Responsible for the daily care and continuous improvement of welfare of an assigned group of captive animals, while contributing to conservation, education, science, and customer service.

Duties & Responsibilities

· Participates in the care of the collection, which may include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.

· Responsible for the cleaning exhibits and adjacent public areas of manure, unconsumed food, litter, poisonous plants, and foreign objects to insure sanitary and safe conditions. Maintains secure enclosures at all times by using latches and locks, and checking those to ensure animals cannot escape or people enter. 

· Monitors heating/cooling systems, records temperatures and humidity, makes minor repairs, uses power tools once trained,

uses landscape equipment and machinery once trained to remove leaves/snow, fabricates minor exhibits and enhancements to provide attractive, safe and comfortable exhibits for animals and guests.

· Participates in food preparation and feeding according to procedures, recording food intake and making notes on changes, making recommendations for diet changes based on food intake, behavior, and general appearance.

· Observes and reports animal behavior and appearance, including signs of illness or injury, aggression, breeding, births, egg laying, hatching, deaths. Maintains daily records and reports problems to their supervisor. 

· Continuously monitors, evaluates, and seeks to improve animal wellness. Develops objectives, strategies and tactics to enrich the animals. Provides approved items and methods in accordance with zoo policy. Conducts approved, and cooperates with existing, operant conditioning sessions to assess and improve animal wellness.

· May attend veterinarian on rounds through assigned area and medicate or treat animals as needed. Assists other staff in the crating, capturing and restraint of zoo specimens for medical procedures, training, treatment or animal transfers using appropriate techniques and equipment. 

· When applicable assists in the artificial incubation of eggs and hand-rearing of young by maintaining equipment and applying appropriate techniques to insure viability, health, and survival of eggs and hatchlings. 

· Acclimates animals to exhibits, stalls, chutes, crates, halters or perches for use in medical procedures, transfers, or educational demonstrations. Assist in capturing and restraining animals safely once trained.

· Positively engages with guests about animals, policies, programs and mission in informal conversations, formal keeper chats, area tours, encounters and interviews as required. 

· Identify and report safety issues, work order needs, near misses and incidents to their supervisor. Monitors laborers and contractors for animal safety and check animals and exhibits for signs of stress or safety hazards. 

· Shares skills and knowledge openly, trains and oversees new employees and volunteers with a positive attitude, affect and articulation. May mentor and assist in review of work performance and attendance of interns.

· Attends safety and keeper training, as well as other professional development opportunities, with approval.

· Participates in integrated pest control management as directed by the Pest Control Manager. May include, setting and clearing traps, reporting problem areas, and problem solving for exclusion. 

· As assigned by their supervisor, conducts and assists in research projects designed to improve animal care. 

· Responsible for sharing operational and/or procedural changes with coworkers and supervisors, and maintaining and submitting daily keeper reports, area charts, forms, enrichment calendars, ASRs/event reports, training logs to ensure consistent, and professional communications. Uses this information to compile reports as needed. 

· Inventories and submits requests for zoo equipment, supplies, feeds, and repair and maintenance materials, to their supervisor as needed. Ensures that supplies are properly rotated, labeled and stored. 

· Participates in departmental meetings and makes recommendations regarding husbandry, exhibition, and development of standards and procedures. May participate in committees with supervisor approval.

· May be assigned to work in any area of either zoo and perform related work as required and/or assigned.

Physical & Mental Demands

· Constantly moves about on foot from one animal area to another.

· Frequently raises/lowers, transports, and positions heavy objects weighing up to 50 pounds from truck to ground, from ground to barrels or pallets grasping with hands and arms, to maintain food stock and supplies.

· Frequently hoses, sweeps, scrubs, rakes, shovels, disinfects areas. Reaches, pushes, pulls and throws objects with hands such as to open and close doors/gates, or deliver food stuffs to animals at a distance. 

· Frequently uses good balance to climb, ascend/descend stairs and ladders, works atop rockwork, and traverses uneven or slippery exhibit terrain to clean enclosures and feed animals.

· Frequently stoops, kneels, or crouches to work, such as to clean, feed or observe animals. 

· Frequently converses with guests, co-workers and contractors to exchange accurate information for animal welfare, education and safety purposes. Must be able to inspect, detect and identify animal health and welfare concerns and safety issues using hearing (two-way radio). 

· Frequently inspects, detects and identifies animal health and welfare concerns and safety issues using, sight (including color identification to see blood in stools), and smell (to detect moldy food stuffs, change in stools, etc). 

· Flexibility and adaptability in dealing with high levels of responsibility, empathy, frustration and patience when it comes to the care of animals with basic needs, changes of schedule or responsibilities.

· Resilience and ability to prioritize sometimes competing tasks and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

· Ability to maintain positive and productive relationships with others, even when differing perspectives present potential for conflict. Ability to maintain composure and handle difficult situations with professionalism.

· Strong problem-solving skills to analyze issues and find effective solutions and alternatives.

· Critical thinking and decision-making abilities to handle complex situations.

· Empathy and emotional intelligence to understand and respond to the needs of colleagues or customers.

· Ability to cope with illness, injury, transfer or loss of animals.

Work Conditions

· Constantly working in outdoor climatic conditions including rain, extreme cold or heat, and humidity.

· Frequently working around loud, moving mechanical parts such as hydraulic doors, fans, pumps, heaters, etc. 

· Frequently working in close contact with a variety of animals with potential for injury. Exposed to animal noises, animal waste, dander, feathers, hay, dust, allergens and contagious diseases. 

· Frequently working around electric fencing, and using hand tools, machinery and company vehicles.

· Occasionally working in small, confined or cramped spaces.

· Frequently handling toxic and/or hazardous materials for cleaning enclosures and medicating animals. 

· Frequently working from an elevated position, wet, dirty and uneven surfaces.

Minimum Job Requirements

· High school or GED, preferred Bachelor’s degree or 2 years of experience working as an animal care professional.

· TB tested negative within the last 12 months before starting and tested regularly thereafter.

· Must have good oral and written communication skills to understand instructions and convey information of a technical nature.

· Must possess a valid drivers' license in good standing and be able to drive a full-size vehicle on public roads.

· Must have the ability to enhance the knowledge and skills needed to provide professional animal care.

· Must have the ability to work safely around dangerous animals, chemicals, and contagious diseases. 

· Must have the ability to function independently and as a member of a team.

· Must have no allergies, diseases, or conditions that would prevent working in any area of the Zoos. 

· Must have the ability and willingness to function independently and as a member of a team. 

· Must have the ability to work for extended periods in harsh climatic conditions.

· Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs and withstand physical hardships associated with duties, i.e. animal restraint. 

· Ability to use hand and small power tools. 

· Must be able and willing to work weekends, holidays, and overtime.

Zoo New England is an Equal Opportunity Employer by Choice

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