What are the responsibilities and job description for the Ambassador Animal Program Supervisor position at Audubon Institute?
Job Description
Job Description
Position Title : Ambassador Animal Program Supervisor
Department : Learning & Engagement
Reports To : Ambassador Animal Program Manager
Location : Audubon Zoo
Position Type : Full-time
Who We Are
Audubon Nature Institute comprises Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and Audubon Wilderness Park.
At Audubon Nature Institute, we are more than a collection of parks, museums, and conservation centers—we are a dedicated team with a shared mission to celebrate, protect, and connect people to the wonders of nature. Our work is guided by our culture code, which is at the heart of everything we do. We believe in Activating Impact by integrating tangible, real-world outcomes into all our initiatives, fostering a culture where every action contributes to a positive environmental impact. We are committed to Empowering Optimism, using positivity to inspire others to act and believe in their capacity to create meaningful change. We strive to Create Connection by engaging with people from all walks of life, knowing that the collective strength of a diverse community can address the most pressing challenges facing our natural world. At Audubon, we embody the spirit of Le Bon Temps, infusing the joy and vibrant culture of Louisiana into our everyday work, celebrating our unique heritage while advancing our mission. As Leaders of the Pack, we constantly seek smarter, innovative solutions, challenging conventions to drive the change we want to see in the world.
What You’ll Do
The Ambassador Animal Program Supervisor (“Supervisor”) is a key member of the Learning & Engagement (L&E) Team and is responsible for supporting and supervising the overall daily care and management of the Ambassador Animal program at Audubon Zoo under the guidance of the Ambassador Animal Program Manager. With guidance and input from the Director of Engagement, the Ambassador Animal Program leadership team works in close collaboration and partnership with the Zoo Engagement Program leadership team to ensure we maintain a cohesive and effective system to deliver engaging programming with our ambassador animals while providing an excellent level of animal welfare.
The main responsibilities of this position are daily oversight of a team of Ambassador Animal Care Specialists, interns and volunteers (including scheduling, training, coaching and support), partaking in daily husbandry, animal training and behavior management for the Ambassador collection, and coordinating animal scheduling, usage and analytics. As a leader on the Ambassador Animal team, the Supervisor will provide leadership and support to the team including but not limited to payroll, staff scheduling and communication, coaching and feedback, and more. This position will also play an integral role in the training and certification process for use of ambassador animals, both in development of policies and the recordkeeping and training of other staff, interns and volunteers. To support the many diverse programming needs within the L&E team, this position will manage the animal requests and animal usage data and collaborate with other Engagement team leadership to analyze and assess the data. This position will directly support programming which may include but is not limited to onsite guest-facing ambassador programming, special event encounters which may be evening hours (both onsite and off), birthday party animal encounters, outreach, media programming, premium experiences, tours and more. The Supervisor may be called upon as a leader to provide general operational support for the zoo as needed.
As a leader on the L&E team, the Supervisor participates in strategic and financial planning, effective resource management, proactive communication both internally and externally, and promotes appropriate professional development opportunities for the entire team.
As a member of the L&E Department, this position will participate in and support a variety of educational and volunteer programming as necessary. The Supervisor will support the needs of Audubon Nature Institute and its various facilities as required.
Day to Day Responsibilities
- Supervising, scheduling, training and coaching Ambassador Animal Program staff, interns and volunteers at Audubon Zoo
- Working with the Ambassador Animal Program Manager to recruit, interview and hire Ambassador Animal program staff and interns.
- Working with the Ambassador Animal Program Manager to develop and implement multi-faceted training and support resources for Ambassador Animal staff, interns, and volunteers.
- Providing excellent daily care and welfare to a group of ambassador animals that provide unique engagement opportunities for our guests.
- Maintaining the health and wellbeing of all ambassador animals through daily observation, active communication with veterinary staff, and assistance with medical procedures and treatment as needed.
- Maintaining all necessary daily records and communications for the collection to adhere to best practices and to meet all required standards and regulations.
- Delivering and maintaining a robust enrichment and behavioral management program for all animals in the collection including operant conditioning and environmental enrichment
- Supporting and participating in the development and delivery of a variety of programs that utilize ambassador animals
- Collecting data and feedback on programming and interpretive impact.
- Communicating clearly and professionally with other departments to promote a cooperative work environment and ensure that guests have positive interactions and appropriate programming during their visit.
- Actively collaborating with Marketing, Development, Membership and Special Events to support non-routine special events.
- Ensuring all the Learning & Engagement spaces are well maintained and organized.
Additional / Overall Skills :
What We’re Looking For
Must Haves :
Nice-to-Haves :
Physical Requirements
o Ability to stand and walk for up to 2 / 3 of the day.
o Ability to pass annual TB tests.
o Ability to lift and carry objects up to 50 pounds.
o Must be able to reach above shoulder level, stoop and squat to retrieve kennels and animals, which also may require stepping on stools.
o Ability to perceive visual, odor, or behavioral changes in animals to determine changes in animals’ stress level or general wellbeing. Must have excellent peripheral vision, depth perception, and quick motor response for animal and audience control during presentations.
o Ability to speak loudly to crowds in a variety of situations included moderate to loud crowds.
o Frequent use of hands and arms to operate office equipment and manual tools.
o Visual ability to read, write, and operate standard office machinery.
o May be exposed to high, medium, or low noise intensity
o Works effectively in a moderately noisy office
o Constant contact with co-workers required
o Exposure to fluctuations in temperature is required
o Exposure to extreme heat and outdoor conditions is required
