Chief Aquarium Operations Officer

Monterey Bay Aquarium•Monterey, CA

About The Position

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is seeking a strategic, collaborative leader for the newly created Chief Aquarium Operations Officer (CAOO) role. Reporting to the CEO and serving on the Executive Team, the CAOO will lead the Aquarium’s core operations and on-site experience, providing institutional and day-to-day direction and ensuring effective delivery of programs, operations, and strategic priorities. The role leads four direct reports—the Vice Presidents of Animal Care, Education & Guest Experience, Exhibitions, and Facilities—and oversees a team of more than 300 staff. The CAOO is accountable for the Aquarium’s on-site experience and for operating within allocated budget resources. The role will guide animal care, education programs, facilities, exhibits, and guest experiences, while driving integration and efficiency across divisions and fostering innovation and continuous learning. The CAOO will oversee a complex facilities portfolio and a capital program exceeding $40 million annually, and will ensure operations advance the Aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of the ocean.

Requirements

Exemplary senior management experience at a guest-facing organization, with corresponding complex financial oversight experience.
Successful oversight of major capital construction and deferred maintenance programs, including complex, aging institutional infrastructure.
Experience managing a multi-building real estate portfolio across diverse institutional functions.
Experience developing and implementing major education programs.
Collaborative leadership skills, including building effective teams, maximizing collaboration across workgroups, and commitment to continuous improvement.
Experience overseeing security and serving as a point of contact during crises.
Outstanding communication skills and the ability to ensure plans and decisions are understood throughout an organization.
Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, with a demonstrated record of fostering belonging and trust.
Strong emotional intelligence and ability to build trust and credibility with colleagues, board members, and external partners.
Comfort with ambiguity and institutional change, and ability to provide clarity and calm in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
Ability to work within and uphold Monterey Bay Aquarium’s core values of impact, integrity, innovation, equity, and hope.
Passion for the mission of Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in the public aquarium or zoo space.
Experience working in a union environment.

Responsibilities

Establish goals, accountability structures, and performance standards across divisions.
Oversee a significant and complex combined budget, stewarding resources responsibly while driving mission impact.
Lead development and implementation of institutional plans and priorities that balance programmatic and operational excellence.
Participate in Board of Trustees committees, including Programs, and support the CEO in planning and executing Board meetings and following up on Board direction.
Develop plans and organizational capacity to serve more than 2 million visitors annually.
Ensure exhibits, educational programming, and other visitor touchpoints reflect excellence, scientific accuracy, and conservation.
Lead an annual capital program exceeding $40 million across facilities and exhibits, overseeing exhibits from concept through opening and ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to high quality and safety standards.
Lead talent selection and retention across divisions and foster creativity, experimentation, continuous learning, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Provide executive oversight of the main Aquarium building and 18 additional buildings.
Partner with the Vice President of Facilities on long-range capital and deferred maintenance plans that protect physical assets and support animal care, operations, and programs.
Ensure on-site programs and operations advance the Aquarium’s conservation mission, including through education initiatives and conservation priorities in the visitor experience.
Build relationships across the organization, resolve challenges, leverage cross-divisional strengths, and promote alignment and efficiency.
Oversee security and emergency preparedness, including access control, surveillance, and coordination with local law enforcement as needed.
Serve as a key contact during emergencies, prioritizing guest, staff, and animal safety through clear command structures, tested contingency plans, and calm, transparent communication.
Help professional teams improve efficiency and effectiveness through continuous improvement and strategic problem solving.