Event Educator in Draper, Utah at The Living Planet Aquarium

Position: Event Educator (Part-Time)

Reports To: Education Manager

Compensation: $17.00 per hour

Why Utah?

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.

About Loveland Living Planet Aquarium:

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.

Position Summary:

The Event Educator’s role is critical to delivering our mission. 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 (LLPA) visitors of

all ages and backgrounds to provide inspiring personal engagements and activities or more formal

presentations, demonstrations and learning stations. Event Educators also have the option to be

trained on additional onsite and offsite science education programs delivered by our Aquarium

Educators.

Event Educators report directly to Education Managers. Educators collaborate with assistant

managers, managers, and their peer educators to improve interpretation skills and techniques.

Educators are required to provide a variety of learning and engagement opportunities for Aquarium

guests to enhance their visit.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma

• At least 18 years of age

• Associate’s 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

Critical Skills/Competencies:

• 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

• 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 team’s growth and success

• Ability to quickly learn complex and/or factual information, then communicate it to a wide

variety of age groups in an engaging and creative manner

• Knowledge of science processes, marine biology, zoology and/or ecology with willingness to

increase knowledge

• Ability to engage with guests for over 2 hours in one continuous session.

• Ability to operate company vehicles and follow vehicle protocol. Must keep a favorable driving

record and be willing to permit a periodic review of your driving record, if necessary

• Ability to follow detailed daily interpretation and monthly shift schedules

• Ability to work in a fast-paced and continually evolving environment

• Basic computer knowledge and skills

• Exception customer service skills

• A valid Utah driver’s license, or the willingness to acquire one within 30 days of hire date, is

required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collect engagement materials (example biofacts), and open and close galleries

• Deliver high quality interpretive experiences throughout our galleries including engaging

presentations and demonstrations

• Engage with guests during public hours and after-hours events

• Understand, support and share with others LLPA’s mission and vision

• Assist in maintaining a clean working environment; ensure all areas of the Aquarium are

organized and hazard free

• Prepare, manage and utilize presentation supplies and materials appropriately

• Assist in educational events and additional programs as needed

• Provide event support to Guest Services as needed, including greeting event guests.

• Additional duties as assigned

Physical Demands and Scope of the Job:

• Must be able to stand during long periods of guest engagement. Must be comfortable

working under a wide range of temperature (30-90+°F), noise, and light conditions, including

indoor and outdoor settings

• Schedule may include weekends, evenings, and holidays (excluding Thanksgiving Day and

Christmas Day)

• Event Educator positions require a minimum of four evenings of availability. Shift times vary

and may start as early as 4:30 PM and end as late as 10:30 PM. Scheduled days may shift

weekly or seasonally based on the education department’s programming needs with the

occasional daytime event as needed.

• Ability to lift 50 lbs.

Benefits & Perks

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Pet insurance and discounts

• Free Aquarium membership

• Discounts on tickets, gift shop, and café purchases

• Free and discounted animal encounters

• Footwear discounts

• Entertainment, travel, and retail savings through Tickets at Work

While this job description attempts to describe the essential functions of the position, it does not prescribe or restrict the

tasks that may be assigned. It does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties or responsibilities to this

job at any time. The overall work environment while performing this job includes exposure to weather conditions and the

noise level is usually moderate. The employee is expected to adhere to all policies and to act as a role model in the adherence

to the policies. The Living Planet Aquarium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment

for all. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender,

gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic

information, marital status, veteran status, or military status. The Living Planet Aquarium is committed to ensuring

individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application and interview

process. Should you require accommodations, please contact accommodation@livingplanetaquarium.org.