Senior Animal Care Specialist, Pinnipeds $28.00/HR

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation • Vallejo, CA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

This role involves providing excellent guest service and representing the organization positively. The specialist will practice safe work habits, demonstrate flexibility in a dynamic animal environment, and perform various animal care duties. This includes collecting and preparing food, cleaning habitats, and supporting animal care management with daily tasks such as feeding, physical exams, administering medications, and providing enrichment. The position requires close monitoring and recording of animal behavior, advanced understanding of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement, and training behaviors. Additionally, the specialist will conduct animal presentations, interactions, and tours, assist in developing new presentations, and mentor junior trainers. Responsibilities also include preparing and submitting diagnostic samples, directing daily schedules in the supervisor's absence, and leading animal capture, restraint, examination, treatment, surgery, emergency care, and necropsy procedures. The role may also involve assisting other marine mammal areas, supporting research projects, maintaining equipment, operating heavy machinery, and performing other assigned duties.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must have a minimum of 5 days of unrestricted availability including weekends, holidays, early mornings and late nights
• Must have or be able to acquire a valid California driver's license
• Must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a related animal science or have at least 5–8 years of work experience related to shaping and modifying animal behavior through operant conditioning and positive reinforcement completed within the last nine years
• Must be able to read, write and speak English
• Must be comfortable speaking in front of large crowds
• Must have strong swimming skills.
• Must possess the mental and physical capacities necessary to perform the primary job duties including lifting/moving 50 pounds, working indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions, working around/in cold produced seawater
• Must be SCUBA certified

Nice To Haves

• Placement in specific areas may require additional swim competencies including but not limited to carrying two 20-pound buckets 30 ft (including stairs), surface diving to 15 feet to retrieve a 5-pound weight, swimming one freestyle lap (approx. 120ft), swimming 60 feet fully submerged underwater and pulling yourself, unassisted, out of the water onto the ledge all to be completed within 8 minutes or less.
• Proficiency in MS office applications
• Previous experience in the husbandry and training of a variety of marine mammal species
• Basic understanding of water chemistry and filtration
• Advanced knowledge of USDA regulations and Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) Standards and Guidelines

Responsibilities

• Collect breakout and prepare daily rations.
• Clean and sanitize animal habitats, food preparation kitchens, storage areas, and office spaces.
• SCUBA dive to help maintain exhibits as directed.
• Support animal care management in providing daily care to animals including feeding, daily physical exams and husbandry care as directed, administering veterinary prescribed medications and supplements and providing daily environmental enrichment.
• Closely monitor and record animal behavior and notify leadership of potential health and social challenges.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in recognizing, interpreting and responding to animal behavior.
• Demonstrate advanced understanding and application of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement.
• Train behaviors as assigned.
• Conduct animal presentations, interactions and tours including narrations.
• Coordinate with animal care management and other essential teams to modify and implement new presentations.
• Help guide and develop Apprentice, ACS 1, ACS2, and ACS3 trainers in their area development.
• Prepare for, collect, and submit diagnostic samples as directed by animal management and veterinary team.
• In the absence of the supervisor, effectively direct and execute the daily schedule ensuring all tasks, feeds and other commitments are met.
• In the absence of the supervisor, and in coordination with other animal care management and veterinary teams, lead and execute animal capture and restraint procedures, examinations, treatments, surgery, emergency care and necropsies.
• Assist other marine mammal areas as needed.
• Assist in the development and implementation of research projects as assigned.
• Support animal care management in proactively maintaining area equipment and tools.
• Learn to operate heavy equipment including trucks, forklifts and pallet jacks.
• Perform other duties as requested/assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior