Back to jobs

Interpreter

Nashville, TN

Nashville Zoo Position Description

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Interpreter

 

Position/Title: Interpreter

Department: Education

Supervisor: Interpretation Manager

Company Overview: Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is a 200-acre institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) whose mission is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. Located in the heart of Nashville, the zoo has an extensive animal collection within its current 88 acres of developed exhibits. The Zoo attracts more than one million visitors annually as well as serving a diverse community through outreach programs within greater Nashville and mid-Tennessee. 

Position Overview: Our Interpreters are essential members of the Nashville Zoo’s education team, dedicated to enriching the guest experience through engaging and informative programming. They understand the vital role education plays in building community support for the Zoo and fostering a deeper connection to wildlife. The Interpreter role brings expertise in developing and delivering public programs, possesses outstanding communication skills, and has a strong foundation in interpretive techniques and basic zoology.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Serve as an on-grounds interpreter at various locations throughout the zoo, including but not limited to: Veterinary Center, Historic Croft Home and Farm, animal exhibits and other locations throughout Zoo grounds. This includes providing narration during surgical procedures and guided tours of the historic home.
  • Designing and facilitate a variety of inspiring educational interactions including tours, experiences, classes, chats, etc.
  • Engage with guests on a regular basis, providing excellent service to ensure a positive guest experience.
  • Lead behind the scenes experiences and walking tours.
  • Participate in interpretation and activities as a part of special events, including but not limited to: Boo at the Zoo, Zoolumination, Great Backyard Bird Count, Avian Awareness Day, Party for the Planet, World Tiger Day, and World Rhino Day
  • Participate in regular training opportunities and stay up to date on Zoo related information and current interpretive best practice
  • Perform regular cleaning and maintenance of interpretive elements including signage, electronic displays, historic furnishings and collections, outbuildings, and farm equipment.
  • Serve as utility educator to teach other departmental programming when the schedule necessitates including other duties as assigned.

 

 

Qualifications

Required Skills:

The successful candidate must have:

  • Desire to work with and speak to the general public.
  • Demonstrated excellent interpersonal communication skills and be able to collaborate effectively with other zoo departments.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills to represent the zoo.
  • Ability to work well independently without direct supervision.
  • Excellent multitasking and time management ability
  • Ability to respond to emergency situations calmly and follow protocols.

Desired Skills:

The following skills and experience are desired and are considered a plus:

  • Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) or be willing to obtain certification as part of employment.
  • Familiarity with technology relevant to use in a zoo education setting.
  • Knowledge and experience with live animal education programming
  • Prior experience in an interpreter role

 

Education/ Experience:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • High school diploma or GED equivalent.

Physical Responsibilities:

  • Ability to work outdoors year-round, including in inclement weather.
  • Ability to stand and walk for an extended period.
  • Ability to climb, bend, stoop, crawl, kneel, twist, reach and extend themselves, etc., as required for assigned tasks.

 

Work Schedule:

  • Must be available to work any of seven days of the week.
  • Must be available to work special needs or events that may occur outside of regular work schedule, including evenings, weekends, or holidays, as required.

Pre-employment/Post Offer requirements:

  • Offered Candidates for this position must submit to a criminal background check and drug test.
  • Offered Candidates for this position must submit to an annual Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) check.
  • Offered Candidates for this position are subject to pre-employment and annual Tuberculosis Screenings.

Nashville Zoo is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by

 

 

Pay Range

$15.17 - $15.17 USD

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Nashville Zoo? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...

U.S. Standard Demographic Questions

We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Nashville Zoo’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.