Curator

What you'll bring to the team

Curator

ROLE Summary

As Curator, you will lead the SEA LIFE Bangkok (SLBK) Curatorial team to deliver world-class aquatic and terrestrial displays, with a clear focus on team engagement, development and the implementation of innovative, pioneering display development plans.

You will cultivate a guest-obsessed team and drive relentless, measurable improvement of health, safety, security and welfare standards across your area of responsibility, ensuring animal care and guest experience consistently meet or exceed Group benchmarks.

As a key member of the SLBK senior leadership team, you will work closely with the General Manager and regional management to deliver memorable experiences through world-class displays that inspire guests and communities to contribute to a better world for marine life.

This is a commercially accountable leadership role: you will engage in decisions relating to product, people, health & safety, finance and marketing, and hold ultimate accountability for the training, development, welfare standards and performance delivered by the Curatorial and Dive teams — including the direct link between how well you lead your team and the satisfaction your guests experience. This role requires a “can-do” attitude, an eye for detail, great communication skills (both verbal and written) and a blend of expertise and analytical ability. 

 

Key Accountabilities

Team Leadership, Engagement & Talent Development (Business Driven).Lead, coach and develop the Curatorial and Dive teams to achieve and sustain a target internal Team NPS/engagement score (benchmarked against the Group survey), reviewed quarterly. Team NPS is treated as a direct business driver: track and report the correlation between Team NPS and Guest NPS/Satisfaction scores and trigger a documented corrective action plan within 30 days whenever Team NPS or its link to Guest Satisfaction declines. Build a sustainable talent pipeline for key curatorial roles through structured training and recruitment, targeting at least 90% completion of individual development plans.

Animal Welfare & Husbandry Standards.Deliver consistently high standards of animal husbandry and welfare, targeting zero avoidable Higher Emphasis (HE) mortality. Ensure 100% compliance with Group and local animal care protocols and accreditation-partner standards, verified through regular internal audits, and lead correct animal acquisition, breeding and disposition decisions in line with Group and local guidance.

Displays Development & Guest Experience.Own delivery of the annual Displays Development Plan, completing 100% of committed capital and refresh projects on time and on budget. Drive guest engagement as measured by Mystery Visit score, external review ratings and Guest NPS, applying innovative use of theming, lighting and water movement to create unparalleled, "wow" displays that maximise guest engagement with creatures.

Health, Safety & Security.Hold full ownership of health, safety and security for the Curatorial team, guests and animals. Ensure 100% of required risk assessments are completed and current, all incidents are reported within Group timelines and drive a measurable year-on-year improvement in H&S culture and reporting standards, with zero critical or major audit findings left unresolved beyond agreed deadlines.

Financial & Commercial Management.Set, own and manage the annual Curatorial OPEX and CAPEX budgets, monitoring spend entrepreneurially to deliver results within agreed budget variance and to protect the attraction's budgeted EBIT. Monitor and report the commercial impact of product and display changes on visitation and revenue, in strict observance of all financial authority mandates.

Conservation, Community & PR.Drive and support rescue, conservation and research initiatives that strengthen institutional credibility and generate positive PR coverage, working closely with the Marketing Manager to align campaigns, PR and product initiatives with visitation and revenue targets.

Stakeholder Communication & Reporting.Compile and deliver accurate, timely curatorial reports — including creature stats, policy compliance, training delivery and OPEX/CAPEX tracking — to local business and Regional Curator on a defined reporting cycle. Act as the primary communication link between the Curatorial team and site leadership (General Manager, Operations, HSS, Finance, Marketing) as well as central CWE and Regional Curator teams, chairing and attending meetings to drive site-wide standards.Regulatory Compliance, Licensing & Government Liaison.Hold end-to-end accountability for the Zoo/aquarium operating licence and all related permits, ensuring 100% renewal compliance with zero lapses. Act as the primary liaison with relevant government authorities — including the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and the Department of Fisheries / Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) / Bangkok District — on all matters relating to licensing, inspections and aquatic-animal regulation. Own and manage all animal import/export documentation and CITES-related permits, ensuring 100% of movements are fully compliant and completed within required timelines. Maintain an accurate, audit-ready animal stock/inventory record (species, numbers, provenance, movements) at all times, with zero discrepancies at each stock reconciliation.

Veterinary Oversight & Audit Management.Oversee and manage the veterinary function at SLBK, ensuring the vet team's caseload, health protocols and clinical records meet Group and regulatory standards. Own the end-to-end management of veterinary audits, Zoo licence audits and HSS audits — coordinating preparation, hosting the audit, and closing 100% of corrective actions within the agreed deadline, with zero critical findings left open past due date.

Decision-Making, Governance & Problem Solving.Operate within Merlin and CWE Policy and Procedures, holding ultimate accountability for all animal- and display-related decisions across SLBK. Identify and resolve complex operational issues by scaling root-cause investigation appropriately, balancing "think-on-feet" responses with long-term strategic planning, and develop and implement business continuity and crisis plans as required. Undertake ad-hoc assignments as required by the General Manager and regional management team.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant hands-on experience in a Curator / Displays Head / senior aquarist role within a zoo, aquarium or marine park, with deep, demonstrable expertise in aquatic and/or terrestrial animal husbandry, biology and behaviour — underpinned by a relevant degree or professional qualification in Marine Biology, Zoology, Aquaculture, Veterinary Science or a related life-sciences field.
• Proven track record directly caring for and managing diverse animal collections (fish, invertebrates, elasmobranchs, marine mammals, reptiles or amphibians as relevant), including life-support systems, water quality management, breeding programmes, quarantine and clinical/health monitoring.
• Strong background in people and performance management, with proven ability to lead, train, develop and engage a team of functional animal-care experts.
• Thorough understanding of animal welfare principles, animal behaviour, transport and husbandry development, with the ability to share and implement industry best practice.
• Working knowledge of life support systems, plant and equipment, ensuring maintenance in line with manufacturers' recommendations.
• Practical, detail-oriented ability to inspire and create "wow" displays through theming, lighting and water movement.
• Understanding of specialist aquarium diving activities and local curatorial regulations.
• Detailed understanding of workplace health & safety principles relevant to the aquarium environment.
• High level of English communication skills to engage regional teams and the wider business.
• Strong networking skills and links to external/industry partners, government sectors and universities.
• Experience managing Zoo/aquarium licensing, animal import/export (including CITES) documentation and liaison with government authorities such as the Department of National Parks and Department of Fisheries/DMCR.
• Experience overseeing a veterinary function and managing veterinary, Zoo licence and HSS audit processes through to closure.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and good attention to detail
• Work well with other team members and collaborate.
• Ability to manage workload and deliver to agreed deadlines.
• Good analytical abilities
• A passion for the entertainment, leisure and tourism industry

Pay Range

Competitive