Animal Care Specialist

General Statement of Duties

Serves as primary caretaker providing daily care and feedings for a wide variety of farm animals on an interpretative living history farm museum complex; provides routine care and maintenance to the animals' habitats and related structures and systems; develops and facilitates or assists with educational and informational programming; does related work as required.

General Statement of Duties

• The position assignment will primarily be located at Meadow Farm.
• Sound current working knowledge and understanding of animal husbandry, animal behavior, health maintenance, relevant appropriate treatments for common health issues, medicines and medical techniques, related healthcare supplies and rehabilitative care for animals
• Apply principles of operant conditioning with a focus on positive reinforcement for husbandry purposed in free and protected contact settings
• Propose and implement and evaluate effective and safe environment enrichment experiences for animals and public programming purposes
• Conduct tours and orientation and assist with special events, classes and demonstrations as assigned
• Develops and implements relevant educational and informative programming, activities, and events.  
• Sound working knowledge of data collection and management to create and maintain a wide variety of records and inventories
• Excellent organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to plan and execute work effectively to successfully complete assigned tasks accurately and in a timely manner within established deadlines
• Ability to multi-task effectively
• Sound political astuteness
• Sound critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to appropriately resolve a variety of questions and issues within established policies, guidelines, requirements and procedures
• May require the ability to research issues and identify solutions
• Sound judgment with demonstrated ability to consider and weigh a variety of relevant factors and make accurate decisions or recommendations
• Visual and hearing acuity sufficient to support the safe handling and care of animals and ensure safety of self and others onsite
• Sound computer skills with ability to use computer and typical business software, proprietary software and applications to complete assigned tasks
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills to communicate information to diverse audiences in user friendly language
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to collaborate effectively to establish and maintain good working relationships with all levels of Division staff, contractors, and other relevant stakeholders
• Personal accountability including teamwork and establishing and maintaining positive working relationships
• Excellent customer service skills with the demonstrated ability to interact patiently, respectfully and with tact and courtesy with all site visitors and other stakeholders with varying levels of understanding and needs to appropriately address requests, needs and issues
• Tact; and courtesy
• Must be able to positively and appropriately represent the County in interactions with the public and other site-specific stakeholders
• May be required to work holidays as assigned
• Requires the ability to work a flexible schedule, including days, evenings, weekends and on-call as needed

Minimum Qualifications

Completion of relevant college level coursework in animal science, biology, zoology or other field relevant to assigned area (relevant four (4) year degree preferred) and four (4) years of relevant hands-on work experience; OR any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Additional Information

A criminal history record check and fingerprinting is conducted on all persons conditionally offered employment, including a conditional offer of initial employment, or a conditional offer to promote, demote, or laterally transfer an employee.