Facility
Denver Zoo
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
Denver Zoo is a leader in animal care, wildlife conservation, education, and guest experience. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission to secure a better world for animals through human understanding. We provide extraordinary experiences every day for our animals and visitors and our core values of Protect, Honor, Innovate, Serve, Engage, and Empower are evident in everything we do. We value the different strengths our staff bring to Denver Zoo. We expect our staff to embrace and to commit to our core behaviors for engagement: Passion, Respect, Innovation, Diversity, and Excellence.
Denver Zoo’s Animal Care & Conservation Department has an opportunity for a full time Animal Care Staff for Animal Ambassadors, who will ensure safe and innovative exhibition, handling, training and husbandry of ambassador animal species at the zoo. This position advances Denver Zoo’s mission and goals by assisting in the daily operations of the Animal Ambassador Collection of live animals including husbandry for a variety of taxonomic areas including invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. The position also participates in presentations, and training staff and volunteers on animal handling. Programming in this area includes onsite and offsite educational and guest experiences, free flight and other behavior based demonstrations, special events, and media appearances.
Essential Functions:
• Adheres to and promotes Denver Zoo’s mission, core values, and strategic initiatives.
• Program Area Support: Works as a team to develop, implement, manage, and evaluate all aspects of animal care, including husbandry, training, and enrichment for the Animal Ambassadors collection.
• Animal Care and Husbandry: Prepares diets, feeds animals, monitors animal weight, and administers medications; cleans enclosures and observes animals; evaluates and manages appropriate animal nutrition through collaboration with animal staff; coordinates animal medical care and works with veterinarians and nutritionists for medical procedures and issues.
• Maintenance of Physical Spaces: Maintains physical spaces of animal housing areas and non-animal spaces according to OSHA and USDA requirements; maintain supplies for the area including food, enrichment items, and protective clothing.
• Record-keeping: Supports all aspects of record keeping, protocols, and calendars regarding animal husbandry, training, enrichment, and animal usage.
• Animal Training and Enrichment: Effectively and efficiently train a variety of animals for husbandry and program purposes using operant conditioning techniques and positive reinforcement; provides enrichment opportunities to keep animals stimulated; communicates progress with the assistant curator.
• Staff and Volunteer Animal Handling Training: Assists with staff and volunteer animal handling training; supports the Animal Handling Program by scheduling, tracking, and recording animal use.
• Animal Programs: Conduct animal demonstrations for on-site classes and programs, off-site outreach, events, media appearances, and other educational programs; lead area tours of the Animal Ambassadors collection; work effectively with other staff to determine animal usage in various programs.
• Team Support: Assists with the hiring of seasonal staff; works as a team to foster a positive, productive atmosphere; actively participates in team meetings; helps supervise and train new staff and volunteers.
• Communication: Works proactively to problem-solve with staff and teams, cross-department zoo staff, and volunteers through emails, meetings, and phone calls.
• Animal Transactions: Assists with animal transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, and quarantine procedures as needed.
• Demonstrates a commitment to Denver Zoo’s Safety & Sustainability Policies by adhering to all environmental, safety, & health regulations, procedures, and goals.
• Value and consistently apply Denver Zoo’s ROADMAP (Reaching Our Audiences by Developing Mission Aligned Programs) process and resources in engaging and educating guests at Denver Zoo.
Additional Responsibilities:
• Participates in animal information meetings, animal handlers and mentors meetings, and area safety tours.
• Assists Marketing Department by making media appearances as needed.
• Assist the Animal Department on all animal escape and emergency procedures.
• Supports a variety of other education programs, including classes, workshops, outreach, and other science program.
• Participates in and provides support for zoo activities including: special events, Free Days, professional development opportunities, volunteer hiring and training.
• Serves on committees and projects as requested.
• Represents the Denver Zoo to the community in a professional and positive manner.
• Complies with all zoo policies and performs other supportive duties as needed.
• Performs various duties as assigned.
Education and Pre-requisites
Qualifications:
• Four-year degree in Biology, Zoology, Environmental Education, Education or related field preferred; or Associates degree and commensurate experience.
• Two years of full time animal care and handling experience at an AZA accredited institution preferred.
• Strong public presentation skills.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Enjoy working with children and the public.
• Strong interest in conservation and environmental education.
• Outstanding written and oral communications.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems efficiently and the ability to make quick decisions during animal emergencies.
• Outstanding diplomatic skills.
• Ability to function and provide leadership in a multi-task environment, both independently and in a team.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Clear driving record.
Licensure and Certification:
• Possession of a valid Colorado Class “R” Driver’s License within three months of hiring.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands for this position involves light lifting under 25lbs and also requires carrying, pushing, pulling, and occasional heavy lifting up to 50lbs. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk and listen. The employee frequently is required to use hands to maneuver handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance; also, reach, stoop, kneel or smell. Specific vision abilities required include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception vision and ability to adjust focus. Minimal crouching, crawling, climbing, and non-confined sitting are also required. The position requires both mental and visual concentration.
Work Environment:
This position requires a substantial amount of contact with staff, volunteers, and other departments. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions and may be occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and chemicals. This employee will be required to have contact with animals and may be exposed to zoonosis. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Compensation and benefits
This is a regular full-time hourly position with excellent benefits, including complete medical/dental/vision coverage, 403(b) retirement plan, and a generous vacation package.
Application instructions
Completed applications must be submitted by November 6, 2017
Denver Zoo reserves the right to close the position prior to the above date.
Denver Zoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Please apply through www.denverzoo.org