Zookeeper I

The fundamental reason this position exists is to provide animal care through the performance of specific duties in the feeding, cleaning, and general husbandry of the live animal collections of the zoo; due to the nature of work, this position is very labor intensive.  The essential functions of this position are: observes animals and exhibits, records animal behavior and condition information on reports, prepares diets, medicates animals as needed, and performs maintenance duties on facilities and exhibits in the zoo. The Zookeeper I differs from the Zookeeper II in that the Zookeeper II is responsible for a specific section of the zoo and is extremely knowledgeable of the animals in that section whereas the Zookeeper I rotates as needed among the different sections of the zoo. Incumbents receive direct supervision from the Zookeeper II, the Assistant Animal Care Manager, the Conservation & Enrichment Manager, and the Animal Care Manager.    

High School diploma or G.E.D. and six months of professional animal care experience in a zoo setting or one year of animal care experience as a paid professional, technical employee, or as a supervised volunteer in an organization that buys, sells, or maintains exotic and/or domestic animals.   

Must be able to tolerate working under difficult conditions to include extreme heat and cold and deadlines as needed to care for animal collection and maintain exhibits.  Must be able to stoop, climb, walk, run and crawl.  Must be able to lift heavy objects such as food bundles, hay, or food bags weighing up to 60 pounds unassisted.  Must be able to work weekends and holidays.  Must have and maintain a valid Alabama driver’s license and an insurable driving record in order to drive city vehicles to pick up various produce and food items.  Candidates will be subject to a medical exam following a conditional job offer.

Applications are being accepted to fill two (2) vacancies and any vacancies that may occur during the life of the register. The current vacancies are with the City of Montgomery Zoo. Applicants will be screened, qualified and ranked based on education and experience as shown on the application and willingness questionnaire. For this reason, applicants are urged to fill in the application form and willingness questionnaire completely providing detailed information concerning the kinds of jobs they have held, the dates they held them, where and exactly what their duties were.  If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the appropriate number of eligible applicants for immediate referral, applicants will be placed in groups based on their qualifications indicated on the supplemental questionnaire and application. Applicants within each group will be considered equally qualified and placed on the register in alphabetical order. If the number of qualified applicants is equal to or less than the appropriate number for referral, qualified candidates will be certified as equally qualified.

Complete an online application by visiting Montgomery City-County Personnel's Online Employment Center. Paper applications are no longer accepted. Completed applications will be accepted online until 5:00 p.m. on the closing date. If there is no closing date, the announcement may be closed at any time without prior notice.

BENEFITS: Employees are offered a competitive benefits package which includes health, dental, and life insurance, paid annual and sick leave, paid holidays, and a retirement program.

DRUG TEST: Employment is conditional upon the potential employee passing a preemployment drug test. (The drug test may require the submission of a sample of hair, finger nails, and/or urine that will verify illegal drug use).

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Discrimination against any person in recruitment, examination, appointment, training, promotion, retention, discipline, or any other aspect of personnel administration because of political or religious opinions or affiliations or because of race, national origin, or any other non merit factors is prohibited. Discrimination on the basis of age, sex, or physical disability is prohibited except where specific age, sex, or physical requirements constitute a bona fide occupational qualification necessary to proper and efficient administration.

REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the responsibility of the applicant with a disability to request accommodation which he/she requires in order to participate in the application or examination process. The Personnel Department reserves the right to require documentation of the need for accommodation under the ADA. In order to request accommodation in the application or testing process, contact the Personnel Director at (334) 625-2675.

I9: Prior to your employment, you will be required to provide to your employer documentation of your identity and employment eligibility in order to comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

UPDATE OF CONTACT INFORMATION: It is your responsibility to update your contact information (address, phone, email) so that we can contact you about jobs.  Please visit the Update Contact Information page to log in and update to your contact information at any time.