Curator Herpetology and Entomology

The Curator of Herpetology and Entomology oversees Houston Toad, Herpetology and Bug House animal collections, and the staff that provides care to those specimens. This encompasses skilled professional, technical and scientific work in the supervision of all aspects of animal management including husbandry, training, enrichment, exhibit design and maintenance, research, publication, public education, and conservation.

Our Mission: 

• Houston Zoo connects communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife. 

Our Vision: 

• Houston Zoo will be a leader in the global movement to save wildlife. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities 

• Provides functional supervision, operational assistance, and technical guidance for Assistant Curators and Zoo Supervisors in the care, maintenance, display of all animals within the Bug House and Herpetology and Houston Toad departments.
• Responsible for the recruitment, selection, development, evaluation, and performance management of direct reports
• Directs, organizes, prioritizes, and schedules work assignments within section.
• Develops and ensures implementation of standard operating guidelines, safety protocols, and emergency procedures in assigned area.
• Ensures that live action and tabletop emergency drills are conducted in assigned section.
• Ensures excellence in husbandry and health of assigned animals; drives continuous improvement in animal care.
• Collaborates with curatorial, supervisory, and veterinary staff on healthcare and diet formulation; may facilitate and/or participate in medical procedures.
• Approves diet change requests.
• Facilitates regular meetings between area supervisory staff and the contact veterinarian.
• Oversees and/or ensures the training of select animals using operant conditioning techniques for the purposes of husbandry procedures, veterinary treatment, and educational presentations.
• Oversees and/or ensures environmental and behavioral enrichment; improves the quality of life of the animal collection by providing enrichment opportunities.
• Oversees and/or ensure that welfare assessments are conducting and evaluated on a regular basis on all animals or exhibits within the section.
• Drives area collection planning, including animal acquisition and disposition; may coordinate incoming and outgoing shipments and quarantine.
• Ensures documentation of all aspects of animal management and utilizes this information for trouble-shooting and problem solving
• Ensures that all area animal and service facilities are maintained to exceed HZI, AZA, USDA, APHIS and all other regulatory agency requirements.
• Approves and monitors the status of work requests and projects.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in zoology, biology, animal husbandry, or related field is required; or equivalent experience in lieu of up to two years of formal education.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of experience in an AZA or equivalent facility, with demonstrated expertise with the relevant groups of animals; at least two of those years being in a supervisory capacity.
• Strong interpersonal, team-building, organizational and communication skills. Effectively partner with other departments and all levels of staff and interact with a diverse workforce.
• Experience with budget development and monitoring
• Valid Texas driver’s license

ABOUT HOUSTON ZOO 

• The Houston Zoo is made up of many moving parts with over 6,000 permanent residents (our animals) for whom we provide housing, meals, medical care and, yes, even education! There are over 2 million guests each year who come to experience our incredible variety of animals and ecosystems, as well as attend special private and public events and entertainment.
• Our dedicated staff works around the clock to ensure that the Zoo is always running smoothly for the safety and well-being of our residents and guests.
• We strive to ensure the protection of all the counterparts of the animals we have at the Zoo and in the wild. 
• Join the Houston Zoo and become a part of an organization that is focused on the preservation of wildlife and their habitats by combining conservation with education and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the local communities.  Houston Zoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer