Senior Life Support Technician
The Senior Life Support Technician serves as the senior working technician responsible for the day-to-day operation, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting of all life support systems at the aquarium, as well as general maintenance and repair of the Aquarium. This role provides direct supervision and technical guidance to the LSS Technician team, acting as the first point of escalation for operational issues and serving as the LSS & Maintenance Manager’s primary delegate during off-hours and scheduled absences. This role is critical during the facility commissioning phase and requires a hands-on, solutions-driven individual with deep technical expertise and strong leadership skills.
Functions & Responsibilities
Essential Functions
Pre-Opening / Commissioning Phase
• Assist the LSS Manager in commissioning all life support systems, including system startup, performance testing, and documentation of baseline operating parameters.
• Help develop and validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), preventive maintenance (PM) schedules, and safety protocols.
• Participate in the assembly, start-up, and operations of standalone aquatic life support systems, including smaller independent systems serving specialized habitats and holding areas.
• Support the setup of spare parts inventory, maintenance tools, and vendor relationships.
• Participate in onboarding and training of incoming LSS Technicians.
• Assist in establishing work order workflows and CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) protocols.
Pre-Opening / Commissioning Phase
• Assist the LSS Manager in commissioning all life support systems, including system startup, performance testing, and documentation of baseline operating parameters.
• Help develop and validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), preventive maintenance (PM) schedules, and safety protocols.
• Participate in the assembly, start-up, and operations of standalone aquatic life support systems, including smaller independent systems serving specialized habitats and holding areas.
• Support the setup of spare parts inventory, maintenance tools, and vendor relationships.
• Participate in onboarding and training of incoming LSS Technicians.
• Assist in establishing work order workflows and CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) protocols.
Operational Phase
• Oversee and participate in daily inspection and operation of all LSS equipment including pumps, filtration systems, ozone generators, UV systems, chemical dosing, and control/automation platforms.
• Monitor water quality parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, ORP, pH, nitrogen cycle stability, and clarity) and coordinate corrective actions with all responsible parties as needed.
• Maintain the preventative maintenance program of all LSS equipment through the manufacturers’ scheduled maintenance for all equipment.
• Perform general building repair and maintenance in both guest-facing areas and back-of-house.
• Assist in making seawater for marine systems.
• Serve as lead responder for system alarms and critical equipment failures; implement corrective actions and escalate to the LSS Manager as appropriate.
• Directly supervise the LSS Technician team on assigned shifts
• Assign and prioritize daily work orders and PM tasks.
• Conduct informal coaching, safety briefings, and on-the-job training to LSS Technicians
• Review completed work for accuracy and compliance with SOPs.
• Perform advanced troubleshooting of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; coordinate with contractors and vendors for specialized repairs.
• In the absence of the LSS Manager, act as a point of contact for Onondaga County Facilities personnel.
• Maintain accurate system logs, work orders, and performance data in the CMMS.
• Conduct routine testing of backup systems and support emergency preparedness drills.
• Assist in coordinating facility support for special events, extended hours, and seasonal operations.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable OSHA, EPA, NY State DEC, USFWS, FWC, local Health Department, Fire Marshal, and AZA standards.
• Promote a safety-first culture; enforce lockout/tagout, confined space, respiratory protection, and chemical handling protocols at all times.
• Other duties as assigned.
Skills & Experience
Education & Experience
• Two years + in a similar position required.
• PADI Open Water or equivalent (or able to obtain within 90 days of employment) required.
• First Aid, CPR, Emergency O2, and AED certification (or able to obtain within 90 days of employment) required.
• Ability to adhere to OSHA standards and proper use of personal protective equipment in an aquarium environment required.
• Skilled in general construction, troubleshooting mechanical systems and the safe use of tools required.
• Preferred certifications – AALSO Operator Level II and Water Quality Level II.
• Knowledge of water chemistry and monitoring in an aquarium environment required.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills required.
Job Requirements
Working Conditions
• Upon employment all team members are required to comply with the standards, rules and regulations, which may be established by the Company and updated from time-to-time. Team members who violate property rules or have irregular attendance will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
• The leisure business functions seven days a week. Due to the seasonal nature of the industry, team members may be required to work varying schedules, weekends, holidays and overtime to reflect the business needs of the property. Team members may also be required to attend group and/or department meetings in addition to the work shift as necessary.
• This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that a team member in this position may be asked to perform.