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Animal Care Special Events Keeper

Nashville, TN

 

Nashville Zoo Position Description

MAMMAL DEPARTMENT:

Animal Care Events Keeper

 

The Nashville Zoo is currently seeking a highly motivated individual to bring their experience, creativity and passion to our Animal Care Events Team (ACE). This individual will be joining a team of dedicated keepers in caring for a variety animals who will be out for late events, while also providing other animal care teams with help and support. The ideal candidate will possess a balanced combination of animal experience, strong work ethic, internal motivation, good presentation skills, and a desire to collaborate with different teams to achieve goals.   

Description:    Under the general supervision of the Animal Care Events Supervisor, ACE keepers perform a wide range of functions within the Mammal Department. Their primary responsibilities include husbandry of assigned species (this may change daily) as well as maintaining and cleaning animal exhibits, yards, night enclosures, and contiguous areas. Staffing for late night events is required for the keepers on this team, you may also be asked to assist with training for husbandry behaviors, providing enrichment, and other husbandry related tasks.

Additional duties may include performing light exhibit construction, operating zoo vehicles, and maintaining integrity of the existing landscape. This employee will also be responsible for educating the public through keeper talks, animal encounters, meet and greets, and other impromptu educational programs as well as providing a clean and safe atmosphere for families to enjoy the Nashville Zoo. It is an important responsibility for this team to have a huge effect on the guest experience here in Nashville. The keeper in this area will need to have a wide variety of animal experience working with birds, primates, carnivores, hoofstock, domestics, ectotherms, and ambassador animals. Finally this keeper will need to be flexible, working week days, weekends, early mornings, and late night shifts. Schedules often change due to the summer or winter seasons, special events, and late night events.

 

Preference will be given to applicants with demonstrated experience of working with a variety of animal species in the following areas:

  • 1+ year(s) of comprehensive animal experience
  • Enhancement of guest experience
  • Advanced operant conditioning
  • Capture and restraint
  • Observing animal behavior
  • Understanding animal behavior and group dynamics in diverse species

 Physical Requirements:

  • Must be able to work outside year-round under typical Tennessee weather conditions and temperatures for extended periods of time. 
  • Must be able to work in uneven terrain with exposure to varying weather conditions, dust, and allergens.
  • Must be able to move about on slippery surfaces, handle toxic and hazardous materials and work in cramped and confined spaces. 
  • Must be able to lift and carry materials up to 50 pounds.

  Minimum Requirements:

  • Applicants must have a minimum of 1 year of full-time, paid experience with either birds, ectotherms, carnivores, primates, hoofstock, domestic species, and/or ambassador animals.
  • Applicants are preferred to have a college degree (Associate’s or Bachelor’s) in an applicable field: Animal Science, Biology, Zoology, etc…
  • Applicants must possess a valid driver’s license.

Special Note:

Applicant may be required to work any combination of five days in the seven day work week including weekends and holidays.  

Pre-employment requirements:

Nashville Zoo is an EEO Institution and a Drug Free Workplace.

At will

Offered candidates for this position are required to submit to a criminal background check and pass a drug test.

Candidates for this position are subject to yearly Tuberculosis Screenings.

 

 

Pay Range

$16.10 - $20.10 USD

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