Water Quality Manager

JOB POSTING

Water quality manager

Posted: Open to internal and external applicants.

Reports to: Director of life sciences.

Status: Full-time, salaried, benefitted position.

Hours of work: Standard workweek is Sunday–Thursday. Typical hours are 7am–4pm. Occasional need for weekend, holiday and evening hours as related to operational needs.

Date needed: March 1, 2022.

Posting expires: January 12, 2022, 9pm PST.

Position description:

The Seattle Aquarium is looking for a water quality manager to join the life sciences team. The manager will have a thorough understanding of water chemistry, water testing and disinfection technologies in recirculating aquarium/seawater systems intended to maintain healthy habitats for aquatic animal life. This is a full-time, salaried position that will report to the director of Life Sciences and will supervise water quality technicians. The position will work closely with the senior veterinarian and veterinary and animal care staff (curators, associate curators, senior aquarists and mammal and bird specialists) within the Life Sciences department. Coordination and collaboration with other department staff, including life support engineers, to be completed as needed.

This is a new position to manage and oversee the Aquarium’s expanding environmental and water quality (WQ) program and related operations of the WQ laboratories. The water quality manager oversees and participates in all activities associated with the sampling, testing and analysis of seawater and freshwater habitats across the Aquarium campus. This includes but is not limited to: performing and reporting water chemistry testing; ensuring appropriate quality control and maintenance of related equipment; integrating other relevant environmental data available to the Aquarium; analyzing results and trends to advise internal stakeholders and improve, where appropriate, testing and management procedures; providing continuing education opportunities for Aquarium staff and volunteers; and developing and applying efficient and sustainable analytic techniques and technologies to provide timely information about the habitats maintaining the animal populations.

1. Essential functions:

The primary responsibility of this position is to oversee operations of the Seattle Aquarium's water quality monitoring program throughout the Aquarium campus, including Piers 59 and 60, the off-site animal care center (ACC) and the upcoming Ocean Pavilion (OP). Essential functions include the following:

• Supervise and mentor water quality technicians. Provide training when needed. Occasionally support technicians overseeing trained volunteers.
• Review and recommend improvements to existing environmental testing strategies with a focus on maintaining quality while improving efficiency and sustainability.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of water quality management for open and closed aquatic animal systems and contacts with relevant associations (e.g., Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators, AQuality listserv, etc.).
• Oversee and perform water quality testing and data analyses (monitoring) for all freshwater and saltwater habitats and their source waters, including physical chemistry parameters (e.g., nitrogenous waste, salinity, pH, dissolved gases, cations and anions, contaminants), bacterial testing following USDA and EPA guidelines, Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) of all ozonated systems, drug assays, and additional water quality parameters as needed.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of results.
• Provide environmental reports to identify results or trends of concern and work with stakeholders to develop proactive and reactive action plans.
• Oversee and provide analysis and control of environmental data.
• Ensure all monitoring equipment is maintained in good working condition (e.g., dissolved gas meters, fume hoods, spectrophotometers, handheld meters, colorimetric plate readers, etc.) and availability of necessary consumables for the laboratories.
• Ensure that all monitoring is conducted in compliance with local, state and federal regulations and with best practices.
• Maintain Washington state laboratory accreditation for listed water chemistry tests.
• Support the laboratory safety program in collaboration with the Aquarium’s safety officer and research staff in the Conservation, Programs & Partnerships department. This includes chemical inventory; safety audits; proper use, storage and disposal of chemicals; and spill-response protocols.
• Support the development and management of the WQ budget and directly manage expenditure.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Aquarium staff, other aquariums and regulatory groups.

2. Additional responsibilities:

• Perform other duties as assigned.

3. Skills and abilities:

• A thorough understanding of freshwater and saltwater chemistry, water quality analysis and water disinfection. Experience at zoological organizations is highly regarded.
• An understanding of the common instrumentation used for WQ analysis, including handheld meters, colorimetry, spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, HPLC and ion-specific electrodes. Familiarity with automated systems an advantage.
• Excellent attention to detail, effective organization skills and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong written communications and interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently, as a team coordinator/manager and as part of a team.
• Strong computer skills for data analysis. Commonly used software includes Excel, Word, Tracks and Teams.
• A high degree of professionalism and a service-oriented work ethic.
• Experience with coordinating laboratory operations across more than one site.
• Familiarity with best practices within zoos and aquariums an advantage.
• Alignment with the Seattle Aquarium’s S.A.L.I.S.H. and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values.

4. Experience, education and certifications: We will consider various combinations of relevant experience and education in order to meet minimum requirements.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, environmental science, hydrology, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Minimum of three years’ professional experience in an analytical laboratory.
• Minimum of three years’ experience working as a laboratory coordinator, supervisor or manager.

5. Working conditions:

• Requires working near potentially dangerous animals, animal diseases, feces and potentially toxic chemicals.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; talk or hear; or smell.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally required to lift more than 30 pounds unassisted.
• Must be able to be on their feet four or more hours a day and be active through physical motions.
• Must be able to wear appropriate personal protective safety equipment.

• Must be available to work full time, which may include weekend days, holidays and rare evenings.

• Must have or be able to obtain a Washington state driver’s license.

Salary and benefits: $62,000–$68,000/year, D.O.E. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.

How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is a progressive, equal-opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce. One of our core values is fostering an inclusive community and we want our staff to reflect our values and community. To that end, we encourage diverse candidates to apply, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color applicants and members of the LGBTQIA community.

Interested candidates should upload a résumé to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.

SeattleAquarium.org/careers/

Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.

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  Note: Must pass a background check and motor vehicle records check, upon job offer, to be eligible for this position. Regarding driving records: within the last three years you must not have had more than two moving traffic violations or any major violation (D.U.I., reckless driving, negligent driving, etc.).

About the organization:

The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment through a variety of channels, including a compelling habitat experience and engaging daytime and evening events; conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds; community outreach to marginalized populations; research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild; advocacy and policy work; an award-winning volunteer program; strong and consistent marketing efforts; and more.

We’re noted for our collaborative, communicative and team-oriented working environment. Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices; creating awe-inspiring experiences; constantly learning and improving; fostering an inclusive community; maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices; and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we’re the eighth-largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance and we welcome over 850,000 people through our front doors each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we’ve developed a master plan to substantially increase in size and impact by opening a new habitat building, the Ocean Pavilion. Our current annual budget is $20 million.

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  Regarding COVID-19:

Open daily, the Aquarium prioritizes health and safety for our staff and visitors, embracing science to guide our operations. Staff are required to wear face masks while working on-site and maintain physical distance during work hours. In addition, we maintain high standards of cleanliness and all high-touch surfaces (like windows, railings, restrooms and elevators) are continuously cleaned.

In alignment with King County’s current COVID-19 vaccine health order, all Aquarium staff and volunteers must provide proof of vaccination or approved medical or religious exemption by date of hire. If you have questions about this policy or for information regarding the exemption process, please contact the Human Resources department at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.

Timeline:

We anticipate the following recruiting schedule for those candidates who are selected for consideration. The following dates are preliminary and subject to change. We will work with candidates to set interviews that work for all involved. If hired, relocation assistance is not available.

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  Application deadline: January 12, 2022.
• Initial Interviews, using Zoom: complete by January 28.
• Final interviews, preferably on-site: complete by February 11.
• Start date: March 1, 2022, ideally.