The America’s Keeper 1
Location
Melbourne, Florida, United States
Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full Time
Experience
1-3 years
Compensation
Compensation not disclosed
Posted
2h ago
Summary and responsibilities
Role overview
Summary
This position is responsible for the daily care of the animals in the Americas section of the Brevard Zoo, including husbandry, training, enrichment, and habitat maintenance. The role requires working with a diverse collection of animals, maintaining daily records, and effectively communicating with co-workers, management, and guests.
POSITION OVERVIEW
Located along the Space Coast in Melbourne, Florida, the Brevard Zoo is an AZA-accredited facility with a diverse collection of over 900 animals representing nearly 200 species. It is also home to the Sea Turtle Healing Center for rehabilitation of wild marine turtles. Brevard Zoo is well-known for its strong conservation ethic and unique attractions, such as kayaking through the Africa area, giraffe feeding, and rhinoceros encounters.
This position is responsible for the daily care of the animals in the Americas section of the Zoo highlighting animals from North, Central, and South America – including husbandry, training, enrichment, and habitat maintenance. Animals in this area include Black Bears, Birds of Prey, Bobcat, Deer, Jaguar, Baird’s Tapir, Giant River Otters, Coati, Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Capuchins, and more. Must be able to work as an integral part of the zoo team and communicate effectively with co-workers, management, and guests.
QUALIFICATIONS
REQUIRED:
One year of zoo keeping experience in an AZA accredited facility.
Valid State of Florida driver’s license.
Must be flexible with schedule including holidays, weekends, evenings, and during emergency situations.
Must be willing to work in inclement weather including temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and high humidity.
PREFERRED/DESIRED:
Black Bear experience
Primate experience
Large Cat experience
Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in related field.
PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Provide general husbandry for all animals in the Americas section. This includes cleaning animal habitats, preparing diets, training, enrichment, and observing animal health and welfare daily.
Responsible for minor habitat repair and maintenance.
Knowledgeable and comfortable working with all species in this area on a regular basis (training provided).
Accurately maintain and complete daily records.
Responsible for the training of additional staff and interns.
Willing to work with and under the guidance of Animal Management to ensure Brevard Zoo’s standards of animal wellbeing are always being maintained.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Must have an excellent understanding of animal behavior and operant conditioning.
Speaks intelligently and diplomatically with co-workers, volunteers, and guests.
Initiates and writes accurate reports and manages assigned projects.
Ability to follow all Zoo standard operation procedures.
KEEPER 1 LEVEL REQUIREMENTS:
Identify enrichment needs for the animals on the run and provide behavior-based enrichment on a daily basis.
Read all applicable husbandry manuals.
Learn all maintenance behaviors for the animals on the team, utilize regularly and consistently, and appropriately record sessions in a timely manner.
Participate in animal exams, monthly keeper training, learning strings, and animal identification.
Take the following 4 classes: Animal Welfare, Training Techniques 1, Behavior-driven enrichment, and CPR.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
(M) Medium Work
Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects as needed to move objects.
POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS/HAZARDS:
Must be willing to work in inclement weather including temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and high humidity.
Frequent movement outdoors with some indoor office environment. Exposure to extreme heat and weather conditions. Requires Sitting, Standing, Walking, Bending, Stooping, Kneeling, Finger Dexterity, Talking, Hearing, and Visual Acuity frequently.
WORK SCHEDULE:
Must be flexible with schedule including holidays, weekends, evenings, and during emergency situations.
TRAVEL: May be asked to travel
Updated 2h ago
Candidate fit
Skills and qualifications
Additional skills
Experience
1-3 years
Certifications
How this role is positioned
Role classification
Job domains
Industries
Employment
Full Time
Contract duration
Permanent
Hiring type
Direct
Global hiring
Location specific
Offer details
Compensation and benefits
Compensation
Compensation not disclosed
Location, schedule, and role shape
Work setup
Work conditions
Bandwidth profile
Context on the employer
Company snapshot
Company
Brevard Zoo
Team size
Growing team
Location
Melbourne, Florida, United States
Located along the Space Coast in Melbourne, Florida, the Brevard Zoo is an AZA-accredited facility with a diverse collection of over 900 animals representing nearly 200 species. It is also home to the Sea Turtle Healing Center for rehabilitation of wild marine turtles. Brevard Zoo is well-known for its strong conservation ethic and unique attractions, such as kayaking through the Africa area, giraffe feeding, and rhinoceros encounters.
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The America’s Keeper 1
Melbourne, Florida, United States • Full Time