Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc.
Your Role: Education Instructor
Your Manager: Education Manager – Visitor Programs
Your Pay Structure (FLSA Status): Part-time, hourly/nonexempt
Safety Sensitive: This is a safety-sensitive position. Regardless of whether you are a medical marijuana licensee, you must receive a negative result on a 10-panel, pre-placement drug screening to include THC, prior to beginning work.
The Zoo
Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. (TZMI) is a nonprofit organization driven by our mission of Connecting, Caring, Advocating for Wildlife, People, and Wild Places. From trumpeting elephants to squawking parrots, each member of our team is integral to the success of the Zoo as Green Country’s largest paid daily attraction. At Tulsa Zoo, the IDEA is a zoo for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. Apply today for your opportunity to join our dynamic group of passionate individuals who bring the zoo to life each day, 365 days per year, caring for animals, interacting with guests, educating the public, and managing the Zoo’s grounds, operations, and facilities.
A Few of Your Many Benefits
- Free family-level Tulsa Zoo membership
- 401k
- Unlimited virtual visits with a mental health therapist at no cost to you
- Food, beverage, and retail discounts on zoo grounds
Your Job
The Education Instructor provides support to both the Reserved Programs and Visitor Programs areas of the Education department as assigned. This role assists in the planning and facilitation of education programming, including ambassador animal chats, reserved programs, and onsite guest engagement. The
Instructor also assists with the department’s ambassador animals, including husbandry and enrichment. This role supports the Education Manager in coordinating the Zoo Teen program, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and daily oversite of Zoo Teens.
Your Essential Responsibilities
If you disclose different abilities, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable you to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position.
- Handle animals in the education ambassador animal collection in both public and non-public situations.
- Complete assigned animal husbandry routines, including enrichment and training, for the education ambassador animal collection. Observe animal collection for injury, illness, aggression, stress, breeding activity, diet intake, and fecal consistency.
- Report or record accurate daily observations of animal collection containing information regarding behavior, intake, fecal output, breeding behavior, aggression, behavioral enrichment, capture/restraint, prescribed medical treatments in-house moves and acquisitions/de-acquisitions.
- Assist in the facilitation of the Zoo Teen program, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and daily oversite of Zoo Teens.
- Teach all assigned education programs at Tulsa Zoo using pre-designed curriculums, policies, and guidelines.
- Provide a high level of guest service to traders and their families in the Cox Nature Exchange (NEX), including opening and closing procedures, educating traders, and interacting with Zoo Teens.
- Ensure participants’ safety through practicing professional classroom and zoo-visit management, enforcing all policies, and always maintaining order.
- Work closely with other staff teaching programs and providing unique, interactive, and educational experiences for program participants and zoo visitors.
- Effectively communicate and demonstrate interpersonal skills with all levels of employees in a clear and professional manner.
- Demonstrate and adhere to TZMI’s workplace values.
- Know and follow zoo policies and procedures, including emergency protocols.
- Attend and participate in staff meetings and assigned training sessions.
- Recognize signs of pest infestation in animal areas and combat pests/nuisance wildlife as directed.
- Maintain necessary certifications as required. Maintain area compliance with all local, state, federal, and international regulations and standards (USDA, AZA, etc).
- Maintain necessary testing/vaccinations as required (TB, rabies, etc.).
- Other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This position has no direct reports but will assist with the coordination and oversite of Zoo Teens.
What We Expect
Required Qualifications, Education and/or Experience
- Must be 18 years or older, possess a valid driver’s license, and be insurable on TZMI’s insurance carrier
- Must be able to work weekends, evenings, and holidays
- Must have high school diploma or GED and relevant experience; higher education is preferred
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; write routine reports and correspondence; communicate effectively before groups of customers, employees of TZMI, and the general public
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals
- Ability to use Microsoft products including Sharepoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Ability to navigate Internet Browser(s)- Edge, Chrome, Safari, etc.
What You can Expect
Our Values
- We are enthusiastically committed to be part of the Tulsa Zoo community.
- We will all work together as one Zoo Team to support the Zoo’s mission.
- We will value and appreciate everyone and create a safe, understanding, and welcoming environment for all.
- We will all be accountable for achieving excellence.
- We will earn the trust of one another, acting honestly and treating each other with respect.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
- Moving about - frequently
- Sitting - occasionally
- Standing - frequently
- Reaching with hands and arms – frequently
- Stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling - frequently
- Exchange of in-person, phone, radio, or digital communication - frequently
- Carrying or lifting up to 50 pounds – occasionally
- Pushing and/or pulling up to 50 pounds – occasionally
- Gripping, pinching, writing, and other hand movements - frequently
- Climbing and/or balancing – occasionally
- Exposure to outdoor weather conditions - frequently
- Exposure to high noise levels - frequently
- Exposure to strong smells – occasionally
- Wet or humid environment - occasionally
