Zoo Keeper-Farm - Animal Care Technician

Job Details

Working Title:
Animal Care Technician 3 - Farm
Job Class:
Zoo Keeper
Agency:
Minnesota Zoological Garden

• Job : 91461
• Location
  :
  Apple Valley
• Telework Eligible
  :
  No
• Full/Part Time
  :
  Full-Time
• Regular/Temporary
  :
  Unlimited
• Who May Apply
  :
  Open to all qualified job seekers
• Date Posted
  : 01/27/2026
• Closing Date
  : 02/17/2026
• Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit
  :
  Minnesota Zoological Garden / Zoological Gardens-AFSCME
• Division/Unit
  :
  Animal Care, Health, Conservation & Behavior/Animal Care / Farm
• Work Shift/Work Hours
  :
  Day Shift;
  Four 10-hour days, including 1 to 2 weekend days
• Travel Required
  :
  This job requires occasional day time travel and overnight stays
• Salary Range: $26.42 - $35.17 / hourly; $55,164 - $73,434 / annually
• Classified Status
  :
  Classified
• Bargaining Unit/Union
  : 207 - Technical/AFSCME
• Work Area
  :
  Operations:
  Farm/Northern Trail
• FLSA Status
  :
  Nonexempt
• Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities
  :
  Yes

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

This posting may be used to fill multiple positions.

This position will work at the Wells Fargo Family Farm at the Minnesota Zoo.

This position provides animal and habitat care and maintenance so that healthy, well-adjusted animals, and attractive, instructive exhibits are presented to guests of the Minnesota Zoo in a manner that supports the Zoo’s mission of connecting people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife. The incumbent ensures appropriate welfare of the animals. The incumbent operates fleet vehicles to move around the Zoo campus.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Perform animal husbandry procedures as established so that the highest level of animal health and exhibition are maintained.
• Prepare, present, and participate in interpretive programs for Zoo guests, staff, and/or volunteers so that staff and guests receive accurate information on the biology, natural history, and conservation of the species in an educational and entertaining manner.
• Perform plant and horticulture procedures as established so that the highest level of plant health and exhibition are maintained in all vegetable and flower gardens, orchards, and other planted areas.
• Perform maintenance and general cleaning of habitats and work areas as assigned so that a neat and clean appearance and pleasant and safe experience are provided for all guests.

The following qualifications are required of all applicants seeking consideration for this position. Only applicants whose application materials clearly demonstrate fulfillment of each of these minimum qualifications will be considered for the position. To ensure accurate evaluation, your resume must clearly describe your experience in the required areas. For each job, include whether it was full-time, part-time, or intermittent/on-call; how many hours per week you worked;

and the month and year you started and ended.

• Three (3) years of experience as a full-time Zookeeper at a zoo or aquarium; or veterinary hospital involving direct animal care and maintenance or commercial livestock operation. Experience must be within the last ten (10) years and include all of the following:
  • Working with animals, including handling and presenting in a show setting.
  • Observation of animal behaviors.
  • Preparation and feeding of animal diets.
  • Preparation and maintenance of detailed animal records
  • Maintenance of sanitary animal living conditions.
  • Training animals using operant conditioning with positive reinforcement.
  • Creating goal-based enrichment items.
• Customer service skills sufficient to work with co-workers and guests courteously and respectfully.
• Ability to interpret technical literature that relates to the health and management of animals.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a work environment that respects and values differences and diversity
• U…