A nonprofit with a mission is to engage people in the wonders of the living world through personal encounters with animals, fostering empathy and lifelong support for conservation of wildlife and wild places, is seeking to hire a Director of Animal Staff Operations to join its team. The Director of Animal Staff Operations is responsible for providing coverage for all animal areas as needed, supervising the Relief Keeper team, and working with the General Curator on team building and department operations. They report directly to the General Curator.

Primary Function:

• Supervise the Relief Keeper team and coordinate their schedules to meet department needs.
• Work with Area Managers to recruit animal care staff.
• Provide tertiary coverage for all animal areas in absence of Area Manager and Back Up Manager.
• Provide department coverage in the absence of curatorial level staff.
• Work with General Curator on team building and fostering a positive and inclusive work environment within the Animal Department.
• Actively uphold and work to further the goals of the department’s behavior management programs.
• Participate in the company’s welfare assessment program.
• Provide operational support for the department as needed, including with keeper and manager training, payroll, and red key duties.
• Represent the Company at events and in the media as needed.
• Assist in establishing and enforcing the organization’s rules, regulations, and policies.
• Support the guest experiences and mission
• Assist in AZA-sanctioned programs.
• Remain on call 24 hours a day or designate an alternate when not available.
• Participate on the Animal Recapture Team and maintain qualifications to handle and operate firearms according to Company policy.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Adhere to all policies and procedures of the Company.

Communication (Internal and External):

• Represent the zoo to guests, donors, Company community associates, and the general public.
• Communicate effectively throughout the department and other divisions of the Company regarding zoo-wide information.
• Provide answers to the publics’ questions concerning the animals or Company operations.
• Communicate the daily concerns, ongoing issues, and regular information to the General Curator.
• Produce periodic reports for the General Curator.
• Represent the department at internal and external meetings.
• Maintain department records as required by AZA standards.

Management of Resources (financial, human resources, facilities):

• Motivate and mentor area supervisors and their staff to excel in their fields.
• Motivate and lead a high-performance area management team; attract, recruit, and retain required keeper staff and area managers.
• Assist in developing and implementing a staff training program that provides opportunities for staff to grow and learn within their profession.
• Assign tasks to area supervisors in coordination with the General Curator.
• Assist Area Managers annual employee evaluations for animal staff.
• Participate in counseling, coaching and discipline of department staff.
• Assist the General Curator with inter-divisional interactions, budget management, and other duties so as to maintain familiarity and all aspects of division operation.
• Serve and support the division as a representative of assigned areas.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s of Science degree in Zoology, Biology, Wildlife Management, or animal related sciences; and Masters in Zoology, Biology, Wildlife Management, or animal sciences is preferred.
• Three to five years’ experience working with a zoological or private animal collection, demonstrated supervisory ability; Three to five years’ experience in the direct management and collection planning of animal collections in a zoological setting; Working knowledge of animal husbandry; and Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to work with a wide variety of individuals from ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds; Extremely well-organized; Strong leadership, communication, mentoring, time management, interpersonal and follow-up skills; and, Self-directed, collaborative and detail oriented.
• Must be able to operate a variety of machines and equipment including telephone,  two-way radios, motor vehicles, electric golf carts, hand tools, animal restraint and capture equipment, firearms, gardening/carpentry tools, power equipment, e.g., leaf blower, weed eater, lawn mower,  or power washer and computer equipment, scales, transponder reader, digital thermometers and water chemistry equipment; Must be proficient with a word processing and spread sheet program (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel).
• Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, 25 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects; Physical demands are in excess of those for sedentary work; must be able to remain on feet for periods of time, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, push, pull, climb, balance; Must be able to travel large areas of the Zoo as needed; Must be able to work in an outdoor weather environment in all seasons and weather, including heat/humidity, cold temperatures, and/or wet conditions; Must be able to lift and/or carry weights of up to 75 pounds and climb a ladder; Exposure to potential environmental hazards such as poison oak/ivy, uneven terrain, and insect bites/stings. Exposure to zoonotic diseases and risk of animal attack; and TB test and physical required.

Pay:  DOE

Benefits: Benefit package included.

Schedule:  Full-time

Zip code: 21217

Job ID: # 10786DASO