The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for a marine science interpretive diver to join the conservation learning and engagement team. Marine science interpretive divers support daily operations for our Visitor Engagement (VE) team.
VE staff are ambassadors for our guests from around the world, helping bring our exhibit floor to life for all. Daily responsibilities include interpreting Aquarium habitats, interpretive diving, supervising volunteers, maintaining supplies, and assisting with training of new staff and volunteers.
Total allocation of job responsibilities includes approximately 50% volunteer supervision/presentations; 25% project/administrative work; and 25% interpretive diving.
Key functions:
- Anticipate needs of visitors and volunteers, addressing barriers to participation for BIPOC, LGBTQ and disability communities in an effort to create an inclusive community. Maintain an awareness of self, co-workers, volunteers, and guests in order to help and enhance our guests’ experience.
- Supervise interpretive volunteers, including creating engaging daily updates, new volunteer training and co-facilitating continued education opportunities. Support volunteer engagement, including new volunteer training and continued education opportunities; this includes supervising volunteers on the floor.
- Prepare and deliver formal interpretive talks, dive presentations and hands-on activities to visitors and school/tour groups; adapt communication style to meet guests’ varying needs and interests. This includes interacting with guests at interpretation carts and outdoor habitats.
- Support special event programming (on site and virtual).
- As part of the VE team, coordinate and communicate openly with coworkers from all Aquarium departments, contribute to maintenance and organization of supplies, props, and exhibits, and participate in regular meetings & program focus groups as needed.
- 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 SALISH Values.
- Maintain flexibility and ability to cover shifts and assignments for others when they are out unexpectedly.
- Provide dive-related coverage for evening events and exhibit maintenance when needed.
- Other duties as assigned.
Diving Responsibilities and Requirements:
- Aquarium Scientific Diver—This scientific diving classification allows for participation in surface-supplied and open-circuit diving as a diver or tender within Seattle Aquarium exhibits only.
To qualify for evaluation as a Seattle Aquarium diver, candidates must meet the following general criteria:
- Possess a scuba certification to the level of rescue diver (or equivalent) from a nationally recognized certification agency.
- Possess a recent (less than 12 months) approval for recreational scuba diving signed by a physician (MD or DO).
- Successfully pass an AAUS watermanship requirements swim test.
- Pass a Seattle Aquarium scuba skills evaluation dive.
In addition, the new staff diver candidate must complete and pass the following aquarium diver physical exam, training classes and deadlines:
- Pass a Seattle Aquarium occupational diving physical exam.
- Complete emergency oxygen provider training within six months of hire.
- Complete staff exhibit diver training and evaluation within six months of hire.
- Attain position-defined level of diver training and evaluation within one year of hire.
Required skills and experience:
We will consider various combinations of relevant experience and education to meet minimum requirements.
- Experience with non-formal, learner-led education programs with community members. This can be through paid or volunteer experience.
- Experience working with a public audience such as school or tour groups.
- Experience working with and training staff and volunteers.
- Ability to assess priorities in a rapidly changing work environment—shifting gears comfortably or when needed—to make decisions and act without having the total picture.
- Ability to adapt communication and teaching style to meet varying needs and interests of guests, including to speak with and direct large groups, and while SCUBA diving. Multilingual and multicultural communication skills and experience are preferred.
- Consistently and proactively communicate, track, and organize work to keep self on track and others in the loop.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the Aquarium’s Mission and Values, including Regenerative and Equity work.
- Familiarity with MS Office programs, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams. Familiarity with, or ability to learn volunteer databases (Better Impact).
- Able to learn and convey information about marine science and conservation to the public with flexibility, strong listening skills, and respect for learners’ prior knowledge and experiences.
- Must be able to swim, dive and both pass and maintain all required scuba diving skills and certifications.
- First aid and CPR certifications by time of hire.
Working conditions:
- A flexible schedule is required; must be willing to workdays, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays based on seasonal programming and third-party events on a regular basis.
- Ability to be active on the exhibit floor for periods of up to eight hours.
- Job requires time spent in the offices, exhibits, service areas and in the field.
- Job requires working outdoors in all weather conditions and terrain. This includes exposure to elements as employees are located in campus environment with multiple buildings, outdoor and semi-covered areas.
- Have the ability to scuba dive in one of the habitats up to 3 times per week.
- Ability to routinely enter and exit Aquarium dive exhibits wearing either temperate or tropical water exhibit scuba systems consisting of drysuit/wetsuit, weight belt and air cylinders, while wearing a full-face mask.
- Ability to dive for a minimum of one hour in both temperate and tropical temperature habitats while providing in-water interpretation.
- Ability to routinely lift 50 pounds of dive gear.
Salary and benefits:
$25.00 - $27.00/hour. Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.
