Applied Animal Welfare Programs Internship

Detroit Zoological Society • Royal Oak, MI

7d • $15 - $15

About The Position

Applied Animal Welfare Programs Internship General Description The Detroit Zoological Society's Center for Zoo Animal Welfare (CZAW) is accepting applications for an Applied Animal Welfare Programs Intern. This paid internship is funded through the Ron Kagan Endowment for Animal Welfare, which honors the former Executive Director/CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society, who founded CZAW. The purpose of CZAW is to advance and support the well-being of animals living in zoos and aquariums through scientific investigation and holistic behavior programs. CZAW assesses and monitors animal welfare through evidence-based programs and integrates enrichment and training into animal well-being and husbandry with rigorous evaluation of behavioral outcomes. The CZAW applied animal welfare programs internship is a paid internship opportunity. Interns are expected to commit to 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday) for 12 weeks between May 18 and September 18, totaling 480 hours of work. The start date can be flexible within the parameters listed above. The intern will be paid at a rate of $15/hour. For interns residing outside of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, or Wayne counties (i.e., the Detroit Metro area) – onsite housing may be available at no additional cost to the applicant. This intern will gain experience in the process and facilitation of essential behavioral husbandry and applied welfare programs, including the welfare assessment process, environmental monitoring, enrichment, positive reinforcement training, and monitoring significant events in the lives of animals (e.g., quality of life, habitat modification, quarantine). Although this internship focuses on applied animal welfare programs, interns will receive opportunities for education in all areas of CZAW. The Applied Animal Welfare Program Intern will be supervised by the Animal Welfare Programs Manager and will have the opportunity for mentorship from various departmental staff, including the Manager of Applied Animal Welfare Science and the Senior Director of Animal Welfare and Research.

Requirements

• Applicants should have a background in zoology, biology, animal science, psychology, anthropology or animal behavior.
• Applicants should be in the process of completing or have completed an undergraduate degree within the last two years, and should not be currently enrolled in or have completed a graduate degree program.
• Transcripts should demonstrate coursework in research methods, biology, animal behavior or related fields as well as a GPA of 3.2/4.0 or higher.
• Applicants should be a minimum of 18 years of age.
• Self-motivated and strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office products and good organizational skills
• Timeliness and ability to adhere to a schedule
• Minimum commitment of 40 hours per week for 12 weeks, totaling 480 hours of work
• Proof of a negative TB test on or before start date

Nice To Haves

• Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated experience in animal care and welfare.

Responsibilities

• Observe positive reinforcement training sessions and support the training program.
• Assist the enrichment program by updating enrichment databases, conducting natural history research, and creating behavioral goal-based enrichment.
• Format welfare assessment reports and attend monthly discussions.
• Aid in environmental monitoring of animal habitats, including recording light and sound measurements.
• Utilize observational research techniques with a variety of animal species for monitoring animal well-being.
• Assist with literature searches, data entry, basic descriptive analyses, and generating reports for monitoring projects.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees