Assistant Animal Care Manager

Overview

City Wildlife — Assistant Animal Care Manager

City Wildlife, Washington, DC’s only dedicated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, is seeking an experienced and dedicated Assistant Animal Care Manager to support daily wildlife rehabilitation operations. This hands-on role is designed to support and step into the Animal Care Manager role when the Animal Care Manager is not on site or unavailable. The Assistant Animal Care Manager plays a key leadership and continuity role, helping ensure that animal care, rehabilitation, and release activities run smoothly and consistently.

This position reports to the Animal Care Manager and works closely with the Clinic Director, animal care staff, interns, volunteers, and the front desk.

• Animal Care, Rehabilitation & Release Support
  • Support daily animal care, husbandry, rehabilitation, and release activities and vet help every other week.
  • Manage animal care activities when the animal care manager is not on site or unavailable.
  • Work directly with animal care staff, interns, and volunteers to ensure daily tasks are completed to City Wildlife standards.
  • Assist with developing and implementing animal care plans based on species, age, injury, and developmental stage, in consultation with the Animal Care Manager and Clinic Director.
  • Support enclosure setup, cleanliness, enrichment creation, and maintenance of species-appropriate habitats.
  • Evaluate patients for release and coordinate with the Operations Manager to arrange releases as needed.
  • Maintain complete and accurate patient records and case documentation.
  • Follow, support, and help enforce animal care, cleaning, and biosecurity protocols.

• Treatment Support (Scheduled / As Needed)
  • Assist the Clinic Director and Animal Care Manager with medical treatments as directed, including administering medications, bandaging, supportive care, and therapy.
  • Monitor incoming patients and assist with triage under established Clinic Director protocols.
  • Provide continuity of care when the Animal Care Manager is unavailable or engaged in treatment support.

• Staff, Intern & Volunteer Support
  • Help supervise, train, and support animal care staff, interns, and volunteers.
  • Assist with internship program support, including wet labs, evaluations, and feedback.
  • Model calm, compassionate, and professional leadership in a fast-paced environment.

• Administrative & Program Support
• Assist with daily scheduling, task organization, and communication using shared systems and in-center boards.
• Participate in meetings, trainings, and events as needed.
• Stay current on wildlife rehabilitation best practices and emerging research, and support ongoing learning within the animal care team.

• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience in wildlife rehabilitation and/or animal care in a fast-paced setting.
  • Strong hands-on husbandry skills and commitment to humane, evidence-based care.
  • Demonstrated ability to step into a leadership role when needed and support team continuity.
  • Clear communication skills, sound judgment, and ability to prioritize competing needs.
  • Experience following and helping implement protocols, training materials, and cleanliness/biosecurity standards.
  • Previous wildlife rehabilitation license in another jurisdiction and/or Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) through IWRC preferred.

• Permits / Requirements
• Will obtain a District of Columbia Wildlife Rehabilitator Permit (City Wildlife will support this process).
• Valid driver’s license.

Please submit a resume and brief cover letter describing your relevant experience, and your interest in a support leadership role to the Executive Director Dr Lorraine Docherty herty

City Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and identities.

City Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and identities. This posting contains no tables or non-text content and has been reformatted for accessibility.