Animal Care Team Lead - Australasia Team (Full Time)

Kansas City Zoo • Kansas City, MO

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Care Team Lead is responsible for assisting the Animal Care Manager with the overall management of their assigned area. This position performs routine work assignments involving the daily care and wellbeing of animals within their area. The Animal Care Team Lead also performs daily maintenance of habitats and holding areas and interacts with the public to provide information related to the Zoo & Aquarium’s animal collection. Lastly, this position assists with the day-to-day management of the team, including personnel management, creating, and maintaining area standard operating procedures, and overseeing their assigned area in the absence of the team’s Animal Care Manager.

This position will work with the Australasia Team, which is responsible for the daily husbandry of Bornean orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Francois langurs, red pandas, lion-tailed macaques, rhinoceros hornbill, red kangaroos, Matschie’s tree kangaroos, two species of wallabies, dingoes, emu, Wyoming toads, parrots and other species of Asian and Australian birds in a free-flight aviary.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of related Zoo or animal husbandry experience required.
• Knowledge of animal husbandry, behavior and procedures for proper care and training of zoo and aquarium animals.
• Strong observational skills to recognize and evaluate conditions of animal health, diets, and behavior.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office, required.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions, including procedures for care and maintenance of animals, habitats, service and holding areas.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Must have valid driver’s license.
• Must have or be able to obtain negative TB test.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds and have sufficient mobility to ensure a safe work environment.
• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to manage stress, endure high risk situations when feeding, transferring, or restraining animals, and make immediate decisions concerning the safety of animals, staff, or the public.
• Must pass a background and drug screening.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, animal science, zoology or related field strongly desired.
• Previous supervisory experience preferred.
• High school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate accepted with prior experience in similar position.

Responsibilities

• Performs daily animal husbandry activities, including preparing diets and delivering animal feedings, giving medications and assisting with various animal health procedures, observing, logging, and reporting issues concerning animal behavior, health, and wellbeing, training animals for all types of behaviors, including husbandry, enrichment and medical, initiating and carrying out new training proposals and behaviors, and creating and implementing various enrichment items/strategies.
• Completes daily maintenance of habitats and holding areas, including cleaning habitats, holding stalls and staff areas, performing minor repairs and improvements, reporting maintenance issues and potential safety hazards to appropriate manager, training new animal care staff, interns, and volunteers on daily maintenance activities, and performing lawn and other horticultural maintenance within the habitats.
• Supports Animal Care Manager in the day-to-day management of team and performs various leadership duties, including assisting with all aspects of personnel management, including interviewing, scheduling, coaching, evaluating, and training of new animal care staff, interns, and volunteers, training staff on new animal behaviors, assisting with the creation of area standard operating procedures and various animal management plans, ensuring compliance with AZA and USDA guidelines, overseeing area in absence of Animal Care Manager, with support of area curator, and being eligible to participate in or serve as a representative for various AZA programs, after meeting AZA requirements, and eligible to apply for various SSP coordinator/studbook keeper positions.
• Maintains daily reports and other required records.
• Interacts with Zoo & Aquarium guests and the public, including performing various animal chats and animal presentations, as well as assisting with special events related to assigned area, leading tours within area, as assigned, representing the Zoo & Aquarium via media relations, upon completion of training with marketing staff, and engaging with daily visitors to answer questions about the Zoo and animals.
• Assists with and travels for animal shipments, as assigned, including participating in inter-institutional training and communication regarding incoming or outgoing animals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree