Director of Animal Care & Health

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Position Summary:

The Director of Animal Care & Health is a leadership position responsible for the management of The Living Desert’s animal collections and programs including associated habitats, facilities, and staff. The Director works under the direction and reports to the Chief Operating Officer. This role oversees approximately 50 team members.

The Director of Animal Care & Health is expected to support the Zoo in its mission “to support desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation.” This person will lead the Zoo to achieve a forward-thinking vision of a modern zoo and inclusive culture.

This is a key, visible leadership position that requires a motivated, energetic, dedicated team player who is willing to make a significant commitment to the organization. This requires an enthusiastic individual with strong guest engagement skills, decision making skills and leadership skills while demonstrating the ability to work effectively with all levels of staff. This leader will adhere to and support all organizational policies, procedures, and standards.

This position is responsible for the development, implementation, mentoring, follow-through, and evaluation of the animal care staff. Exceptional leadership skills which include being a role model and an example for others to follow, inspiring others to work towards an exciting future and shared vision, challenging self and others to look for innovative ways to improve areas and the Zoo, foster collaboration, trust and team building. Working with the Chief Operating Officer to create and continue a culture of recognizing contributions, celebrating accomplishments, and fostering a feedback rich environment. This person will lead the animal care team in delivering uncompromising excellence in animal care, wellness, and guest engagement.

This position oversees the animals, habitats, behind the scenes areas, guest engagement activities and overall management strategies of the collection and staff. Develops short- and long-term goals and strategies, provides recommendations to Zoo administration regarding animal residents, habitats, diets, design, construction, presentations, behavior goals and relevance to overall Zoo objectives including conservation and mission. This position will ensure the highest quality of wellbeing and care for the animals which includes meeting or exceeding AZA and USDA standards.

Job description is a summary of the typical duties of the role, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties.

Mission:

• Responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Animal Care & Veterinary Care teams.
• Responsible for the health and well-being of the animal residents, including habitats, enclosures, hospital, connection programs, registrar, and nutrition.
• Ensures enriching experiences and well-being programs supports the overall behavioral goals of the animals in our care and mission of the Zoo.
• Develops and monitors long and short-term planning while collaborating with various departments.

Administrative:

• Responsible for development and monitoring of operating and capital budgets in a manner that assures effective use of financial resources.
• Develops budget recommendations, controls assigned budget lines and authorizes expenditures, approves purchases.
• Provides guidance for animal care leadership team to maintain standards set upon the department through effective coordination of activities, decisions in recruiting, hiring, discipline, evaluation, allocation, and dismissal of team members.
• Prepares annual performance appraisals of team members, reviews all performance appraisals of Animal Care and Veterinary Care teams to ensure consistency and objectiveness.
• Develops, promotes, and enforces organization guidelines, policies, and standards. Ensures documentation of all aspects of animal management and utilizes this information for trouble shooting and problem solving with animals and team members.
• Review of and familiarity with AZA and USDA standards, including all TLD formal written policies/protocols including pertinent accreditation documents.
• Ability to give and comprehend written and oral instructions, and to accurately carry out those instructions. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally, in writing and presenting to a variety of groups.
• Utilizes PMC track as necessary and mandated by AZA for Animal program sustainability.
• Will need to navigate a newly formed Animal Care union.

Communication/Relationships:

• Develops and promotes a One Team philosophy throughout the department.
• Supervises, evaluates, and provides direction to the team in all aspects of daily operations.
• Takes a leadership role with personnel, crucial conservations, conflict resolution and positive behavior change.
• Maintain effective communication, both written and verbal, with Chief operating Officer, Veterinary Services, Animal Care team and all other TLD Team members. Assist as a technical expert and key spokesperson with regards to animal care and in potential crisis situations, as needed. Serves as internal public relations liaison for the Animal Care team.
• Ability to give/receive feedback in a positive and productive manner to move team skills forward. Encourages a feedback rich environment.
• Collaborates with the Education Engagement department to develop meaningful messaging for programs.
• Collaborates with Conservation department to ensure TLD is a leader in professional, national, and international conservation organizations to develop strategies and consortiums for the purpose of species survival, conservation, propagation, and the protection of selected wildlife and plant species.
• Participates in TLD team department meetings as needed, planning sessions, and committee meetings.
• Write and submit papers or presentations to AZA and other professional conferences, workshops and meetings.
• A self-starter with strong organizational and communication skills with observational and listening skills is necessary.
• Recognizes the importance of confidentiality and discretion. Will handle sensitive information at times.

Safety:

• Takes a leadership role of emergency situations by acting as Incident Commander, Animal Emergency Team Lead and oversees the Emergency Weapons and Immobilization teams.
• Responsible for development, coordination, and implementation of safety-related matters.
• Continually assesses Potentially Dangerous and Venomous animal protocols for potential improvements.
• Ensures compliance of safety policies, procedures, and practices; ensures team works in a safe manner with appropriate protective equipment or processes, all accidents/incidents are investigated, documented and corrective action is taken.
• Supports and ensures that the potentially dangerous animals are worked within the Two Key/Two Keeper/Two Lock and Lock Out Tag Out engineering controls systems.
• Collaborates with COO and Safety Manager to facilitate annual training exercise drills per AZA requirements.
• Must be capable of emergency response handling to avoid injury to self, humans, and animals while remaining calm under pressure.
• Maintain a safe and productive workplace for animals, guests, and team members.

Guest Service/Public Relations:

• Represents TLD in the highest standard of professionalism and engages guests in a courteous manner.
• Promotes the message that the animals who call TLD home receive excellent care.
• Develops and incorporates messaging into guest’s engagement activities reflective of Zoo’s conservation messaging.
• Ensures the details and design of habitats and perception of animals provides an optimal guest experience.
• Ability to speak to guests, public, colleagues, various groups, or media both formally and informally.
• Ensures moving the majority of training to be visible to guests, both for natural behaviors and husbandry to connect with guests in a more meaningful way.

Leadership/Organizational Specific Tasks, Duties, Responsibilities:

• Establishes goals, objectives and standards of performance; develop and implement operating policies and procedures, short term and long-term objectives/strategies/goals regarding the overall animal residents and organization.
• Primary leader in the development, implementation and communication of animal collection and management plans that support the organizational goals and objectives. Ensures adherence to institutional resident plant criteria, including factors to field conservation impact and animal well-being.
• Responsible for monitoring and assuring compliance with AZA accreditation and USDA standards.
• Responsible for monitoring and assuring compliance with appropriate local, state, and federal agencies as it pertains to the animal care department.
• Responsible for overseeing all aspects of Veterinary care and hospital.
• Design and collaborate on new habitat construction.
• Develops and mentor leadership as a forward-thinking organization and zoo of the future. This includes but is not limited to public speaking, organizational management, well-being, habitat design, guest connections.
• Attends and participates in national and international conferences and symposia.
• Ensures operant conditioning training is implemented, appropriate behaviors are trained, and training projects are moving forward at an appropriate rate.
• Implement and evaluate general animal husbandry practices, breeding programs, and diet revisions.
• Participate in AZA and The Living Desert conservation or education programs, scientific meetings, conferences, workshops, author papers and present lectures on husbandry, design and construction meetings and conservation topics as needed.
• Review challenges, goals, or upcoming events of the department with the Chief Operating Officer, including actively collaborating with all staff to support special events.
• Seek and acquire education and personal training in the zoological, management and leadership fields.
• Interact with other zoological institutions and conservation organizations on topics regarding progressive animal care, husbandry, research, and conservation as appropriate.
• Promote and enforce organization guidelines, policies, and standards. Participate in and promote team interaction with guests that enhance the guest experience and deliver conservation messages.
• Establish and maintain effective and professional working relations with co-workers in accordance with TLD Employee Handbook.
• Provides assistance to other departments as needed.
• Related responsibilities as necessary to accomplish department objectives.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Arts/Sciences degree with a minimum of five years direct experience at the general or departmental curatorial level in a zoo or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Valid California driver license or eligible to attain. Must be insurable on The Living Desert’s automobile policy.
• Knowledge and experience in management preferred, including programmatic planning, budgeting, and supervision. Proven supervisory, interpersonal, communication and leadership skills preferred.
• Will substitute training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skill, and abilities, (Generally, one year of paid full time exotic animal experience substitutes for one year of college level work).
• Literate in Microsoft Word, Excel. ZIMS and Monday.com, LEAN process knowledge is a plus.
• Covid vaccination plus one booster required.
• Annual TB test with negative reading required.

Working Conditions:

• Standing, walking, twisting, climbing, crawling, kneeling, reaching motions, lifting (up to 50#)
• Exposure to extreme heat, chemicals, and dust/airborne materials.
• Works with potentially dangerous animals (large ungulates, carnivores, venomous snakes)
• Holiday, evening, weekend work required based on needs. Available on as needed basis for emergencies and events.
• Travel opportunities for conferences and workshops as budgeting/funding are available.

Equipment Used:

• PC computer, general office equipment and software, telephone, radio, vehicles

Salary Description

$115,000 – $125,000/yr DOE