Senior Husbandry Curator

Position Summary:
The Senior Husbandry Curator is the top animal-care leader at the site level, responsible for overseeing all daily animal care operations and leading both the Husbandry and Animal Ambassador teams. This role owns the floor, sets the standard for animal welfare and guest safety, and ensures operational excellence across the facility.

This position combines hands-on animal care expertise with strong people leadership and operational oversight. The Senior Husbandry Manager serves as the primary decision-maker for day-to-day animal care, staff direction, and incident response.

Salary: $70,304-$80,000 DOE.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Operations:

• Lead, manage, and develop all Husbandry and Animal Ambassador staff (typically 8-15 team members).
• Own daily animal care operations and on-floor immersion and education experiences.
• Ensure consistent training, onboarding, and competency development across teams.
• Ensure the safety of our animals, team members, and guests while meeting our mission to inspire care, wonder, and lifelong learning.
• Manage route schedules and staffing coverage based upon skill set.
• Set clear performance expectations and conduct coaching, feedback, and corrective action as needed.
• Responsible for all regulatory interaction and communication at the site level. (USDA, local regulations, Vet, and ZAA best practices).
• Run and drive the current animal care and immersive systems.
• Critical thinking around how best to share the stories of every animal is required.

Animal Welfare & Care:

• Oversee daily welfare checks, enrichment programs, and husbandry routines.
• Maintain high standards of animal health, welfare, and habitat quality.
• Execute veterinary treatment and medical care plans as directed by veterinarians.
• Maintain accurate animal health records and documentation.
• Coordinate animal transfers, introductions, and temporary relocations as needed.

Veterinary & Clinical Coordination:

• Serve as the primary on-site point of contact for veterinarians and contracted clinicians.
• Support veterinary visits, treatments, and follow-up care.
• Monitor ongoing medical cases and escalate concerns appropriately.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure compliance with daily, weekly, monthly, etc., of all husbandry activities within our Animal Care software system.
• Lead incident response related to animal welfare, staff safety, and guest safety.
• Enforce safety protocols and emergency procedures.
• Proactively identify and mitigate operational risks.

Administrative & Budget Oversight:

• Manage site-level operational resources and supplies related to animal care.
• Monitor spending and operate within an approved budget.
• Provide reporting and updates to senior leadership as required.

Clinical & Technical Expectations:

• Zoo/Aquarium and exotic animal clinical experience is required.
• Strong, hands-on background in animal husbandry.
• Demonstrated ability to carry out veterinary medical care plans.
• Experience maintaining detailed animal health and welfare records.
• Working knowledge of regulatory and inspection standards related to animal care and welfare.

Qualifications:

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, guest-facing environment.
• Prior leadership experience in animal care, husbandry, or zoological operations.
• Proven ability to lead teams, make decisions, and manage daily operations.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to respond calmly and effectively in high-risk or emergency situations.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences, Animal Ecology, Animal Behavior, or related fields required.
• Vet Tech certification is a plus.