Water Quality Lab Supervisor

TITLE: Water Quality Lab Supervisor

DEPARTMENT: Facilities

REPORTS TO: VP of Environmental Operations

STATUS: Full-time, Non-Exempt

PAY RATE:$33.00 - $36.00/hour

LOCATION: Chicago, IL Onsite Required

The Water Quality Supervisor leads the daily operations of Shedd Aquarium’s water quality laboratory, ensuring accurate, timely, and reliable testing and data to support animal health, aquatic system performance, and environmental quality. This is a working supervisor role, with approximately 50% of the position dedicated to hands‑on laboratory testing and analysis and 50% focused on team leadership, laboratory operations, quality assurance, and coordination.

Reporting to the Vice President of Environmental Quality, the Water Quality Supervisor directly supervises five staff members, including a staff member based at Shedd’s Center for Animal Care and Sustainability (CACS), and coordinates a rotating team of volunteers and interns. The position establishes laboratory priorities and workflows, supports staff development and performance, maintains strong quality assurance and safety practices, and collaborates closely with Animal Care, Facilities, Life Support, and other departments.

The ideal candidate is an experienced water quality or environmental laboratory professional who combines strong technical expertise with collaborative leadership and enjoys both performing laboratory analyses and developing others.

include the following. Other duties may be assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Lead daily laboratory operations, including workflow, testing schedules, sample prioritization, and staffing assignments.
• Perform approximately 50% hands‑on laboratory testing and analysis, including microbiology, wet chemistry, spectrophotometry, and ion chromatography.
• Collect water samples from aquatic basins, exhibits, and life support systems.
• Review, interpret, and validate laboratory data to identify trends, support animal health, and evaluate aquatic system performance.
• Maintain accurate and timely water quality records and documentation.
• Maintain strong laboratory quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) practices and ensure testing is performed according to established procedures.
• Calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory equipment and analytical instrumentation.
• Assist with the calibration and maintenance of in‑line water quality probes.
• Coordinate with external laboratories for specialized testing and analytical services.
• Maintain inventory of laboratory supplies, equipment, chemicals, and other materials necessary for environmental analysis.
• Perform water treatment or system additions in accordance with established procedures.
• Conduct environmental quality studies and other analyses as directed.

• Supervise, coach, train, and develop five staff members, including staff based at CACS.
• Establish clear expectations, assign work, monitor performance, and provide ongoing feedback and coaching.
• Conduct performance evaluations in accordance with Shedd’s performance management process.
• Identify training and development needs and support staff in building technical and professional skills.
• Supervise, train, and support volunteers and interns participating in laboratory operations.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, collaborative, and accountable working environment.

• Partner with Animal Care, Facilities, Life Support, and other teams to communicate water quality findings, identify…