Facility
The Living Desert
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
The Living Desert is seeking qualified candidates to join our Animal Care Team as an Animal Care Keeper – Nutrition Center. This is a key, visible leadership position that requires a motivated, dedicated team player who is willing to make a significant commitment to the organization. This requires an enthusiastic individual with strong organizational skills, decision making skills and task management skills while demonstrating ability to work effectively with all levels of staff.
Successful candidates will have strong task management, organized, detail oriented and able to work in a constantly changing atmosphere.
Position Summary:
Reports to Animal Care Curator. This position will be focused in the nutrition center. Tasks will be daily diet preparations, daily maintenance and cleanliness of the nutrition center, stocking and ordering supplies and food, and overseeing nutrition center volunteers and interns. In addition, this position may require assistance in animal areas and learning and implementing operant training and enrichment techniques. This position will be expected to do keeper chats and guest engagement activities.
Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• General knowledge of zoo animal husbandry and observational skills.
• Responsible for daily diet preparation and daily stocking and maintaining food supplies.
• Responsible for maintaining USDA standards of cleanliness and order in the commissary.
• Responsible for maintaining professional working relationships with vendors.
• Responsible for ordering supplies and food with vendors and keeping management informed of shortages.
• Able to train staff, volunteers and interns on commissary duties in a positive and nurturing manner.
• Excellent guests service and communication skills for effective & engaging public speaking; Gives knowledgeable and engaging tour/talks for guests, staff and donors.
• May assist with the daily behavioral husbandry, operant conditioning and enrichment of animal collection as needed.
• Contribute and maintain a safe, positive and productive workplace environment for animals, guests and staff.
• Able to establish and maintain effective and professional working relations with co-workers and other department personnel, and to do so in accordance with The Living Desert Employee Handbook.
• Familiar with USDA & AZA regulations & complying with them.
• Provides assistance to other departments as needed.
• Other related responsibilities as necessary to accomplish department objectives.
Working Conditions:
• Standing, walking, twisting, climbing, crawling, kneeling, reaching motions, lifting (up to 50#)
• Exposure to extreme heat, chemicals and dust/airborne materials.
• Works with potentially dangerous animals (large ungulates, carnivores, venomous snakes)
• Holiday, evening, weekend work required. Available on as needed basis for emergencies and events.
• Travel opportunities for conferences, workshops and/or conservation projects as appropriate. Some or all expenses paid.
Education and Pre-requisites
Minimum Qualifications:
• AA, AS or higher degree in Zoology, Biology, Animal Science or other related degree and at least one year of exotic animal experience. Bachelor degree preferred.
• Experience with animal training and public presentations a plus.
• Will substitute training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skill, and abilities. Generally, one year of full time exotic animal experience will translate to one year of college.
• Valid California driver license.
• Must be insurable on The Living Desert’s automobile policy.
Compensation and benefits
$15.26/hr
Paid Time Off (PTO) is accrued at a rate of .769 days per pay period which is equivalent to twenty (20) days on an annual basis. In addition to PTO you will receive seven (7) paid sick days on an annual basis. Your paid sick time for your first year will be pro-rated from your date of hire and then earned every July 1st thereafter.
The Living Desert offers to its employees: Health, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance that is either paid in full or significantly subsidized by the organization. We also offer voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term Disability Insurance and Flexible Spending Accounts. You are eligible to participate in our insurance programs the first day of the month following thirty days of employment.
We also offer a 401(k) Plan to our eligible employees. You are eligible to participate in this plan after six months of employment. A one-time annual discretionary match of up to 2% of your annual wages may be available to you on the last day of the fiscal year and paid after that time in the same calendar year.
Application instructions
To apply for this position: Qualified applicants must send resume, three (3) references and cover letter to Christine Montgomery, Animal Care Curator at animalcaremanagers@livingdesert.org. Please put “nutrition keeper” in the subject line. Cover letter should include how you will be key in moving the Animal Department forward and how you will move The Living Desert mission forward. Deadline for submissions: August 15th 2019, 5p.m. (PDT)