What are the responsibilities and job description for the Conservation Field Herpetology Technician position at Toledo Zoo?
Our Conservation Department is currently seeking Seasonal, Part-Time Field Herpetology Technicians to conduct surveys and radio-telemetry for Copperbelly Watersnakes, Blanding’s Turtles, Spotted Turtles, and Box Turtles, biodiversity assessments of restored habitats, captive husbandry of head-started species, and mentoring teenage volunteers. Work will be based out of Toledo, but extensive, within-state travel and overnight stays are required to conduct fieldwork. Technicians are expected to provide their own transportation to and from field sites, but work-related mileage will be reimbursed. This position reports to the Director of Vertebrate Conservation and is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Start Date: 04/1/2025 End Date: 08/15/2025
Application Deadline: 2/3/2025
Essential Job Functions:
- Setting and checking aquatic funnel traps
- Conducting visual encounter surveys
- Collecting demographic, morphometric data and blood samples
- Inserting passive integrated transponders (PIT)
- Recording locations using a GPS unit
- Radio-telemetry
- Assessing habitat
- Recording data
- Training and supervising teenage volunteers
- Additional zoo-related tasks as required.
- Must be 21 years of age
- Must have a valid drivers’ license and be insurable by the fleet insurance carrier.
- Willingness and ability to work long hours in inclement weather (heat, cold, rain, etc.) with exposure to mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks, and noxious plants.
- Ability to travel up to five days at a time
- Commitment to maintaining a safe work environment
- Dedication to accurate and thorough data collection
- Self-motivated with a positive attitude
- Respectful and professional in interactions with other team members, partners, and the public
- Must have the ability to lift 50lbs and traverse irregular terrain (e.g., wetlands)
- The Toledo Zoo is a drug-free workplace, including marijuana.
- Experience working with reptiles and amphibians, specifically turtles and snakes.
- Experience with herpetological surveying techniques and/or radio-telemetry.
- Previous work with teenage volunteers or community outreach.
Questions
The Toledo Zoo is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, creed, genetic information, sex, age, national origin, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law.
