Assistant Curator of Animal Ambassadors
Denver Zoo is a leader in
animal care, wildlife conservation, education, and guest experience. We are
passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission to
secure a better world for animals through human understanding. We provide extraordinary
experiences every day for our animals and visitors and our core values of
Protect, Honor, Innovate, Serve, Engage, and Empower are evident in everything
we do. We
value the different strengths our staff bring to Denver Zoo. We expect our
staff to embrace and to commit to our core behaviors for engagement: Passion,
Respect, Innovation, Diversity, and Excellence.
Denver Zoo's Animal Care & Conservation Department has
an opportunity for a full time Assistant Curator of Animal Ambassadors, who
will ensure safe and innovative exhibition, handling, training and husbandry of
ambassador animal species at the zoo. This position oversees a variety of
taxonomic areas including invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds and
mammals. Programming in this area includes onsite and offsite educational and
guest experiences, free flight and other behavior based demonstrations, special
events, and media appearances.
Essential Functions:
- · Adheres to and promotes Denver Zoo’s mission, core values, and strategic
initiatives.
- ·
As needed, assist with curatorial and
animal care staff duties during absences in the area.
- ·
Develops and implements job specific
staff training. Mentor and guide animal
care staff towards continued professional development within the workgroup.
- ·
Ability to work in a fluid and flexible
manner and successfully address changes and challenges as they arise.
- ·
Recommends, implements, and coordinates
with zookeepers, curators, VP for Animal Care and other zoo personnel to
effectively manage husbandry and behavior programs in the animal care
department. Order supplies as needed for
area.
- ·
Provide leadership and guidance towards
innovative animal husbandry that is in compliance with AZA and USDA standards.
- ·
Plan, schedule, coordinate and assign
work and established goals and priorities for animal care staff, keeper
assistants and interns. Develops area
schedule for animal care staff, keeper assistants, and interns.
- ·
Implements area and zoo-wide safety
standards and works with area staff to develop procedures that ensure
compliance.
- ·
Coordinate veterinary procedures for
animals within your area including quarantine, outgoing and incoming shipments,
emergencies and normal care procedures.
- ·
Act as duty officer as needed. Acts as emergency supervisor during zoo
emergencies as stipulated in the emergency manual. May be a member of the emergency firearm
shoot team as required.
- ·
Professionally interface with other
Denver Zoo team members, zoo colleagues, media partners and other professional
organizations.
- ·
Participate in zoo-wide initiatives
such as committees, working groups, etc as needed or desired.
- ·
Interviews and selects staff including
volunteers, interns, keeper assistants and animal care staff that report
directly to this position and assists with other interviews as required.
- ·
Recognizes and addresses outstanding
performance by area team members.
- ·
Monitors and documents performance
evaluations for area staff. Provides
ongoing feedback regarding levels of performance and formally evaluates
employees in relation to performance.
Initiates and recommends disciplinary action for employees as
necessary. Responds to grievances within
or involving assigned areas.
- ·
Works with area curator to develop area
policies and procedures and provides implementation and interpretation of
policies and procedures to area animal care staff.
- ·
Provides input towards the development
of departmental budgets.
- ·
Participates in a variety of
professional meetings and activities such as SSP’s, studbooks, steering
committees, advisory groups, etc. Publishes work as necessary.
- ·
Participate in conservation, research
and educational programs as requested or desired.
- ·
Effectively communicates zoo-wide,
division and area information to assigned staff. Effectively communicate between division
staff including area staff, curators and the VP for Animal Care as well as
other Denver Zoo team members as needed.
- ·
Demonstrates a commitment to Denver Zoo’s Safety &
Sustainability Policies by adhering to all environmental, safety, & health
regulations, procedures, and goals.
- ·
Value and consistently apply Denver
Zoo's ROADMAP (Reaching Our Audiences by Developing Mission Aligned Programs)
process and resources in engaging and educating guests at Denver Zoo.
Additional Responsibilities:
·
Works weekends, holidays as assigned
and on occasion evenings, as needed.
·
Performs various duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- A bachelor degree in biology, zoology,
wildlife management or a related field.
- A minimum of five years’ experience as a zookeeper involving the
exhibition and husbandry of a variety of exotic animals in an AZA
accredited institution. Comparable facilities may be considered on a case
by case basis. Supervisory or lead
keeper experience is recommended. Some experience many be substituted for
education, education may be substituted for experience.
· Proven expertise in taxon specialty, research methods, public
interaction and interpersonal skills.
- Oral and written presentation skills. Competency in computer skills; word
processor, spread sheets, Internet and networks.
- Clear driving record.
Physical Demands:
The
physical demands for this position involves light lifting under 25lbs and also
requires carrying, pushing, pulling, and occasional heavy lifting up to 50lbs.
The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk and listen. The employee frequently is required to use
hands to maneuver handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to sit,
climb or balance; also, reach, stoop, kneel or smell. Specific vision abilities required include
close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception vision and ability to
adjust focus. Minimal crouching,
crawling, climbing, and non-confined sitting are also required. The position
requires both mental and visual concentration.
Work Environment:
This position
requires a substantial amount of contact with staff, volunteers, and other
departments. The
employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather
conditions and may be occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and
chemicals.
This employee will be required to have contact with animals and may be
exposed to zoonosis. The noise level in the work environment is usually
moderate.
Compensation and Benefits:
This is a regular full-time hourly position with
excellent benefits, including complete medical/dental/vision coverage, 403(b)
retirement plan, and a generous vacation package.
Completed
applications must be submitted by August 9, 2017
Denver Zoo
reserves the right to close the position prior to the above date.
Denver Zoo is an
Equal Opportunity Employer
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Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
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