Facility

Ellen Trout Zoo

Closing Date

Description

Welcome to Ellen Trout Zoo! We are a small but growing and innovative facility located near the major metropolitan areas of East Texas. Our institution emphasizes a excellence in veterinary care, conservation programs, animal welfare and community involvement.

As part of the Herpetology team you will have the chance to work with a large variety of species. The Komodo Dragon, large American Alligators, and Galapagos Tortoises are a few that call the Herp section home. Snake species include a large variety of venomous including Naja, Crotalus, Bothrops, Agkistrodon, and Trimeresurus. There are also non-venomous snakes, lizards, turtles/tortoises, invertebrates, amphibians, as well as some birds and mammals.

The right candidate for this position should have a strong work ethic and be team oriented with the ability to follow established zoo protocols in providing outstanding animal care. As a representative for the zoo and a city employee they must maintain a professional presence and positive attitude at all times. This position supports the area supervisor and fills in during the supervisor’s absence.

Functions and qualities:
• Responsible for the daily observation of animal health and welfare.
• Preparation of animal diets, feeding and watering according to an established schedule. Clean, disinfect and sanitize water and food dishes.
• Clean and disinfect animal enclosures, holding areas, and exhibit features; drain and clean pools; collect and dispose of refuse.
• Maintain on and off exhibit aesthetics (planters, yards, perches, other exhibit “furniture”, etc.). Maintain live exhibit plantings to enhance exhibit aesthetics for visitors and provide a comfortable habitat for animals.
• Maintain clean and organized animal enclosures, equipment, and keeper areas.
• Maintain water quality through filtration, appropriate chemicals, and sanitation methods for aquatic and semi-aquatic animals.
• Physical aspects of the job include: lifting logs, rocks, hay bales, and feed bags.
• Perform minor repairs and improvements to enclosures.
• Maintain and inspect area of responsibility to meet AZA and USDA standards.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Report births, deaths, injuries and/or abnormal behavior of animals to supervisor.
• Assist with husbandry and veterinary procedures.
• Maintain daily reports, logs, veterinary records, and other records as assigned.
• Carry out duties and tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Education and Pre-requisites

Requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Animal Science, Zoology or related field; or a combination of education and professional experience to provide the desired level of proficiency.

If you are excited about working with a diverse collection or herping in the East Texas Forests but are not sure you have the necessary experience, apply and show us your interest and your background; we’ll see if we have a fit for you.

Compensation and benefits

This is a full-time position with excellent benefits and opportunities for professional growth and development. The position involves working on weekends and holidays. The position is exempt for overtime. Employees are required to contribute 7% (pre-tax) to the retirement fund.

Starting salary is $30,766.58 /year.

Application instructions

To be considered, you must submit resume, cover letter, and completed application. Applications are available for download at http://cityoflufkin.com/hr/jobs.htm.

Mail these three documents to:
Human Resources Department at Lufkin City Hall
300 E. Shepherd Suite 226
Lufkin, TX 75901
Or fax to 936-633-0408.

Candidates must be able to be present for onsite interviews.