Facility

Chehaw Park & Zoo / Flint RiverQuarium

Closing Date

Description

The Artesian Alliance is embarking on a period of improvement and growth as we implement a newly-imagined Vision and Master Plan for Chehaw Park & Zoo and Flint RiverQuarium. We have enrolled in AZA’s Pathway Toward Membership Program to confirm our commitment to achieving AZA accreditation.

We are looking for a motivated professional to lead our aquatic-animal husbandry team and ensure high standards of animal care, health and safety, quality control, and respectful workplace behavior. The ideal candidate will have a solid working knowledge of zoo and aquarium safety, aquatic-animal husbandry best practices, and AZA and government regulations. Advanced knowledge of life support systems and aquatic habitat design is preferred.

This leadership role requires a dedicated team player who is willing to make a significant commitment to the animals and staff to improve and maintain husbandry practices and mentor staff in the performances of these practices. This is a working supervisory role that will require some direct, hands-on animal care work.

Managers will share knowledge and skills across all Artesian Alliance animal facilities and will have opportunities to participate in programs at both Chehaw Park & Zoo and Flint RiverQuarium.

Successful candidates will benefit from Albany’s low cost of living and rich cultural heritage.
• http://choosealbany.com/community-profile/cost-of-living/
• https://visitalbanyga.com/

Basic Job Duties:
• Responsible for coordination and quality control of daily husbandry routines, team dynamics, animal well-being, public engagement, and tidiness of work and viewing areas
• Coordinate the tidiness, hygiene, and maintenance of animal enclosures, service areas, and viewing areas; oversee department projects and monitor work
• Lead in the training of husbandry staff on all husbandry related topics
• Process employee concerns and problems; provide functional assistance and guidance for staff in the care, maintenance, and display of collection animals
• Develop and write departmental policies and procedures, as recommended by AZA or as needed, to improve efficiency
• Responsible for ordering and coordinating delivery of feed and other supplies related to the daily management of the animal collection
• Supervise all animal capture and restraint events to optimize staff and animal safety
• Responsible for coordinating veterinary rounds
• Maintain familiarity with and awareness of applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures
• Actively renovate and improve exhibits by creating and implementing new design features; encourage staff to routinely renovate and improve exhibits

Education and Pre-requisites

• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• 2+ years of previous supervisory or leadership experience
• 5+ years of previous experience and/or training involving aquatic animal care, wildlife biology, or related field
• SCUBA dive certification or willingness and ability to obtain certification within 30 days of employment
• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license
• Advanced knowledge about exotic animal husbandry and captive management
• Basic knowledge of aquatic life support system design and aquatic exhibit design
• Basic computer skills; knowledge of Zoological Information Management Systems (ZIMS) preferred
• Must be able to lift 60 pounds and work outdoors in all weather conditions on a daily basis; must be able to tolerate strong odors, dust, hay, dander, and dampness; may be required to stand or sit for extended periods of time and/or to twist, bend, crouch, squat, climb, crawl, kneel, jump, swim, or carry objects for short distances; may be exposed to chemicals, fumes, odors, dust, moving mechanical parts, vehicles, and potentially dangerous animals
• Willingness to participate in staff vaccination program to prevent zoonotic disease transfer, scheduled as recommended by CDC; may include tetanus, TB skin test, rabies, Hepatitis A & B, Covid-19, Influenza; vaccinations may be provided to successful candidates

Compensation and benefits

Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $37000.00 – $40000.00 per year, based on experience
Benefits: paid time-off; Vision, Dental, and Health insurance programs; retirement plan; participation in staff vaccination program; relocation package available to eligible new hires

Application instructions

Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to ssassone@chehaw.org prior to August 22, 2022.