems (LSS) in partnership with other appropriate departments.
9. In collaboration with Associate Curator and the Environmental Quality Department, establish, implement and oversee acceptable water quality parameters in all systems.
10. Submit and track preventive maintenance of equipment using facility management software to communicate with the Facilities Department.
11. Attend meetings on behalf of the Associate Curator, as appropriate or assigned.
12. Provide support for the animal acquisition process, in conjunction with the Animal Collection Planning committee, to ensure that exhibits contain a full complement of specimens.
13. Assists with coordinating the transition of animals from the collection; network with institutions to rehome animals and organize transport and shipping arrangements.
14. Participate as directed in the exhibit development process including conducting thematic research, habitat/aquascaping construction, and developing animal enrichment programs.
15. Ensure a high level of aesthetics throughout area of responsibility and aid others in maintaining a high quality of exhibition throughout the organization.
16. Ensure that all relevant support areas are always safe, orderly and clean.
17. Ensure that all equipment is maintained to standards for safe use and to promote and extend longevity.
18. In collaboration with the Diving Safety Officer and the Dive Area Manager, oversee the use and maintenance of SCUBA equipment in Quincy including the compressor. May assume role of diving area manager for the Institution's diving safety program.
19. Assume a leadership role if requested in the event of an emergency closure, power outage, sensaphone call, or similar unusual circumstance.
20. Conduct facility tours to both internal and external groups when appropriate.
21. Develop and maintain relationships with colleagues in the industry.
22. Support Associate Curator in report writing, rostering and other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Training and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in biology or related science preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of vocationally relevant experience required.
• 2 years of demonstrated supervisory/leadership experience preferred.
• Open Water SCUBA certification required and Medical Examiner's authorization to dive in accordance with NEAq Diving Control Board. Must be able and willing to perform SCUBA diving as assigned. The amount of time diving varies significantly depending on the area of assignment, from occasionally to routinely.
• Valid driver's license, ability to secure a Medical Examiner's Certificate in Accordance with Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (49 CFR 391.41-391.49) and willingness to drive transport trucks up to 26,000GVW.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Must have a solid understanding of life support design and operation, quarantine principles and protocols, water quality and the interpretation of testing results.
• Must have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently on solving problems.
• Must have strong training, mentoring and team building skills.
• Must have strong communications and collaboration skills and a commitment to Animal Care Division priorities.
• Must be willing to work with a frequently changing, diverse collection of animals.

For more information and to apply online please visit: http://neaq.applicantpro.com/jobs/

New England Aquarium is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer as defined by the EEOC. Here we foster a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion. We strive to engage and inspire a broad audience with our efforts to protect the blue planet, and we believe a diverse workforce provides experiences, skills, and perspectives that enrich our programs, strengthen problem-solving, add creativity, and enhance our work environment.