General Curator
The Indianapolis Zoo
is a national leader of animal conservation and is an AZA accredited
institution. We’re located on a 64 acre campus in the heart of vibrant downtown
Indianapolis, and a top tourist destination in the affordable and friendly
Midwest. In addition to our animal exhibits, gardens, and aquarium, we support
local and international animal conservation efforts. The Indianapolis Zoo is a
private, 501(c)(3) organization.
The charge of the
Life Sciences Department is to: 1) manage a living collection of animals and
plants in support of the institution’s mission; 2) provide extraordinary
husbandry care, enrichment and welfare for specimens within the living
collection; 3) integrate and coordinate exchange of information and services
with other departments to assure optimal care of the specimens in the living
collection and achievement of the institution’s goals and objectives; 4)
further the knowledge and understanding of species within the living
collection; and, 5) maintain and reinforce a culture of continual improvement.
The General Curator
of Life Sciences will reports to the Supervising VP of Conservation, Science,
and Education, and lead a team of curatorial and support staff in the
development of zoological and botanical programs that represent best practices
in living collections management. The General Curator directly supervises the
Curatorial staff and the Registrar.
The programs will be
widely recognized for their innovation and scholarship. In that regard, it is
imperative that the General Curator of Life Sciences has strong credentials in
the biological, behavioral or other related disciplines. The General Curator of
Life Sciences will be an active, highly visible presence in the local community
in promoting the Zoo’s mission, and in developing and strengthening strategic
alliances with other partners. The position works directly with other senior
Zoo staff. Strong leadership, organizational, negotiation and motivational
skills are required of the position.
The duties and
responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
1. Works
closely with the VP of Veterinary Services, Associate Veterinarians,
Nutritionist and Curators to ensure the health and well-being of the animal
collection.
2. Provides
technical input and serves as a resource for the creation of policies that
relate to the living collection.
3. Develops
departmental procedures in conjunction with veterinary and curatorial staff,
and ensures compliance with protocols.
4. Creates
metrics for measuring the quality of animal care, advancements in animal care,
and impact on animal well-being.
5. Creates
and fosters a culture of safety in all areas of Life Sciences.
6. Provides
direct supervision of curatorial staff and administrative support staff,
including: hiring, scheduling, job assignment, performance review, and
mentoring. Coordinates any disciplinary action with the Human Resources
Department as appropriate.
7. Develops,
in conjunction with the Supervising VP an annual business plan for all areas of
Life Sciences, including clearly articulated goals, objectives, action plans,
timelines, resource assignments, budgets, and risk analysis.
8. Works
directly with the Finance Department in monitoring Life Sciences Department
revenue and expense accounts, and ensures Life Sciences staff compliance in
adhering to all protocols.
9. With
input from the Supervising VP and curatorial staff, develops, implements, and
communicates a management plan for the zoological collection (including species
selection, reproduction, contraception, and transactions) that optimizes the
well-being of individuals and populations, as well as genetic and demographic
management, and to meet the institution’s exhibition and guest experience
goals.
10. With
input from the Supervising VP and the Horticulture Curator, develops,
implements and communicates a management plan for the botanical collection that
meet the institution’s exhibition and guest experience goals.
11. Participates
in oversight of planning, construction and maintenance projects for animal
facilities and enclosures.
12. Identifies
and develops plans for gathering data needed in the care of the collection.
13. Works
with Guest Services and Marketing with respect to exhibition, visitor
experience and special functions.
14. Works
closely with Institutional Advancement staff in seeking and securing external
funding in support of institutional goals.
15. Supervises
the Registrar to ensure that animal record systems meet all regulatory
requirements and accreditation standards, and provide integrated and accessible
data. Analyzes data to identify trends in the zoological collection.
16. Works
with the Horticulture Curator to ensure that botanical records meet
accreditation standards.
17. Works
with the Registrar to ensure that all Life Sciences licenses and permits are
secured and maintained for all aspects of housing, exhibiting and transporting
animals or plants in the Collection.
18. Closely
monitors regulatory trends that impact either the zoological or botanical
collection on the international, national, state and local levels.
19. Ensures
that Life Sciences operations, policies and procedures meet or exceed the
current accreditation standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and
the American Association of Museums.
20. Ensures
that the Zoo has an appropriate presence on and participation in national and
international programs for the captive breeding of species, including
designating staff to serve roles as institutional representatives, studbook
keepers.
21. Oversees
Compliance and Regulatory requirements of the Collections division.
Physical work in the
biomes may occur on occasion, including climbing while maintaining body
equilibrium. Although limited, the General Curator must be able to work
outdoors and indoors under all environmental conditions.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Minimum
of ten (10) years experience with or knowledge of similar work required.
2. Minimum
of four (4) years practical, direct work experience in a zoo (or similar
animal/mammal research care organization) required.
3. A
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a related field (Biology,
Zoology, Animal Science, Wildlife Biology, or other life-science field) is
required. An advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred.
4. Demonstrated
strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills – both verbal
and written;
5. Demonstrated
experience in setting and achieving goals, project management, and handling
multiple complex tasks.
6. Proven
ability to lead, manage, and motivate subordinate employees.
7. Proven
ability to work well with a wide variety of people that in this position will
include executive management, community leaders, work colleagues and direct
reports, and community volunteers.
8. Must
be temperamentally suited to working with animals.
9. Demonstrated
proficiency with computers including: Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, Project, and SharePoint software.
The Zoo offers a
competitive benefit package (medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 403b;
generous Paid Time Off) upon 90 days of continuous employment. Compensation is
commensurate with experience.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
The application
deadline for this position is November 4, 2015.
In addition to
completing the on-line application, interested candidates must attach:
• a
cover letter, including compensation requirements
• the
names of, and up-to-date contact information for, three (3) professional
references
Finalists for this
role must provide college/university transcripts.
To help ensure
receipt of your online application, we recommend applicants use a computer
running Windows XP or higher, with at least Internet Explorer 8, Google Chrome,
or Safari.
Candidates must
apply online. A cover letter and résumé may be attached to the online
application. In the “Position Desired” section of the application, please put
“General Curator.”
Employment is
contingent upon the successful completion of pre-employment training, drug
testing, criminal history checks and a BMV check.
The Indianapolis Zoo
is a drug-free/smoke-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer.
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