Ectotherms Supervisor - Conservation

Animal Collections Supervisor – Ectotherms

Position Overview:

The Animal Collections Supervisor oversees the Zoo’s conservation area within the Ectotherms Department, leading staff, animal care, facility operations, and conservation initiatives with a focus on ectothermic species. The position performs complex animal care and supervisory duties, supports veterinary care, and ensures safe, high-quality animal and visitor experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

• Supervise staff and volunteers, coordinate daily operations, prepare weekly schedules, ensure adequate coverage including venomous animal areas, assign duties, and provide backup supervision.

• Oversee care of ectothermic animals, including daily enclosure inspections, feeding, health and behavior monitoring, enrichment, training, breeding, egg incubation, population censuses, and environmental monitoring.

• Maintain facilities, exhibits, life support systems (LSS), aquatic and terrestrial areas, equipment, vehicles, supplies, live food cultures, and water-quality systems; submit maintenance requests and ensure SOPs remain current.

• Work with curators, veterinary and nutrition teams to implement quarantine and biosecurity protocols, administer treatments, monitor medical cases, and promote animal welfare.

• Guide conservation breeding plans, seasonal hibernation schedules, target-species breeding reports, research activities, and conservation field projects.

• Train, mentor, and evaluate staff; monitor work quality, enforce department policies and safety standards, participate in hiring and disciplinary processes, and promote efficient work practices.

• Ensure accurate records and data entry for feeding, diets, weights, censuses, breeding, behavior, health, water chemistry, UV lighting, LSS maintenance, and other animal-care activities.

• Assist with animal shipments, including pre-shipment testing, packing, and transport, and participate in research and biosecurity programs.

• Maintain safe work areas, equipment, safety supplies, MSDS documentation, and report hazards.

• Conduct tours, interviews, guest interactions, special events, and other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Directly supervise assigned staff and volunteers and oversee professional conduct and collection-care activities.

• Participate in staff selection, hiring, training, performance evaluation, scheduling, coaching, and disciplinary actions.

• Maintain current SOPs and ensure compliance with applicable laws, zoo policies, ethics, safety requirements, and animal-care standards.

• Provide ongoing training and leadership to maintain program integrity and a safe, cohesive team environment.

Qualifications:

• Must be at least 21 years old.

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

• Minimum 3 years of progressively responsible zookeeping experience; at least 1 year of supervisory experience preferred.

• Valid driver’s license with an acceptable motor vehicle record.

• Bachelor’s degree in wildlife management, zoology, animal behavior, biology, ecology, or related field preferred.

• Preferred experience with amphibian/reptile conservation breeding, biosecure animal areas, aquatic systems and water quality, research, and data collection.

• Specialized expertise such as venomous reptile care, incubator operation, or hand-rearing may be required for specific assignments.

• Ability to independently perform advanced animal care and handling, interpret and enforce policies, work with limited supervision, communicate effectively, make sound decisions, prioritize work, and maintain effective team relationships.

Physical & Work Conditions:

• Frequently stand, walk, sit, bend, kneel, crouch, crawl, handle equipment, and work with animals.

• Frequently lift/move up to 50 lbs and occasionally up to 75 lbs with assistance.

• Must work irregular hours, including weekends and holidays, and outdoors in heat, cold, and inclement weather.

• May be exposed to cleaning chemicals, water-treatment chemicals, animal diseases, and other workplace hazards.

• May be safety-sensitive and subject to tuberculosis/rabies testing and use of PPE.

Benefits:

Full-time position with medical and prescription coverage, vision and dental insurance, employer-paid basic life/AD&D and disability coverage, supplemental life insurance, FSA, 401(k), approximately 5 weeks of PTO per year, PTO rollover and sell-back options, free zoo membership and guest passes, and discounts on food, merchandise, attractions, admission, and programs.