Curator Of Fish And Invertebrates

Recruitment Range: $33,272 - $45,913

(This is a range.  Selected candidate's salary will be determined within this range

based on qualifications, equity, and funding at the time of hire.)

This position is located at: 

11 W. Jones Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

Primary Purpose of Position:

The Curator of Fish and Invertebrates is an animal care professional specializing in the care and maintenance of aquatic organisms and habitats. The position provides daily care for many thousands of aquatic animals living at the Museum and to maintain the aquariums, life support systems, and other essential functions of the unit.

The position reports to the Head of Fish and Invertebrates.

Key Responsibilities:

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Providing daily animal care, animal habitat and life support maintenance, animal health maintenance, and general upkeep of habitats, equipment, and animal care areas in the Fish and Invertebrates unit and throughout Living Collections.

• Monitoring the behavior, health, and wellbeing of museum animals; communicating proactively with supervisor and veterinary staff on issues of animal wellbeing and health.

• Interpreting animals and other topics to museum guests and facilitating the use of animals in educational programs and other guest-facing activities.

• Diving in aquariums for animal care and maintenance and participating in the Dive Safety program.

• Creating and manipulating animal records, enters and retrieves data from the animal management database, and communicating effectively across a range of formats and platforms.

• Performing other duties as required by the supervisor.

Position/Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to regularly lift over 40 pounds.

• Must be able to climb stairs and ladders.

• Must be able to work in tight spaces.

• Must be able to stand for extended periods.

• Must be able to endure outdoor field conditions at any time of year.

• Must be able to negotiate uneven outdoor terrain on foot.

• Ability to use power tools and specialized field collection equipment.

• Must have a valid N.C. driver's license, or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of employment.

• This position works regularly during weekends, occasionally during evenings and holidays, responds and assists after-hours to animal-related emergency calls, and occasionally serves as the Living Collections staff on duty.

Click here to learn about employee perks and benefits.

Check out this amazing video about DNCR.

To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must provide the information on the application form. Any information omitted from the application form, listed as general statements, listed under the text resume section, or on an attachment will not be considered for qualifying credit.

Qualified candidates must have or be able to:

• Demonstrated experience providing housing, nutrition, husbandry, or health management to a range of animals.

• Demonstrated experience recognizing and monitoring health and wellbeing in animals under human care.

• Demonstrated experience in handling live animals.

• Demonstrated knowledge of modern practices for animal care and welfare, including the practices and standards used by the Association of Zoos and Aquarium or American Association of Zookeepers or American Veterinary Medical Association.

Management Prefers:

• Open Water Dive Certification, or the ability to obtain one within 90 days of employment.

• Eligible to apply for and receive relevant permits and licenses from state and federal agencies.

• First Aid/CPR certification, or the ability to obtain one within 90 days of employment.

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years  education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See of oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

Bachelor's degree in Art History, Biology, Botany, Conservation, Education, History or Zoology from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of museum or related work

or

an equivalent combination of education and experience.The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) takes care of the things that people love about North Carolina, literally from A to Z. The Arts to the Zoo, and so much else - parks, aquariums, historic sites, archaeology, African American Heritage Commission, science and history museums, the state Symphony, Library and Archives, historic preservation, land and water stewardship, and more. These places, and the ideas they represent, create a shared identity in North Carolina. They provide common ground. Everyone is welcome. The Department's vision is to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational, and economic future of North Carolina. Our goal is to promote equity and inclusion among our employees and our programming to reflect and celebrate our state's diverse population, culture, and history. We encourage you to apply to become a part of our team. Check out this amazing video about our Department.

Section/Unit Description:

The Living Collections section is responsible for the daily care of more than one thousand live animals representing 200 species, including many arthropods, freshwater and marine fish, reptiles and amphibians, as well as a few species of birds and mammals. Animal exhibits feature species from North Carolina and around the world. We deliver a range of guest-facing programs, curate a substantial collection of Ambassador Animals, care for live plants, and collaborate with other museum sections to celebrate nature and advance science.

The Fish and Invertebrates unit cares for the museum's aquatic creatures and habitats, which are featured in exhibits on conservation, science, and the natural history of North Carolina. This includes over 50 species of freshwater and marine fish and invertebrates ranging from moon jellies to longnose gar and habitats ranging from a few gallons to the 8,000-gallon Our Changing Ocean exhibit. This unit performs diverse and sometimes technical tasks such as diving in larger aquariums to clean and maintain them, testing water quality, and propagating a range of aquatic organisms.

Division Description:

The State's museum devoted to science and nature, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in central Raleigh is the largest institution of its kind in the Southeastern United States and, with over a million visitors a year, the state's most visited museum. Its 300,000 square foot downtown campus is augmented by Prairie Ridge Ecostation and satellite facilities in Whiteville, Greenville, and Contentnea Creek. Together, they provide a variety of curriculum-focused classes onsite, offsite, outdoors, and online for pre-kindergarten through graduate students across the state.

As a museum of nature, we integrate the dual concepts of illumination and inspiration with the work we do and the many stories we tell. In a time of unprecedented environmental challenges, nothing could be more critical. This nexus of ideas makes us unique. Across three vibrant floors of laboratories and exhibitions, our Nature Research Center provides an unparalleled opportunity to see science in action by watching museum researchers studying the natural world in real time. In the Nature Exploration Center, exhibits and live animal displays reveal North Carolina's rich natural habitats, wildlife, and geology from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.

Our programs and activities impact people in all the state's one hundred counties. We develop a variety of exhibits to share with institutions across North Carolina and support other museums by administering the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program. We also engage the state's students indirectly by providing professional development training for teachers, research opportunities for classrooms, and outdoor learning environments on school campuses.

DNCR selects applicants for employment based on required education and experience and job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age (40 or older), disability, National Guard or veteran status, genetic information, political affiliation, or political influence.

Please be sure to complete the application in full. Resumes may be uploaded with your application but will not be accepted in lieu of a fully completed application and will not be considered for qualifying credit.  "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will NOT be accepted.

Information should be provided in the appropriate areas, to include the following: Education, including high school and all degrees obtained, Work Experience, and Certificates & Licenses. It is critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive candidate information.

Answers to Supplemental Questions are not a substitute for providing all relevant information within the body of your application. To receive credit for the supplemental questions, you must provide supporting information within the "Work Experience" section of the application, to support your answers.

Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.  Transcripts, and degree evaluations may be uploaded with your application.

To obtain veterans preference, you must scan and upload a copy of your DD-214 or discharge orders.

Applicants requesting and receiving an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are eligible to submit paper applications via mail or by fax.  Please call the human resources office for assistance.

If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account.  Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take several weeks.

It is the policy of the State of North Carolina and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that all employees provide proof of employment eligibility (immigration and naturalization) on the first day of employment.   We participate in E-Verify (Employment Eligibility Verification System).

CONTACT INFORMATION:

N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Division of Human Resources

Melissa Riley

109 E. Jones St.

Raleigh, NC 27601

Phone:  919-814-6670

employment@dncr.nc.gov

Technical issues submitting your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 855-524-5627.