Animal Care Professional, Trails Of Africa

SUMMARY

The Birmingham Zoo is looking for a candidate to join the Trails of Africa team as a full time Animal Care Professional. The team provides care for reticulated giraffe, black rhinoceros, bongo, plains zebra, ostrich, and red-flanked duiker. We are transitioning our programs to start future breeding efforts with reticulated giraffe, black rhinoceros, and red-flanked duiker.

Primary responsibilities of this position include monitoring animal health, maintaining cleanliness of animal areas, providing environmental and behavioral enrichment, preparing diets, modifying habitats, maintaining accurate records, and presenting both formally and informally for the public. The candidate must be a motivated self-starter that is enthusiastic and team oriented. This position requires a team player capable of positive interactions with staff, guests, and volunteers.

This is a full time position working at least 40 hours per week, including weekends, holidays, and late events as needed. Successful candidates will work in close proximity to dangerous animals, and professionalism and good communication are required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Cleans and maintains animal holdings, including the use of chemical agents and special tools to assure the health and safety of the animals.
• Identifies, documents, and properly communicates any animal medical problems to the Zoological Manager and Veterinary staff in a timely manner.
• Prepares and presents programs visitors and guests.
• Monitors weather related needs for the animals in their department and shelters animals appropriately.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Identifies, recognizes and reports any abnormal behavior of all the animals in their department.
• Provides enrichment and conducts animal training according to department procedures.
• Properly utilizes the animal record keeping systems within the department, including daily reports and animal files.
• Creates new enrichment ideas and items to be added to their department repertoire.
• Responsible for capturing, crating, and transferring animals using appropriate restraint and handling techniques designed to put the least amount of stress on the animal.
• Displays and demonstrates the basic biology, behaviors and husbandry of the animals in their department in the daily routine.
• Maintains good communication with managers to ensure that all facilities and animals are in good order, and that all problems are reported.

SAFETY ANALYSIS

The ACP I is expected to maintain the highest level of safety in the work area through implementation of safety protocols and procedures. The ACP I position is impacted by a wide variety of potentially hazardous exposures:

• The ACP will have to deal with the unpredictability of wild animals.
• The care and husbandry of animals, some of whom are dangerous or may carry zoonotic diseases.
• Weather conditions including extreme heat, cold and storm conditions.
• The proper use and understanding of cleaning and disinfecting agents.

Specific training and procedures designed to maintain safety of people as the highest priority of the zoo followed by the safety of the animal collection will be provided.

The use and understanding of a variety of personal safety equipment is mandatory.

Animal Care Professionals, as with any staff member of the zoo, are required to be familiar with the Zoo’s overall safety policies as outlined in the staff handbook as well as being responsible for reporting any injury immediately to the first aid department.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, staff should expect:

• Use of hands, fingers, tools or controls.
• Required to wear a face mask and or other personal protective equipment for long periods of time.
• Depending on assignment, exposure to the elements can be expected.
• Exposure to wet surfaces and slippery surfaces.
• Frequently required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch and talk or hear.
• Routinely lift and/or move more than 50 pounds.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education and work experience

• College degree in a zoology-related field preferred.
• Volunteer, intern, or paid animal care experience in a zoo or equivalent setting preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to multi-task, coordinate with others and meet deadlines.
• Ability to think critically and demonstrated time-management skills.
• Strong organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of the Microsoft Office.
• Willingness to participate in presentations and public speaking.

Desirable qualities

• High self-motivation and a detail-oriented work ethic.
• Strong interest in advancing the conservation missions of zoos and aquariums.
• Professional, positive, and enthusiastic demeanor.

Other Requirements:

• Must be First Aid/CPR certified or willing to be trained and certified.
• Must have current negative TB test and provide documentation, or be willing to have a TB test.
• Must be willing to travel locally. Must have a current valid driver’s license with no prior traffic violations (within the last five years).

POSITION TYPE AND HOURS OF WORK

• Full time
• Schedule varies between weekdays and weekends. Weekend work required as well as occasional evening work and holidays.

BENEFITS

• Dental and vision health insurance options available
• Short term disability covered
• After one year, eligible to apply for a Passion Into Conservation Action (PiCA) grant, which is a Zoo funded conservation research project
• Paid time off (vacation, personal, holidays, and bereavement leave)
• Medical health insurance costs partially covered
• 401K plan
• Flexible spending account option available
• Basic life insurance and accidental death, and dismemberment policies covered for employee
• Long term disability option available
• Payrate of $15.00 per hour.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Critical illness and accident insurance options available

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and functions of this position.