Aquarium Educator

Position

Aquarium Educator (Full-Time/Part-Time)

Education Assistant Manager

$17.00 per hour

Utah is home to five national parks, world‑class skiing and snowboarding, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, and stunning deserts, mountains, and lakes, all within easy driving distance. Outdoor adventure is part of everyday life. The Salt Lake Valley consistently ranks high for safety, clean communities, short commute times, and family‑friendly amenities. Draper offers a balance of suburban comfort and urban access, with downtown Salt Lake City just 15 minutes away.

Enjoy all four seasons without extremes—sunny summers, colorful falls, snowy winters, and mild springs, perfect for both outdoor recreation and city living. Utah’s communities are known for being engaged, supportive, and service‑oriented, making it easy for newcomers to feel at home.

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (LLPA) is a mission‑driven institution dedicated to inspiring people to explore, discover, and learn about Earth’s diverse ecosystems. Founded in 1997, the Aquarium provides impactful educational experiences for guests of all ages and backgrounds. Since opening its Draper, Utah facility in 2014, LLPA has welcomed more than 10 million visitors and delivered over 650,000 educational experiences to students.

Home to over 4,000 animals representing 650 species, the Aquarium features immersive habitats from around the world, including coral reefs, kelp forests, the deep ocean, Antarctic waters, tropical rainforests, Asian cloud forests, and Utah’s freshwater ecosystems. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2019, LLPA is in an exciting phase of growth. With the opening of the Sam and Aline Skaggs Science Learning Center, the Aquarium became the largest in the Mountain West and the fifth largest aquarium in the continental United States, offering expanded opportunities for education, research, and professional impact.

The Aquarium Educator’s role at LLPA is critical to delivering our mission at the Aquarium and throughout Utah. While at the Aquarium, an Educator’s primary responsibility is to enhance the guest experience with high‑quality interpretive experiences throughout our galleries and education spaces. Educators will interact with Loveland Living Planet Aquarium visitors of all ages and backgrounds to provide inspiring personal engagements and activities or more formal presentations, demonstrations and learning stations.

Educators also deliver science education programs to Pre‑K–high school students throughout the state and perform a variety of programs both on‑grounds at the Aquarium and off‑site as assigned.

• High School Diploma
• At least 18 years of age
• Associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in biology, zoology, marine science, environmental science, education, or a related field is preferred
• Experience interacting with children, small groups and/or large audiences, and the ability to adapt programs to audience age level and size is required
• Experience working in a similar guest‑related industry such as hospitality, performing arts, teaching, or zoo/aquarium and museum interpretation preferred
• Experience in STEM programming; development and implementation are preferred
• Must be willing to go through an additional background check required by the UT Public Local Education Agency (LEA)
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus

• Willingness to go beyond expectations to create a fun and safe environment for guests (and staff alike); skills include spoken, written, and visual communication skills; active listening; and understanding guest needs and using appropriate judgement to fulfill those needs
• Ability to confidently and safely handle and present animals, especially reptiles and insects, after training
• Be punctual, communicate clearly with supervisors, and adhere to all attendance protocols
• Take direction and evaluation feedback well, ask questions, and collaborate with others while maintaining a professional work attitude. Interpretation evaluation and coaching is a key part of our…