Lead Animal Keeper, Helen Brach Primate & Regenstein Macaque Forest

Lincoln Park Zoo inspires communities to create environments where wildlife will thrive in our urbanizing world. The zoo is a leader in local and global conservation, animal care and welfare, learning, and science. A historic Chicago landmark founded in 1868, the not-for-profit Lincoln Park Zoo, is a privately-managed, member-supported organization and is free and open 365 days a year. Visit us .

Under general supervision, participates in all aspects of daily animal care and maintenance of particular exhibits. As team lead, individual will be responsible for communication between management team and animal keepers. Team lead will also be responsible for scheduling, assigning tasks, organizing meetings, overseeing compliance with implementing procedures approved by the management team. This position works in a team atmosphere that strives to continuously provide progressive, high standards of care to ensure animal health, safety, and well-being.

Position works with team to identify and solve problems, maintain motivation to accomplish department goals and ensure a positive and productive work environment.

• Create building run schedules and assign/delegate tasks to animal keeper staff as scheduling and staffing allows
• Organize and conduct building meetings, ensuring agendas are set and notes are taken and distributed
• Ensure compliance with approved procedures and activities including TRACKS record keeping, animal training, enrichment calendars, lock check procedures, medication procedures, policy reviews, safety protocols and quality/quantity of animal husbandry duties by the animal keepers
• Organize training of new animal keepers, verify when training is complete and conduct specialized training when needed
• Participate in the interview and recommendation process for hiring new animal keepers
• Provide constructive feedback to animal keepers and management team on the work performance of the animal keepers
• Collaborate with the animal care team to assess supply needs and facility improvement requests, and provide informed recommendations to management to support purchasing and budget planning
• Proactively participate in the development and implementation of animal management plans, including but not limited to (behavioral exam plan, birth management, transport, veterinary procedure, introduction)
• Promotes, advances, and helps implement staffing decisions from the management team
• Promotes and contributes to a positive and productive work environment
• Provides support and guidance towards completion of performance goals, encouraging good communication skills, and teamwork
• Provides suggestions to management team for diet adjustments based on personal observations and keeper feedback, ensuring all team members are updated on diet changes
• Ensure daily run protocols are updated on an annual or as needed basis
• Effectively communicate all building updates to team members
• Possess knowledge of current training and enrichment program in the building, including assigned plans, progress status, and necessary scheduling;
  Responsible for staying informed and up-to-date, and must be able to readily access and communicate this information as needed
• Work in conjunction with other departments to help organize special projects in their respected animal area such as horticulture, facilities, and contractors
• Is proficient, trained and up to date on all runs within the building
• Is knowledgeable and has a working understanding of all job-related aspects of building operations and helps to ensure institutional knowledge is documented
• Communicate with management regarding any needed work orders, submitting work orders as needed

• Provides daily care to animals and their enclosures. Including, but not limited to cleaning, feeding, watering, securing, observing, animal training and enrichment, record keeping and maintaining exhibits
• Participates in daily operant conditioning training sessions, working with teams to advance program in alignment with established goals for species behavior and wellbeing. This includes developing training plans and completing training records
• Advances…