Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium is seeking a passionate and experienced Assistant Curator of Fish and Invertebrates to join our Life Sciences team. This role is ideal for an aquatic professional ready to take the next step in their career by leading husbandry teams while ensuring the highest standards of animal care, exhibit quality, and staff development. As the Assistant Curator, you will provide day‑to‑day leadership for the Fish and Invertebrates teams and galleries, foster a positive and supportive team culture, and contribute directly to the success of one of the nation's premier accredited aquariums.
Collaborate with fellow experts in a fun, customer-focused atmosphere that prioritizes excellence and integrity. As a team member you'll be able to enjoy benefits such as Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Life Insurance, Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Account, Paid Time Off, and Employee Discounts. This is your chance to inspire visitors while being part of an extraordinary team dedicated to fostering a love for wildlife. Apply today to dive into an adventure of a lifetime!
A little about Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium consists of a 1.5-million-gallon Aquarium Adventure showcasing 35,000 animals and our immersive Wildlife Galleries sharing the story of America's most significant conservationists throughout history and today. In 2022, Wonders of Wildlife became accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Accreditation signifies our exemplary standards for animal welfare, scientific education, and staff training. Created by noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder/CEO Johnny Morris, the 350,000-square-foot experience celebrates people who hunt, fish, and act as stewards of the land and water. Located next to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri the campus is a centerpiece of America's Conservation Capital in Missouri's Ozark Mountains. Wonders of Wildlife has been voted "Best New Attraction in America" and "America's Best Aquarium" by the readers of USA TODAY. For more information, visit www.wondersofwildlife.org.
What's your day like?
The Assistant Curator of Fish and Invertebrates is responsible for fostering a supportive, positive team environment that promotes professional growth while ensuring the highest standards of aquatic animal husbandry, exhibit quality, and animal wellbeing. This role leads by example through strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; sets priorities and expectations; delegates effectively; and provides balanced, constructive performance feedback to support staff success. The Assistant Curator develops and maintains standard operating procedures and departmental documentation; ensures AZA inspection readiness; oversees accurate animal records, inventories, and quarantine procedures; and collaborates closely with veterinary, water quality, and life support teams to monitor animal health and life support systems.
In partnership with Curatorial leadership, the role supports staff recruitment and evaluations, breeding and conservation programs, ethical acquisition and transport of animals, exhibit and holding system development, supply ordering, budget oversight, and long‑range planning. The Assistant Curator may also participate in interpretive programming, public presentations, and special events, serve as a decision‑maker in the absence of senior leadership, and perform additional duties as needed to support the mission of Wonders of Wildlife.
What it takes to be a successful assistant curator
A successful Assistant Curator of Fish and Invertebrates brings a strong foundation in aquatic animal care combined with proven leadership skills. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in biology or a related field, or equivalent professional experience, along with approximately eight years of experience working with aquatic animals in a professional animal care facility. Candidates should have experience leading or supervising staff-preferably at least two years in a dynamic, team‑based environment-and demonstrate a strong understanding of operant conditioning, environmental enrichment, animal behavior, and water quality as it relates to optimal animal health. Success in this role depends on excellent teamwork, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, as well as experience supervising interns or volunteers. The position also requires proficiency with Microsoft Office and general computer applications, the physical ability to perform hands‑on work in exhibits, holding areas, and mechanical spaces, and the ability to meet immunization requirements associated with the animal collection.
