Denver Zoois a leader in animal care, wildlife conservation, and education. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission of Inspiring Communities to Save Wildlife for Future Generations.
Denver Zoo honors our animals, staff, and guests by conducting ourselves at the highest level of integrity through our Core Actions — Inspire Awe: Safety, Care, Connect and by embracing our Core Values of: Welcoming, United, Curious, Courageous and Transformative in all that we do.
The Animal Care Intern is a temporary position, designed for future zookeepers to practice and develop necessary animal care skills and professional growth. Internship postings will depend on staff capacity, therefore, not all animal departments will offer internships every session. The Bird section includes a wide variety of birds, housed in multiple facilities on zoo property.
Our staff is a dedicated and diverse group of individuals committed to providing quality care to our animals while creating moments of awe for guests. If you are a like-minded individual and thrive in a dynamic, fast paced and innovative culture, Denver Zoo is the place for you!
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Priority 1: Introduction to zookeeping and on-the-job training to develop husbandry skills
- Prepare and feed approved diets to animals under assigned care
- Clean yards and enclosures under assigned care; exposure to exhibit maintenance
- Observe animal training and shifting
- Exposure to record keeping and animal healthcare
- Interact with guests, in both formal and informal settings
- Follow Denver Zoo safety protocols
- Priority 2: Guided professional and personal growth
- Meet regularly with mentors to assess progress on the provided learning plan
- Regularly receive feedback and implement it
- Become an active team member, and gain confidence working with others
- Interact with fellow interns during intern program experiences such as workshops, presentations and projects
Other Responsibilities and Duties
- Other assistance, as designated by the Intern Mentor or area Assistant Curator, to support the overall goals of the department and organization. Denver Zoo retains the right to add or change duties and/or responsibilities at any time
- Act as a good steward of Denver Zoo’s resources
- Maintain confidential and proprietary information of Denver Zoo
- This position will interact with managers at all levels and staff members across the organization, in addition to members of external organizations and the public. This position will interact with Denver Zoo volunteers
Technical / Professional Requirements & Qualifications
- Completion or in pursuit of an associate or bachelor’s degree in a science-related field.
- Cover letter explaining your interest and what you hope to gain from this internship.
- Basic computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite are preferred.
- Requires organizational skills, written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize work and tasks. Requires adaptability to produce and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-task and changing environment, and the ability to work as part of a team.
- Requires the ability to embrace, support, and integrate Denver Zoo’s philosophies to promote and demonstrate its commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism.
- Full-time is 30-40 hours per week, not to exceed 560 hours; Part-time is a minimum of two days per week, not to exceed 384 hours. Available to work weekends and holidays.
Physical Requirements
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 position. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Ability to speak, understand, and communicate in English effectively, in person and in writing. Ability to hear adequately in person and by phone, in personal and group settings, occasionally with a moderate or extreme noise level.
Ability to work with, and process information from, a variety of individuals and media (e.g., computers, projected images, printed materials), and sitting and/or standing up to 8 hours per day.
Mobility necessary to access various offices and a wide variety of meeting and zoo settings. Mobility necessary to perform a variety of tasks that involve standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, twisting, occasionally climbing stairs or using an elevator, possibly reaching chest high and overhead for materials, and the use of hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
Requires working near moving mechanical parts and outside in weather conditions that may be inclement and/or exposed to fumes, airborne particles and/or chemicals. This position will have contact with animals and/or exposure to zoonotic diseases.
Position Conditions
- Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug and alcohol screen
Compensation
$17.29 per hour, no benefits
Application Process and Timelines
Open until 4:00pm July 6, 2023. Review of applications will begin immediately. Denver Zoo reserves the right to close the position prior to this date.
Denver Zoo is following all CDC guidelines.CDC states that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense against the spread of, and severe illness due to, COVID-19. Denver Zoo highly encourages our employees to be vaccinated. We do ask for employees to upload their vaccination card into our HRIS for documentation. This information is kept confidential.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and others who identify as nonwhite, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those with lived experience with racism and/or misogynoir are encouraged to apply for this role.
Denver Zoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected status or any other characteristic protected by law.
www.denverzoo.org