Animal Care Specialist 1

Animal Care Specialist Level 1

Reports to: Director of Animal Care and/or Life Support Systems Manager

Job Purpose: This position is responsible for the daily duties of exhibit husbandry/maintenance, animal medical care, and life support systems. General areas of responsibility are animal husbandry and medical care, water quality, tank cleaning, and life support system maintenance.

Key responsibilities: 

• Responsible for daily care and husbandry of resident animals (including turtles, fish, and invertebrates), including preparing and administering diets and enrichment
• Responsible for new patient admittance and performing daily patient medical care, including administering oral and injectable medication, cold-laser therapy, in-house blood work, applying PIT tags, medical record keeping, and any other treatment as prescribed by the veterinarian
• Assist with animal health assessments as needed
• Perform water chemistry tests and monitor water quality of all facility tanks
• Carry out general tank maintenance, including scrubbing algae whilst inside and outside/on top of facility tanks
• Carry out routine maintenance of LSS equipment, including pumps, UV sterilizers, heater/chillers, filters and protein fractionators
• Assist with monitoring inventory (food, medication, chemicals, tools, consumables, etc.)
• Collaborate with LSS Manager and Facilities Manager to ensure all equipment is functioning, assisting with repairs and plumbing as needed
• Respond to wildlife emergencies as required, including being responsible for the 24/7 emergency stranding phone as per the rotating schedule
• Assist with surgeries and necropsies as needed
• Assist with acquiring new animals and adding to the zoological collection, including transport and acclimating of new individuals
• Assist with training and supervision of interns and volunteers in relation to animal care duties
• Assist with cold-stunning events, including intake, tagging, and release, as well as other necessary duties
• Any other relevant duties as assigned
• Contribute to the execution of special projects as assigned by the Director of Animal Care, Chief Conservation Officer, CEO or other leaders as required

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, wildlife and fisheries, or other related field required
• Must hold a valid U.S. Driver’s License
• Previous animal rehabilitation, aquarist, and/or husbandry experience desired
• Interest in or prior experience with equipment repair, filtration systems, or life support systems preferred
• Open Water scuba certification or ability to achieve certification is desired
• Must have strong collaborative communication skills, problem-solving skills, and a positive attitude
• Must be flexible and able to adapt quickly due to the unpredictable nature of our organization’s work
• Must be self-motivated and able to work independently or as part of a team
• Must be dedicated and invested in the execution of the mission of medical care, conservation, education, and applied research, as well as the growth of the organization

Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and pass a criminal background check. U.S. citizenship or permit to work in the U.S. is required.

Physical Demands
The following physical demands must be met to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. While performing the responsibilities of the position, employees are frequently required to swim, sit, walk, stand, stoop, bend, kneel, climb and/or crouch; using hands and fingers to handle or feel; ability to reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. Must be comfortable working in adverse weather conditions, including extreme temperatures and humidity.

Sea Turtle Inc. is a collaborative mission-based organization. Other duties as assigned are included as needed to support the mission.