Conservation Engagement Interpreter

Work where you play!
Join our team at Parks Tacoma to put your skills to use serving your community and making Tacoma a vibrant, healthy, and welcoming place to live.
 
Who We Are
Parks Tacoma is a CAPRA-accredited and AZA-accredited, independent park district that leads efforts to build a healthy, sustainable community. Located in Tacoma, Washington, Metro Parks’ mission is to create healthy opportunities to play, learn, and grow. The independent park district spans the city providing a wide range of life-enriching destinations and services, including 70 parks, 80 miles of trails, 1,000 acres of urban forest, 66 playgrounds, four community centers, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Park, and much more. Our work is guided by eight core values that are the foundation of our actions and goals: innovation, excellence, equity, inclusiveness, sustainability, accountability, safety, and fun.
 
Why You’ll Love it Here
Come work where you play! You will contribute to the overall vitality and well-being of your community when you work for Parks Tacoma, and you’ll do so as part of a supportive team of committed, passionate, and mission-driven professionals. The people of Parks Tacoma are the key to its success, and you just might be the next great addition to our team. You’ll receive a competitive wage, along with an attractive benefits package, including medical, dental, retirement, vacation, holidays, and much more. On top of that, you’ll wake each day knowing that you’re helping make Tacoma a great place to call home.
 
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. The 29-acre zoological park was established in 1905, and attracts over 800,000 visitors a year. It is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA), which ensure rigorously high standards of animal welfare, veterinary care, conservation, education and more. 

The Zoo sits within 700-acre Point Defiance Park, offering spectacular views of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Point Defiance Zoo is operated by Parks Tacoma, the oldest independent park district in Washington. For more information, visit www.pdza.org

Position Information
Interpreters create meaningful connections between guests and the animals and conservation stories of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. They deliver a variety of highly engaging, informal educational opportunities for guests that convey Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s animal and conservation messages and support the Zoo’s mission of awakening a connection to Wild Life with everyone in the Pacific Northwest.
 
Interpreters are part of the Conservation Engagement Department and work in a collaborative team with adult and youth volunteers as well as staff from many other departments.
 
We are looking for individuals with great people skills (especially with children!) who are able to work as part of a team and independently, are energetic, flexible, creative, with a positive sense of humor and a passion for the environment!
 
[NOTE: this is not an animal handling position.]  
[NOTE: this is not a foreign language interpretation position. Please see the National Association for Interpretation for a formal definition: HERE

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to:

• Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact professionally with other employees, customers and suppliers.
• Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments.
• Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.
• Observe applicable safety requirements, use safety equipment provided, implement appropriate safety practices at all times and report immediately any unsafe working conditions or hazards.

• Initiate interactions with guests through interactive activities, interpretive chats, presentations, and scheduled tours.  
• Provide an inclusive, welcoming, and accessible environment for all guests.
• Use available props and exhibit elements in combination with interpretive training to share animal and conservation messages with guests in an engaging and accurate manner.  
• Encourage, inspire, and motivate guests to take on conservation actions in their daily lives.  
• Oversee guest/animal interactions with marine invertebrates at the Tidal Touch Zone and Tropical Reef Aquarium touch experiences, as well as with domestic goats, including demonstration of proper touching or feeding techniques as well as conveying conservation messages. 
• Maintain a safe and enjoyable experience as a Theater Host during live animal shows at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater by providing kind and gentle direction to audience members.
• Deliver 10-20 minute scripted talks to large audiences using a microphone. 
• Assist with set-up and take-down of events and facilitating activities during events. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

• Experience working with children required. 
• Must have well-developed interpretive skills, ability to engage the public, and knowledge of current conservation issues.
• Must have a desire to work with large groups of adults and children, especially children ages 4-13, with enjoyment, enthusiasm, patience, and a sense of fun.
• Must have excellent customer service skills.
• Must exhibit consistent professional characteristics such as a positive attitude, ability to show initiative, emotional maturity, and self-responsibility.
• Ability to work as a team member with Zoo staff, adult and youth volunteers.
• Able to commit to upholding all Zoo safety and personnel policies and support the overall mission.
• At least 18 years old with reliable transportation.

 
Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in an educational or natural science setting
• Public speaking and/or performance experience 
• Ability to speak multiple languages

 Physical Demands:

• Navigate across steep and uneven, paved surfaces throughout zoo grounds. 
• Perform duties in indoor and outdoor environments in a variety of weather conditions.
• Audibly exchange accurate information with guests and staff.

The successful candidate for this position will have a personality and attitude that fosters a friendly environment by proactively engaging our guests.   If you feel passionate about our efforts and believe that you have the skills to contribute to the growth of our organization, we want to hear from you!
 
We recognize the historical and ongoing exclusion of diverse voices in conservation, particularly impacting under-resourced groups including people of color, individuals from working-class backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA communities. Therefore, we actively welcome applications from individuals with these identities or those belonging to under-resourced communities.
 
Schedule Information:

• The Zoo is open daily April-September, and Thursday-Monday October-March. 
• We are specifically recruiting staff who can work Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 
• Shift hours fluctuate throughout the year depending on zoo open hours. 
  1. April-September: shifts are 6-8 hrs long and typically fall between 8:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.  
  2. October-March: shifts are 6-7 hrs long and typically fall between 8:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.  
  3. December: during Zoolights, some shifts fall during evening hours. 
  4. Occasional evening work may be required for trainings or events depending on availability.
• This is a part time position and will not exceed 29 hours per week on average.

Orientation & Training

• This position has a set orientation and training schedule that covers all areas of interpretation in the zoo and aquarium. 
• The first day of work will be Saturday, March 19, 2025. 
• Eligible candidates MUST be able to attend ALL training days: 
  1. Wednesday, March 19, 2025       9:30a-4:00p         Orientation
  2. Thursday, March 20, 2025            9:30a-4:00p         Interpretive Skills
  3. Friday, March 21, 2025                  9:30a-4:00p         American Red Wolves & Nature Play Garden
  4. Saturday, March 22, 2025             9:30a-4:00p         Rocky Shores & Arctic Tundra
  5. Tuesday, March 25, 2025              9:30a-4:00p         Marine Invertebrates 1
  6. Wednesday, March 26, 2025       9:30a-4:00p         Marine Invertebrates 2
  7. Friday, March 28, 2025                  9:30a-4:00p         Asian Forest Sanctuary
  8. Saturday, March 29, 2025             9:30a-4:00p         Mentoring in exhibit areas
  9. Wednesday, April 2, 2025             9:30a-4:00p         Marine Fish & Turtles
  10. Thursday, April 3, 2025                  9:30a-4:00p         Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, Inclusiveness & Accessibility

PARKS TACOMA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, disability or any other merit factor. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.
 
Parks Tacoma employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
 
Parks Tacoma is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource (253) 305-1089 or HR@tacomaparks.com.
 
Employment is subject to a national background check.
 
This position is an at-will position with no written or implied contractual agreement.

Salary : $18 - $19