Facility
Chehaw Park & Zoo / Flint RiverQuarium
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
Chehaw Park & Zoo and Flint RiverQuarium are looking for a motivated professional to join our animal husbandry team and ensure high standards of animal care, health and safety, quality control, and respectful workplace behavior. The ideal candidate will have a solid working knowledge of aquarium safety and aquatic husbandry best practices.
This leadership position will work closely with our Living Collections Manager to improve and maintain husbandry practices and mentor staff in the performances of these practices. This is a working position that will require direct, hands-on animal care work and frequent scuba diving.
JOB DUTIES
• Attend to assigned animals; prepare diets, feed, and provide water; sanitize enclosure furniture/floors and food/water dishes as scheduled or necessary; as assigned, monitor water quality, including salinity, pH, dissolved Oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, copper, ozone, and chlorine levels
• Perform dive maintenance and diving demonstrations in the 175k gallon “Blue Hole” exhibit and smaller aquatic exhibits, as assigned
• Lead capture and restraint events in the absence of a Manager or Director
• Ensure compliance with standards of the profession, and maintain all facilities and protocols in compliance with those standards; consult with other professionals in the field to exchange information, give/receive advice, and resolve problems
• Assist Manager with coordination of supply acquisition, veterinary procedures, and animal nutrition programs; assist other staff and supervisors with coordinating the daily operations of the department
• May assist with developing and writing departmental policies and procedures
• Assume leadership when working with other animal care staff; provide guidance and training to fellow staff and delegate tasks, as appropriate; communicate training needs to supervisors; as requested by supervisors, assist with preparing draft evaluations and presenting evaluations to the staff
• Inspect animals for health problems; collect fecal samples for testing; condition/train animals for veterinary procedures; assist veterinarians with medical exams and procedures, including surgery and necropsies; administer medications to animals
• Record relevant information in facility’s recordkeeping database, including animal observations, health concerns and treatments, acquisitions/births, dispositions/deaths, etc.; objectively complete animal welfare assessments, as assigned
• Perform routine repairs and maintenance on exhibits/enclosures as needed; construct improvements, furnishings, and decorations for exhibits
• Competently assess needs within assigned area and initiate feasible solutions to problems with minimal assistance
• Assist in planning and conducting educational and interactive guest programs; engage the public to encourage curiosity and facilitate a positive experience
Education and Pre-requisites
• Associate degree or equivalent experience
• 3+ years of previous experience and/or training involving aquatic animal care
• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation to/from work
• Significant knowledge about aquatic animal husbandry and captive management; ability to build upon this knowledge and to adapt as necessary to animal collection changes
• Basic computer skills
• Must be able to lift 60 pounds and work outdoors in all weather conditions on a daily basis; must be able to tolerate strong odors, dust, hay, dander, and dampness; may be required to stand or sit for extended periods of time and/or to twist, bend, crouch, squat, climb, crawl, kneel, jump, swim, or carry objects for short distances; may be exposed to chemicals, fumes, odors, dust, moving mechanical parts, vehicles, and potentially dangerous animals
• SCUBA certification or willingness and ability to obtain certification within 30 days of employment
Compensation and benefits
Full-time (40 hours per week)
Starting wage: $12.62 – 13.82 per hour, based on experience
Benefits: paid-time-off; sick time; vision, dental, and health Insurance.
Relocation package available to eligible new hires.
Application instructions
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to ckoenig@chehaw.org prior to October 1, 2021. Subject line should read: Lead Aquarist AAZK.