Job opportunities

Aquarist

Fancy working with jaw-some sharks, energetic penguins, or perhaps our cheeky African dwarf crocodiles, Ntombi and Masozi? If you’re a hardworking Aquarist, then prepare for a world of glittering scales, humongous tentacles, and razor-sharp teeth at BIAZA accredited SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth!

NEW for 2023 - a structured progression plan for our display teams is now in place across the UK, which means we can now offer a role that will give you the opportunity to develop through five levels of Aquarist. You can join us between levels 1 and 5 and will be compensated accordingly, as you progress to the next tier. Successful performance can lead to you becoming a Displays Supervisor and with so many sites across the world, the opportunities are endless.

What we are looking for

• Experience within public aquariums involving maintenance, plumbing and operation of life support systems
• Demonstrable experience of animal husbandry with freshwater, marine animals, and amphibians
• Skills in animal training and enrichment
• A degree level qualification in animal care, marine biology or equivalent
• Full driving license
• A professional level of dive qualification (desirable)

In this full-time permanent role, working any 5 days out of 7, you’ll find that no two days are ever the same. Your work routine (if you can call it that) will be divided by an assigned area as we have over 30 displays. During a typical day you could be crafting enrichment for our “bale” of terrapins or scrubbing the carapace of Noah, our large Green Sea Turtle. You could also enter a display for siphoning and get really close to our rays.

Preparing the food and feeds for our animals is a big part of the job (so is the washing up). You could be preparing the feed for our two African dwarf crocodiles, Ntombi and Masozi or our playful gang of Humboldt penguins. We have reptiles, amphibians, native marine fish, tropical fresh water, a tropical ocean display (250,000 litres) and lots of life support systems to deal with, each tank has its own dedicated system! It goes without saying therefore, that you will need to ensure the highest of standards are met as you will be responsible for the cleaning, maintenance, and refurbishment.

What’s in it for you

• A salary of £22,500 (level 1) to £24,900 (level 5) per annum
• 40% off LEGO online and 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants
• A Merlin Magic Pass - giving you free tickets to all our attractions worldwide for you, your family, and friends every year
• Discounted rates at Merlin hotels all over the world
• Cycle to work scheme
• O2 discount
• Employee pricing up to 55% off cinema tickets