Animal Care Specialist

Responsibilities

• Maintain clean and safe animal enclosures, support spaces, and related visitor areas.
• Perform water chemistries and testing and maintain water filtration (life support) for aquatic species.
• Monitor animal welfare daily, assure annual Welfare Assessments are completed on each animal in one’s Focus Area, and work with Animal Care Leadership on implementation of agreed upon changes.
• Always demonstrate adherence to all Museum and Animal Care Team safety and security requirements, processes, and procedures.
• Contribute to the veterinary care of animals under the guidance of our veterinary team, by providing treatments, restraint, quality observation, and monitoring of animals.
• Prepare food for and feed animals, including assisting with unloading and stocking of deliveries, and notifying Manager about inventory needs.
• Contribute information on animal feeding habits to improve diet and health of animals.
• Develop creative and varied enrichment strategies for the animals as well as provide a positive visitor experience.
• Gather and offer browse, following the Museum’s Browse Program.
• Contribute to the repairs and improvement of animal enclosures, exhibits, guest spaces, and support areas.
• Develop and present daily programs for visitors, both scheduled and impromptu, as well as support Animal Handlers, and animal programming needs for events as asked. Programming topics may be varied, but should always be mission focused, using science as a way of knowing.
• Participate in operant conditioning procedures and practices, for husbandry and veterinary purposes, including serving as trainer for animal(s) as assigned, appropriately documenting all training sessions, and actively working to improve techniques through work with Manager, coworkers and approved outside experts.
• Manage and mentor adult and youth animal care volunteers and interns as well as group projects.
• Assist in the training of new Animal Care Team members, as approved by Animal Care Leadership.
• Record statistics and information on animal behavior, health, medical, treatments, and feedings as well as habitat conditions, daily program numbers, and any other pertinent information
• Act as informational resource regarding animals and other Museum information for the visitors, staff, volunteers, and public. This could include sharing photos with marketing, developing content and posting to the Museum’s social media platforms or representing animal care with the media.
• Participate in emergency response that may or may not relate to the animal care team as well as regular emergency drills.
• Respond to requests to mitigate human-wildlife interactions on Museum grounds.
• Engage with Museum visitors in a positive and helpful way to support an enjoyable and safe guest experience.
• Prioritize the Museum’s values of inclusion and kindness in all interactions with staff, volunteers, professional colleagues, and guests, both on grounds as well as when representing the Museum at off-site activities.

Qualifications

                                Required                                                                                        Desired