Facility

Wolf Park

Closing Date

Description

JOB SUMMARY
This is a senior-level position in animal care, following established protocols to provide outstanding care for the animals in our charge. Animal Care Supervisors act as team leaders and provide crucial guidance and training to Animal Care Staff, Interns, and Volunteer to participate in training, husbandry, enrichment, and to work collaboratively to improve animal welfare.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Animal Care Supervisors are required to be “Welfare Checks” cleared and will be required to be cleared for free contact with all ambassador animals and species with time given to develop relationships with individual animals, except in cases of illness or injury.
In coordination with the Head Curator and other Animal Care Supervisors, lead a team of Animal Care Staff, Interns, and Volunteers to provide overall daily care of Wolf Park animals and exhibits to ensure animal health, safety and welfare, staff and public safety as set forth by USDA, Indiana DNR, ZAA, and Wolf Park as follows:
Observe and monitor animals’ general health and behavior, reporting any abnormal behavior to the Head Curator and/or veterinarian.
Prepare and provide food for animals, following written instructions, provide water and administer medication as instructed to ensure proper nutrition and health.
Clean animal enclosures, food prep areas, and equipment, maintaining a high level of sanitation, and reporting any mechanical defects that would endanger the animals, staff, and/or guests.
Achieve the highest standards of animal welfare and wellness by providing environmental enrichment and training sessions, using operant conditioning, as applicable.
Develops compliance check systems such as temperature logs and environmental scans.
Prepare and update animal records, reports and surveys, assisting in research projects as necessary.
Provides supervision for volunteers, interns, and part-time staff involved in animal care, from through-the-fence to free contact. This includes planning for regular skill checks and refresher training.
Act as an assigned mentor to interns and volunteers responsible for counseling, coaching, and ensuring follow up on assigned intern/volunteer goals.
Evaluates clearances and communicates skills to be practiced and developed.
Perform general maintenance and repair of exhibits.
Actively encourage interest in wildlife through positive interaction with zoo guests via public programs, webinars, and seminars focused on Wolf Park’s three-part mission of Research, Conservation, and Education.
Follow all safety protocols and understand the Animal Care Staff’s role in emergency procedures, and responding to emergencies as required.
Assist with the beautification of our park by removing trash and debris whenever you see it
As part of the Animal Care Leadership Team, in conjunction with the Head Curator and other Animal Care Supervisors:
Develops and maintains written training plans for each ambassador animal or species that define desired outcomes, methods, evaluation, and determinants of success.
Develops and maintains training plans for staff, interns, and volunteers that will be involved in animal husbandry and/or training at various levels, from protected to free contact.
Defines and schedules training sessions.
Creates and maintains documentation on training using Animal Care Software and Volgistics to track progress and compliance.
Ensures all programs involving ambassador animals meet welfare standards set forth by the USDA, Indiana DNR, and Wolf Park guidelines.
Identifies program support staffing needs and coordinates with the Head Curator.
Maintains supply, medical, and food inventories.
Coordinates volunteer groups to work on priority projects.
Develops compliance check systems such as temperature logs and environmental scans in order to document compliance and gaps.
Participate in or assist with the capture and restraint of a variety of taxa including dangerous species.
Interact positively and professionally with Wolf Park staff, interns, and volunteers.
Participate in and support park wide initiatives, committees, and work groups.
Participate in and lead various Wolf Park committees.
Other duties as assigned.

Cross-Training Expectations:
Operations: Due to the size of our staff and our reliance on interns and volunteers to complete many day-to-day operations, all Wolf Park staff are required to help with daily operational duties as needed and maintain the same training standards as an operations volunteer/ intern.
Guest Relations: All Wolf Park staff will receive training to provide basic coverage of the Visitor Center.
Education: The Education & Advocacy Coordinator must be willing to serve as a docent for any public program.

Education and Pre-requisites

Bachelor’s degree preferred. Experience with free contact of captive large carnivores required.
Experience with positive reinforcement, science-based training methods, and applied behavior analysis preferred. Strong writing and public speaking skills necessary. Management experience, including supervision of subordinates and development of new programs, required. Must have weekend and evening availability.

Compensation and benefits

$36,300 per year. Benefits include health insurance, group life insurance, retirement savings matching program, and paid time off. 1.0 FTE

Application instructions

To apply: Email your resume or CV to jobs@wolfpark.org with “Animal Care Supervisor” in the subject line.