Why Work Here

If we seem busy, it’s because we have 75 million years of work to do.

There is definitely a lot of work to do, but culture is megalodon-huge around here. At The Nat, you’ll have colleagues who rally behind our mission, stand up for the importance of biodiversity, know the power of teamwork and collaboration, and believe that everyone—from the front lines to behind the scenes—will do their best work when they feel respected and cared for. At the same time, we have fun and don’t take ourselves too seriously. We proudly put the eek in geek and are quick to crack jokes about pancake capybaras. Our jobs are just one part of who we are as people.

Here are some of the benefits we provide to back up those words.

Benefits when working at The Nat

Fostering wellness inside and out.

  • Comprehensive HMO and PPO medical plans
  • Dental and vision plans
  • Flexible spending accounts (Health, Dependent Care, and Commuter Bus and Transit)
  • Employee assistance program
  • Mental health and other wellness resources

Providing time to reenergize.

  • Robust holiday policy for all employees
  • Paid time off for all full-time employees and some part-time employees*

Investing for the future and covering the unexpected.

  • Retirement plan with employer match
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance
  • Basic life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance

Working in a beautiful park… plus additional perks and benefits.

  • Discounts of up to 15% throughout Balboa Park stores, restaurants, and cafes
  • Free entrance to all cultural institutions in Balboa Park (including the San Diego Zoo) and some outside of Balboa Park (like the Safari Park)
  • Free entrance to The Nat for employees and family
  • Free Nat membership—a special membership status for The Nat’s employees that includes various discounts and access to programs like the Big Exchange and ASTC reciprocity
  • Financial assistance for retirement-related education
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Employee referral program

Evolution is constant.

We are striving to improve our workplace and have several collaborative teams working towards that goal.

  • IDEA Team: A funded inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility committee helping drive systemic changes within the museum. See our current IDEA statement and plan.
  • BAT Team: Benefits and team building—so much room for activities! Beyond fun though, this committee also consults and develops ideas for additional employee benefits.
  • Programs like “Practice Your Spanish” monthly with the staff-led Translation Committee. Also, how does an employee Dungeons & Dragons club sound? (Sounds like a Nat 20 to us...!)
  • The Evolutionary Venture Fund: Funding for staff-driven innovation. Our internal venture fund invites staff members of all levels and departments to propose and lead new or unconventional ideas that further organizational goals.


* Part-time where the position is expected to work regularly at least 20 hours per week.

Want to learn more about us?

There are lots of ways to do so. Learn about our history and our plans for the future. Check out our annual reports and financials. See our executive leadership and also meet our scientists. Find out what projects we're up to in our latest blog posts. You can even follow up with us on platforms like LinkedIn.

Thinking about applying?

From a variety of admin needs to visitor services, education and field biology, collections management to grant-writing and development, there are all kinds of careers at The Nat. Interested in joining the team?

See job openings