Curator of Fish and Invertebrates

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This position is located at:

11 W. Jones St.

Primary Purpose of Position:

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is seeking a Curator of Fish and Invertebrates - 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 include but are not limited to:

• Provides 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.
• Monitors the behavior, health, and wellbeing of museum animals; communicates proactively with supervisor and veterinary staff on issues of animal wellbeing and health.
• Interprets animals and other topics to museum guests and facilitates the use of animals in educational programs and other guest-facing activities. 
• Dives in aquariums for animal care and maintenance and participates in the Dive Safety program. 
• Creates and manipulates animal records, enters and retrieves data from the animal management database, and communicates effectively across a range of formats and platforms.
• 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.
• Performs other duties as required by the supervisor. 

Position/Physical Requirements:

• Must be available to work a 7-day rotating schedule, with some evenings and weekends as needed.
• Must be able to regularly lift over 40 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to climb stairs and ladders with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to work in tight spaces with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to operate motor vehicles during the day and night with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to endure outdoor field conditions at any time of year with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to negotiate uneven terrain on foot with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must have a valid driver’s license issued from within the United States or be able to obtain one within 90 days of employment.
• Must have a First aid/CPR certification or the ability to obtain one within 90 days of employment.
• Must be eligible to apply for and receive relevant permits and licenses from state and federal agencies.

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 in animal care in a professional setting such as a zoo, aquarium, museum or science center.
• Demonstrated experience with housing, nutrition, husbandry, or health management of a range of animals such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish or invertebrates.
• Knowledge of recognizing and monitoring signs of health and wellbeing in animals under human care.

Management Preferences:

• Demonstrated experience in handling live animals and in presenting animal and natural history content to the public.
• Demonstrated knowledge of modern practices for animal care and welfare and of the practices and standards used by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other professional bodies.
• Open water dive certification or the ability to obtain 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 of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See of oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

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.

Agency Description:

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) takes care of the things that people love about North Carolina. DNCR manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. 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. Everyone is welcome. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.  We encourage you to apply to become a part of our team!

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (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.

We are an Employment First state, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal opportunities to succeed in the state government workplace. DNCR supports pay equity for women, establish paid parental leave for birth, adoption, and foster care, and implement fair chance policies. Join a team that welcomes, values, respects and supports all members of our work community.

Application Process
Please watch our video here that walks you through each step of the application process.

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.

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.  
 

Degree/College Credit Verification

Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.  Transcripts, and degree evaluations may be uploaded with your application.  If you have student loans, becoming a state employee includes eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Visit www.studentaid.gov to learn more.

Veteran’s and National Guard Preference

Applicants seeking Veteran’s Preference must attach a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, along with the state application.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach an NGB 23A (RPAS), along with the state application if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. 

Applicants who are former member of either the NC Army National Guard or the NC Air National Guard, with honorable discharge and six years of creditable service must attach a copy of the DD 256 or NGB 22, along with the state application.

ADA Accommodations

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), DNCR is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, DNCR will ensure that persons with disabilities, or known limitations covered by the PWFA, are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the person indicated below.
 
Employment Eligibility It is the policy of the State of North Carolina and DNCR 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).
 

NEOGOV Technical Assistance

If you are having technical issues logging into your account or applying for a position, please review the Get Help/FAQ's information on the website. If you are still experiencing technical issues with your application, please call the NEOGOV Help Line at 855-524-5627.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 

N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Division of Human Resources

Caroline McClintock

109 Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601

Phone:  919-814-6670

employment@dncr.nc.gov

Salary : $34,270 - $45,913