Internship: Aquarium Team - Aquarium Sustainability (AQS)
Season: Spring 2025 (Approx March-May)
Location: Onsite
Application Deadline: February 7 at 4pm CST
 
Shedd Internship Program
Shedd Aquarium's Internship Program aims to provide meaningful career exploration for those seeking professions in non-profits, animal care, conservation, research, and beyond.  We hope to inspire and develop future professionals as diverse as the aquatic world we care for.

These opportunities are geared toward those that are new to the field and just starting to establish a career. They have the skills and knowledge, but not necessarily the real-world application.

We welcome applications from all levels of experience, including those seeking career exploration or changes, gap year students, freshmen, sophomores, and those seeking first internships.

Department Overview: 
The animal care team at Shedd is responsible for all aspects of caring for animals and their habitats. By providing excellent quality of life we are able to connect our guests and other audiences to the natural world in order to make an impact. This position is with the aquarium sustainability team and will have an emphasis on plankton culturing and aquaculture of both fish and echinoderms. The intern will also gain experience with aquatic life support systems, exhibit maintenance, water quality, and care of temperate saltwater animals.
 
Learning Objectives: 

• Be able to harvest and quantify copepod cultures and work comfortably with microscope 
• Be comfortable with all necessary husbandry (both animals and life support) for the Polar Play Zone habitats with supervision 
• Demonstrate a hands-on understanding of the role in-situ conservation can play on ex-situ animals 

Responsibilities & Projects: 

• Demonstrate commitment to Shedd’s vision, mission and values
• Daily harvest of plankton as needed by team members 
• Perform weekly water changes and filter backwashes in Polar Play Zone 
• Quantify plankton harvests as needed by team members 
• Other projects as assigned 

Qualifications: 

Fields of Interest: Applicants should be interested in a career in animal husbandry, aquaculture, or conservation. Coursework in the biological sciences is preferred.  
 
Skills/Characteristics: 

• Comfortable working in both hot and cold environments. 
• Able to spend long periods of time standing, walking, and bending.  
• Able to perform physical tasks like climbing a ladder and lifting up to 30 lbs. 
• Comfortable working closely with a variety of aquatic animals. 
• Comfortable working in and around cold water (55°F). 
• Attentive with good observational skills and able to communicate effectively with the team (verbal and written). 
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or GED. 

On-boarding
All interns attend one full day orientation. These are held in person on select Mondays from 9am-5pm. This is required, even if you will not normally be scheduled on Mondays.

Time & Compensation: 

• This is a non-exempt, temporary position that pays $17 per hour
• We anticipate this position will be scheduled for 24-30 hours per week for 10-12 weeks, pending business needs and individual performance.
• Preferred schedule: Availability within Tuesday-Saturday, with the ability to start between 7am and 7:30am.  Ideal schedule Tuesday-Friday from 7am-3pm.
• Set schedule based on intern availability. 

Reasonable Accommodations:
Shedd Aquarium is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodations for any part of the employment process, please email us at internship@sheddaquarium.org.
 
We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ community, Veterans and active duty military, parents, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from all cultural backgrounds to apply. Shedd Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.