About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Scientific & QA.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

---

What You’ll Do

This is an entry-level animal care role supporting hoofstock (giraffe, okapi, and related species). Working under established protocols and supervisory direction, you will deliver daily husbandry, enrichment, and exhibit maintenance to support animal health, welfare, and guest education.

• Provide daily care for assigned animals and exhibits: feeding, watering, cleaning, and basic husbandry.
• Follow written diets and medication instructions; observe and report changes in health or behavior to management and veterinary staff.
• Deliver environmental enrichment and participate in operant conditioning/training sessions.
• Maintain exhibit cleanliness and safety: perform sanitation, pest-control tasks, and report mechanical or structural hazards.
• Assist with capture, restraint, transfers, and veterinary procedures as directed (training provided where required).
• Maintain accurate animal records, assist with research and surveys, and document enrichment outcomes.
• Support exhibit maintenance and light repairs: painting, fencing, erosion control, planting, and weed removal.
• Present educational talks and tours to guests to promote conservation and species awareness.
• Collaborate with other teams (veterinary, education, PR) on events, media, and special programs.

---

Required & Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in animal science, biology, or related field plus one year of paid animal care experience required. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Knowledge of animal care and basic husbandry; experience with exotic hoofstock at an AZA-accredited facility is preferred.
• Willingness to learn safe capture and restraint techniques for a variety of taxa (may include potentially dangerous species).
• Strong observation and basic research skills; accurate record-keeping and written/oral communication.
• Team player who is flexible, self-motivated, and solution-oriented.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation (required to operate zoo vehicles).
• Successful completion of pre-employment drug screen, background check, and TB test.

---

Physical & Work Requirements

• Ability to walk, stand, sit, kneel, stoop, crawl, twist, reach overhead, pull, bend, climb stairs and ladders, and lift/carry up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to work holidays, weekends, and irregular hours as required.
• Able to work outdoors in hot or inclement weather.
• Regular, reliable, and punctual attendance is required.

---

Why This Role Matters

You’ll play a direct part in advancing animal welfare and conservation education. This hands-on role is ideal for early-career animal care professionals who want to develop husbandry and training skills, participate in AZA-standard practices, and contribute to a collaborative care team.

---

Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.