Animal Care Professional, Trails of Africa - Full-time

SUMMARY

The Birmingham Zoo is looking for a candidate to join the Trails of Africa team as a full-time Animal Care Professional.  The team provides care for reticulated giraffe, black rhinoceros, plains zebra, ostrich, eastern bongo, and red-flanked duiker.

Primary responsibilities of this position include monitoring animal health, maintaining cleanliness of animal areas, providing environmental and behavioral enrichment, preparing diets, modifying habitats, maintaining accurate records, and presenting both formally and informally for the public.  The candidate must be a motivated self-starter that is enthusiastic and team oriented.  This position requires a team player capable of positive interactions with staff, guests, and volunteers. 

This is a full time position working at least 40 hours per week, including weekends, holidays, and late events as needed.  Successful candidates will work in close proximity to dangerous animals, and professionalism and good communication are required. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Displays and demonstrates the basic biology, behaviors and husbandry of the animals in their department in the daily routine.
• Cleans and maintains animal holdings, including the use of chemical agents and special tools to assure the health and safety of the animals.
• Identifies, recognizes and reports any abnormal behavior of all the animals in their department.
• Monitors weather related needs for the animals in their department and shelters animals appropriately.
• Identifies, documents, and properly communicates any animal medical problems to the Zoological Manager and Veterinary staff in a timely manner.
• Maintains good communication with managers to ensure that all facilities and animals are in good order, and that all problems are reported.
• Provides enrichment, conducts animal training, and assesses animals wellbeing according to department procedures.
• Contributes new ideas for animal care and wellbeing to be added to their department repertoire.
• Properly utilizes the animal record keeping systems within the department, including daily reports and animal files.
• Responsible for capturing, crating, and transferring animals using appropriate restraint and handling techniques designed to put the least amount of stress on the animal.
• Prepares and presents programs visitors and guests.
• Other duties as assigned.

PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Becomes familiar with and follows the BZI staff handbook, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for the Animal Department as well as the SOP’s for their assigned animal areas.
• Sets a positive example for their fellow ACP’s. Presents themselves in a professional manner at all times to co-workers, visitors and guests; this includes attendance, appearance and demeanor.
• Actively participates in Zoo, AZA, or AAZK activities, committees, fundraisers, etc.

These expectations will be monitored and evaluated by the Zoo Managers and Curators throughout the year and documented. 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• No direct reports
• May have input on direction of volunteers and seasonal staff

SAFETY ANALYSIS

The ACP is expected to maintain the highest level of safety in the work area through implementation of safety protocols and procedures. The ACP is impacted by a wide variety of potentially hazardous exposures: 

• The ACP will have to deal with the unpredictability of wild animals.
• The care and husbandry of animals, some of whom are dangerous or may carry zoonotic diseases.
• The proper use and understanding of cleaning and disinfecting agents.
• Weather conditions including extreme heat, cold and storm conditions.

Specific training and procedures designed to maintain safety of people as the highest priority of the zoo followed by the safety of the animal collection will be provided. 

The use and understanding of a variety of personal safety equipment is mandatory.

Animal Care Professionals, as with any staff member of the zoo, are required to be familiar with the Zoo’s overall safety policies as outlined in the staff handbook as well as being responsible for reporting any injury immediately to the first aid department. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, staff should expect:

• Use of hands, fingers, tools or controls. 
• Frequently required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch and talk or hear. 
• Routinely lift and/or move more than 50 pounds. 
• Exposure to wet surfaces and slippery surfaces.
• May be required to wear a face mask and or other personal protective equipment for long periods of time.
• Candidate will work with dangerous animals.
• Depending on assignment, exposure to the elements can be expected.