Facility

EcoTarium

Closing Date

Description

Do you have a passion for animal care? A passion for educating others about animals? If you do, we have a Lead Animal Keeper role at the EcoTarium waiting for you!

The Leader Animal Keeper, reporting to the Zoological Manager, serves as an assistant manager of the EcoTarium’s keeper team and works in all areas of animal husbandry including feeding, cleaning, record keeping, training and enrichment, behavioral observations, and exhibit maintenance for all of the museum’s live animals. Our diverse animal collection includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

The Leader Animal Keeper needs to have a commitment to providing a safe and efficient working environment for staff, volunteers, guests and wildlife. There are also opportunities to participate in formal and informal presentations to guests as well as participating in the development of conservation and education initiatives.

In this role you will:
•Assist with supervision of 3-4 keeper staff, volunteers and interns
•Serve as secondary point of contact for contract veterinarians
•Provide daily care and maintenance of wildlife, including but not limited to diet preparation, exhibit cleaning and repair, capture and restraint, and medical care
•Conduct behavioral observations, provide enrichment and daily training of animals utilizing operant conditioning necessary for husbandry care and stimulation
•Provide a lead role in the day to day operations of department in the absence of the Curator of Living Collections
•Assist with over site of dangerous animals in collection and act as Capture Coordinator in the absence of Curator
•May be assigned as a point of contact for intra-departmental projects, programs, and communication in tandem with Curator or independently
•Maintain current knowledge of practices on handling, basic training, and programming in the collection, including attending professional development and trainings on behalf of the EcoTarium
•Mentor and train new staff, current staff, and volunteer
•Assist keepers with reaching established annual goals
•Implement and maintain safety protocol, cleaning protocol, and program policies with guidance from Curator of Wildlife
•Train volunteers and interns in daily animal care, behavioral observations, and public education
•Maintain daily files and records on animals
•Work with team to identify opportunities to educate guests on conservation issues
•Perform all physical aspects of the job, including shoveling snow, raking and hauling mulch, etc.
•Present formal and informal wildlife programs to the general public and groups, at the museum and off-site, and interact with guests to answer questions

Education and Pre-requisites

Requirements of the job:
•Four-year degree in biology, psychology, animal science or related field
•At least 3 years of experience and knowledge in working with captive animals in a zoological setting
•Experience managing staff in any setting for at least 2 years preferred
•Experience with operant conditioning and enrichment techniques
•Experience in general plumbing, aquatic systems, or mechanical repair highly desirable
•Experience in exhibitory techniques: design, maintenance and repair
•Must be able to work flexible hours including weekends, holidays and occasional nights.
•Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force to lift, push, pull, carry, or otherwise move objects
•Must be able to climb a 5-foot ladder
•Must be able to work outdoors in all seasons and weather conditions
•Works with rabies vector species, must be rabies vaccinated within 3 months of employment

As successful candidate will have:
•Good communication skills, an enthusiasm for interacting with the public and a willingness to give regular talks to visitors, special groups, etc.
•Excellent observation skills and attention to detail
•Must be able to function as a team member and support the EcoTarium’s mission
•Possess basic writing and computer skills to complete reports and other written work as required
•Must be dependable and demonstrate flexibility regarding work schedules
•Excellent internal and external customer service skills
•Knowledge of the following is preferred:
o ZIMS, Species 360
o Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point
o Hand and power tools
o John Deere and Kubota utility vehicles

Compensation and benefits

Hourly rate $20.00
Health & Dental Insurance
Life & Accidental Dismemberment Insurance
Long Term Disability
Short Term Disability
403(B) Tax Deferred Retirement Plan
Vacation, Holidays, Sick Time Off
Employee Assistance Program
Museum Membership
Store Discounts
Partner Museum Program – access & discounts to participating partners

Application instructions

Please apply to our website job posting:

Lead Animal Keeper