Job Description

We are looking for a new Adventurer to join the Displays and Dive Team as our Lead Aquarist

What are we all about? It’s all about Teamwork. Combining all different kind of Adventures and Experience in one place means we have a large variety of different people on site and are all working on one goal: To give our Guests the best memories to take home with them. Our guests conquer epic mental and physical challenges inspired by the world’s greatest adventurer, Bear Grylls. A destination for true adventure lovers.

We are home to a fantastic Oceanarium with over 1,000 different tropical marine animals. But not only do we have an incredibly beautiful Aquarium, but we are also home to some “creepy crawlers” such as spiders, scorpions and cockroaches.

We are doing things a little different than most Aquariums do. How? We are also inviting guests to join our animals in the Oceanarium and Dive or Snorkel with them and learn more about the magical underwater world.

What does that mean for this role? Not only is the displays team responsible for the life support system and maintenance of our 1,000,000-litre tank and feeding the animals, but we also have a very strong focus on the welfare of our animals during the dive and snorkel operation. This means attention to detail and a passion for animal behaviour is essential to this role. As the Lead Aquarist you will support the Displays and Dive Manager to deliver the best animal welfare and care on a daily basis. You will also be in charge of the system during the managers absence and will need a great understanding of our system as well as the dive and snorkel operation.

Will you be part of the Guest Experience? Yes! The Displays and Dive Team are one team and we are working closely together to ensure the best Adventure to all of our guests, while ensuring that the animals we love are always receiving the best care and welfare. However, the Guest Experience itself is led by the Dive Team that focuses on a safe and fun operation to make sure our Guests are collecting truly incredible memories.

What will your day look like? No day is the same and it never gets boring. Your tasks may include the feeding of the animals from the surface, but also under water. To get close to our animals while doing the dive feeds is a special experience every time and allows us to build strong bonds and relationships with our animals and also to complete close up health checks. Daily recordings of behaviour are a key part of the role, as well as detailed record keeping and great communication within the Display and Dive Team. Taking care of our invertebrates and maintenance of our life support system and just as important as keeping the tank looking its best.

Are we doing Conservation work? Yes! We have partnered up with the Shark Trust and every guest that is booking a Snorkel or Dive Experience with us generates a donation to this important charity. At all times Conservation of all types but especially Sharks is a high priority and we are trying to educate every guest and show them the beauty of the underwater world and how worth it is to protect this world and its inhabitants.

Are you right for this job? You are, if you have experience within public aquariums involving animal behaviour, animal health, operation of large life support systems including its maintenance, plumbing and an understanding of water chemistry and its importance. If you are passionate about marine animals and love working in a team and thrive to deliver the best care and welfare for our animals while ensuring guests can share their home with them. Because this job includes diving, you will also need to hold a PADI Rescue Diver certification or equivalent and have some previous dive experience. Ideally you will also have a degree level qualification in animal care, marine biology or equivalent. Skills in animal training and enrichment are desirable and a love for conservation and wild environment is essential

What are your benefits? Alongside a salary of £20,000.00 per annum, you’ll also enjoy holiday entitlement that increases with service length (starting with 28 days, inclusive of bank holidays, and rising to 33 days) and look forward to a great benefits package including a Group Personal Pension Plan, Merlin Magic Pass (giving free admission to all of Merlin’s attractions) an Employee Assistance Programme, Life Assurance, 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants, 40% discount online off of LEGO, and much more!

Perhaps the biggest benefit of joining us, are the amazing opportunities to advance your career. Merlin is a large, global, expanding business, with no end of curatorial, operational, or general management roles, so for an ambitious and talented individual looking to go much further with their career, we can provide the opportunities and the support to help you realise your potential.

Who are we ? We are a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As one of the world’s largest attraction operators, we create and deliver memorable, immersive brand experiences for our millions of guests. We have seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator,we now operate over 125 attractions which also include hotels and holiday villages in over 23 countries, across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 56 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands – including such brands as Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE, LEGOLAND, Warwick Castle, The Bear Grylls Adventure, Alton Towers, The Dungeons and the London Eye - and the commitment and passion of its managers and over 29,000 employees.

We are proud to have a diverse workforce, and we’re all about providing equal opportunities to the whole team. Because of this we are committed to an active all together programme which starts with our recruitment and selection process.

Please click the apply online link below 

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