Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is a leader in animal care, wildlife conservation, and education. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission of Inspiring Communities to Save Wildlife for Future Generations.
DZCA honors our animals, staff, and guests by conducting ourselves at the highest level of integrity through our Core Actions -- Inspire Awe: Safety, Care, Connect, and by embracing our Core Values of: Welcoming, Curious, United, Courageous, and Transformative in all that we do.
The Conservation Engagement department has an opportunity for a Seasonal Administrative Assistant. In this capacity, the assistant supports our mission by providing administrative, scheduling, and operational support to both the Guest Experience Volunteer Team and seasonal/partâtime Guest Engagement staff during the busiest summer season.
This position works collaboratively with the Guest Engagement Programs team and plays a key role in ensuring smooth, efficient logistical daily communication, resource organization, scheduling and support for volunteers and partâtime staff throughout the summer season.
The Engagement Seasonal Administrative Assistant serves as an atâwill staff member of the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA), providing essential dayâtoâday logistical and administrative support to ensure smooth operations during the peak summer season. In this role, the assistant supports both the Guest Experience Volunteer Team volunteers and seasonal/partâtime Guest Engagement staff by updating daily schedules, organizing resources, and providing clear, timely daily communication across teams.
This position plays a central role in the daily functioning of Engagement programs by supporting shifting operational needs, preparing and distributing materials, tracking volunteer and staff activity via data, and supporting onâgrounds and behind the scenes workflow. The assistant ensures that volunteers and partâtime staff have the information, tools, uniforms, and resources they need each day to deliver highâquality guest experiences. This includes maintaining organized workspaces, updating schedules based on realâtime changes and staffing needs, and providing consistent, reliable communication between daily teams and leadership.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Priority 1 – Seasonal Logistics and Administrative Support
- Serve as a daily point of logistics support for Guest Experience Volunteers and partâtime Guest Engagement staff during the season.
- Adjust and maintain schedules for both volunteers and partâtime staff based on daily needs as requested by manager.
- Maintain analog and electronic program updates, materials, restock supplies, and provide onâgrounds support in volunteer areas as requested.
- Keep detailed records of training and hours tracking for both volunteer and partâtime team support as requested.
- Collaborate with Interpretation Programs, Adult Volunteer Teams, and seasonal staff leadership to ensure strong operational execution across programs.
- Maintain, organize, and distribute volunteer and partâtime staff uniforms, ensuring all items are clean, orderly, and readily available throughout the season.
- Maintain tidy and organized volunteer and staff work areas, ensuring shared spaces remain clean, orderly, and ready for daily operations.
Priority 2 – Communication & Relationship Building
- Communicate clearly with guests, staff, and volunteers in person and electronically.
- Build and maintain professional relationships to foster a welcoming and united volunteer and part-time staff community.
- Support a cohesive and engaging guest experience through volunteer and staff interactions.
Priority 3 – Programmatic Mentorship
- Act as a resource for on-the-mentoring and supporting Guest Experience Volunteers in their roles.
- Assist with training, reflective practice, and skill development as requested.
- Maintain training scheduling and scheduling communication as requested.
Job Requirements/Experience
- Education: Completion or in pursuit of a high school degree or equivalent required, or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
- Experience: Experience with organizing for daily operations, including scheduling, strong communication skills in professional settings. Preferred experience includes supporting informal programs and volunteers, engaging proactively with guests in informal environments, and familiarity with scheduling or volunteer management software a plus.
- Ability to interact with multigenerational audiences, including multigenerational volunteers and staff.
- Comfort and confidence in presentation skills; ability to communicate effectively in noisy, crowded situations.â¯â¯
- Basic computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite are preferred.
- Requires organizational skills, written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize work and tasks. Requires adaptability to produce and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-task, and changing environment, and the ability to work as part of a team.
- Requires the ability to embrace, support, and integrate DZCA philosophies to promote and demonstrate its commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism.
Position Conditions
- Schedule Availability: This seasonal position will be 32-40hr/week and will work a Thursday – Monday work week, including weekends as regular workdays.
- Ability to pass a background check, pre-employment drug & alcohol screen.
Compensation
The hourly rate for this position is $19.30 (hourly).
Benefits
This is a seasonal position and as such is not eligible for benefits; however sick time is accrued.
Application Process and Timelines
Application deadline: April 7, 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately. DZCA reserves the right to close the position before this date. This is a seasonal position that is budgeted for May 2026 through the end of Summer 2026.
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
www.denverzoo.org
