What are the responsibilities and job description for the Zoologist position at Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society?
Join Us at the Zoo!
We are committed to saving wildlife in wild places. Our mission is to help create connections between our guests and animals to inspire awe and action on behalf of wildlife. Every employee at Palm Beach Zoo contributes to our wildlife-saving mission. We work with local conservation partners in Florida as well as assist with international programs in Africa and Central America. Palm Beach Zoo is also proud to have our own coral conservation dive team. Our programs extend well beyond our lush, 23-acre property. We believe that anyone can be a wildlife hero. Whoever you are, wherever you are from, you are welcome here. We are in the process of re-imagining our beautiful tropical Zoo and are looking to bring in new expertise and enthusiasm.
The Zoo staff works in a positive, team-oriented environment to support our mission to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife. Zoologists promote increased environmental awareness and conservation through excellent animal care and management practices, coupled with positive visitor experiences.
The ideal candidate will have a strong animal care background with a deep experience in operant conditioning, welfare input/outputs, habitat design criteria, animal nutrition and animal social interactions, including introductions and breeding. They will also have experience engaging visitors with formal and informal animal encounters where they share their passion for animal wellness and the preservation of wild places. Finally, they will demonstrate a solid track record of workplace competency performance, including communication, teamwork, efficiency, emotional intelligence, leadership, planning, change management and administration.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Perform animal husbandry tasks (feed, clean, train, etc) for terrestrial animals (mammals, birds, primates, reptiles)
- Clean, maintain and improve animal care facilities, including service areas and surrounding spaces
- Enhance the welfare of the animals by observing and understanding animal behaviors and analyzing welfare outputs to increase mental stimulation and choice within the animal’s environment
- Plan, prepare and feed out nutritious diets
- Assist veterinary team during animal health diagnostic and care procedures
- Complete animal records including: animal feeding habits, diets, breeding behavior, health status, physical conditions, enrichment and training
- Communicate safety and health concerns to appropriate staff
- Participate in the capture and restraint of animals for transfer and veterinary procedures
- Participate in animal behavioral training program and commit to learning training techniques
- Design and execute behavioral shaping plans for all animals under their care
- Participate in exhibit concept design and collection planning discussions
- Provide informal guest presentations
- Initiate informal talks and encounters
- Participate in educational programs as assigned
- Handle program animals for events and encounters
- Participate in drills and emergency response and provide feedback on the experience – as needed
- Safely operate vans, pickup trucks, golf carts, hand tools, power tools, personal computers, laboratory equipment and general office equipment
- Proactively seek out experiences and information to enhance professional skills and knowledge