Zoologist

Interested in saving wildlife in wild places?  At the Zoo, our job is for people to fall in love with nature.  Our job is for people to have fun.  Our job is to save the planet.  Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society’s mission is to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife and the natural world.  By joining our team, you’ll become a critical part of a conservation organization at a thrilling time as we expand our team to build the Zoo of the future.  Our passionate team gets to work around koalas, jaguars, and panthers while actively doing conservation work in the field from corals to Florida panthers. Palm Beach Zoo is a green sustainable workplace that embraces DEAI and we are actively creating a more diverse and thriving workforce.

• The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is currently seeking a full-time Zoologist to provide world-class animal care to a wide variety of species, with a focus on our large carnivores (tigers, jaguars, black bears), avian (psittacines, waterfowl, birds of prey), primates (callitrichids, spiders, capuchins) and small mammal collection.
• We are in the process of re-imagining our beautiful tropical Zoo and are looking to bring in new expertise and enthusiasm.
• The Wildlife Care & Conservation staff work in a positive, team-oriented environment to support our mission to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife.
• Zoologists promote increased environmental awareness and conservation through excellent animal care and management practices, coupled with positive visitor experiences.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong animal care background with experience in operant conditioning, welfare input/outputs, habitat design criteria, animal nutrition and animal social interactions, including introductions and breeding.
• They will also have experience engaging visitors with formal and informal animal encounters where they share their passion for animal wellness and preservation of wild places.
• Finally, they will demonstrate a solid track record of workplace competency performance, including communication, teamwork, efficiency, emotional intelligence, leadership, planning, change management and administration.

 DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform animal husbandry tasks (feed, clean, train, etc) for terrestrial animals (mammals, birds, primates, reptiles) – daily
• Clean, maintain and improve animal care facilities, including service areas and surrounding spaces – daily
• Enhance the welfare of the animals by observing and understanding animal behaviors and analyzing welfare outputs to increase mental stimulation and choice within the animal’s environment -daily
• Plan, prepare and feed out nutritious diets – daily
• Assist veterinary team during animal health diagnostic and care procedures – as needed
• Complete animal records including: animal feeding habits, diets, breeding behavior, health status, physical conditions, enrichment and training - daily
• Communicate safety and health concerns to appropriate staff – as needed
• Participate in the capture and restraint of animals for transfer and veterinary procedures – as needed
• Participate in animal behavioral training program and commit to learning training techniques – as needed
• Design and execute behavioral shaping plans for all animals under their care – as needed
• Participate in exhibit concept design and collection planning discussions – as needed
• Provide informal guest presentations – daily
• Initiate informal talks and encounters - daily
• Participate in educational programs as assigned (zoo camp, fee based encounters, etc) – as needed
• Handle program animals for events and encounters – as needed
• Participate in drills and emergency response and provide feedback on the experience – as needed
• Safely operate vans, pickup trucks, golf carts, hand tools, power tools, personal computers, laboratory equipment and general office equipment. – as needed
• Proactively seek out experiences and information to enhance professional skills and knowledge – daily 

REQUIREMENTS:

•  Minimum of 2 years’ paid experience in a zoological facility caring for animals
• Bachelor’s degree (Biology, Psychology or a related field) is preferred
• Experience with the husbandry and behavior of a variety of birds, mammals and primates
• Physically able to stoop, bend, reach, lift, carry or push at least 50 pounds in a south Florida climate
• Must have valid driver’s license, able to work weekends, holidays and special events as needed
• Demonstrated ability to research and write effectively
• Participation in AZA programs and other zoo related organizations
• Use hand and power tools for minor carpentry and habitat modification projects
• Demonstrated initiative and problem solving
• Competence in behavior analysis and animal training
• Excellent communication skills with co-workers, managers and veterinary staff
• Be familiar with AZA, USDA and FWC regulations and expectations

 COMPETENCIES:

• Integrity/Trust — Maintaining social, ethical, and organizational values and norms; building trust and confidence with the staff and with internal and external customers; respecting the confidentiality of personal and proprietary information.
• Initiative — Taking actions to achieve goals; self-starting and proactive; asserting oneself to support others in the achievement of their goals; originating action rather than responding only to the actions of others; anticipating the needs of both internal and external constituencies.
• Customer Focus – Demonstrates courtesy, cooperation and friendliness with staff, volunteers and customers. Actively listens, anticipates and evaluates the customer’s needs. Ensures that customer satisfaction is a priority in all areas of responsibility. Actively engages our customers while fulfilling job responsibilities.
• Analysis—Obtaining relevant information and identifying key issues and relationships from a base of information; comparing data from different sources (both interactive and written); defining underlying problems or opportunities and recognizing trends; defining and structuring functions and teams based on key strategies and goals.
• Teamwork — Supporting, facilitating, and participating in activities that promote team effectiveness; demonstrating sensitivity for the feelings and needs of team members and supporting team goals.
• Professional/Technical Knowledge and Competency — Remains current on developments in the field within and outside the organization; maintains proficiencies.
• Planning and Organizing — Establishing a course of action with specific long-range goals for the Zoo; setting priorities among competing requirements and allocating resources in the most efficient and effective way; developing contingency plans that participate changes in the work environment.
• Diversity and Inclusion – Demonstrates behaviors that includes fairness, respect, inclusiveness, empathy, integrity, and ethical conduct.
• Fosters a climate and culture in which each person is accepted and has the opportunity to grow and develop. Practices behaviors that promote diversity and inclusion in dealings with and on behalf of the Zoo, consistent with laws, regulations, and Zoo policies.
• Collaboration — Works well with people outside their immediate work group.

What We Offer:

• A competitive salary, commensurate with your skills and experience
• An EXCELLENT benefits package (current year/plan), which includes:
• 100% paid employee level coverage for designated medical & dental plan
• 100% paid coverage for 100K of life insurance
• 100% paid short-term disability
• 100% paid long-term disability
• 401K – Employer contributes 3% of your salary
• Optional vision, accident and critical illness coverages available through pre-tax payroll deductions
• Generous paid time off policy, Zoo Membership and FREE admission to other Florida Attractions!
• The position will be open until filled.  We will contact qualified candidates whom we have chosen to move forward in the interview process.
• Palm Beach Zoo is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions, including those related to recruitment, hiring, training and promotion without regard to race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) Commitment

• Our Mission is to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife and the natural world.
• We recognize that the only way to accomplish our mission is to include all people across all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, mental/physical abilities, and sexual orientations.
• Just as we value biodiversity, we recognize and appreciate the value of human diversity as being integral to our ability to connect with our visitors and the communities we serve.

Experience Required

• 2 years

Salary

• $18.00 per hour