Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc.
Position Title: Education Instructor
Reports To: Education Manager
FLSA Status: Hourly, Non-Exempt (Part-Time)
Safety-Sensitive: This is a safety-sensitive position. Candidates, regardless of whether they are a medical marijuana licensee, must receive a negative result on a 10-panel, pre-placement drug screening to include THC, prior to beginning work.
Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. (TZMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of “Connecting, Caring, Advocating for Wildlife, People, and Wild Places.” A dynamic group of passionate individuals brings the zoo to life each day, 365 days per year, caring for animals, greeting guests, educating the public and managing the facilities. Each member of the team is integral to the success of the zoo as a key asset in the City of Tulsa and the Northeast Oklahoma region, delivering recreational opportunities, providing unplugged family time and conserving animal species for future generations.
Position Summary:
The Education Instructor is responsible for handling a selection of the department’s education ambassador animals, including providing daily husbandry and enrichment. This position supports the Education Manager in coordinating the Zoo Teen program, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and daily oversite of Zoo Teens. Furthermore, the role involves conducting education programming, including animal chats, reserved programs, and onsite guest engagement.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Other duties may be assigned in keeping with the mission of Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. (TZMI)
- Handles animals in the education ambassador animal collection in both public and non-public situations.
- Completes all assigned animal husbandry routines, including enrichment and training, for the education ambassador animal collection.
- Assists in the facilitation of the Zoo Teen program, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and daily oversite of Zoo Teens.
- Teaches all assigned education programs at Tulsa Zoo using pre-designed curriculums, policies, and guidelines.
- Provides a high level of guest service to traders and their families when assigned to work in the Cox Nature Exchange (NEX), including opening and closing procedures, educating traders, and interacting with Zoo Teens.
- Ensures participants’ safety through practicing professional classroom and zoo-visit management, enforcing all policies, and always maintaining order.
- Works closely with other staff teaching programs and providing unique, interactive, and educational experiences for program participants and zoo visitors.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
This position currently has no supervisory responsibilities but will assist with the coordination and oversite of Zoo Teens.
Values:
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies as they relate to TZMI core 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.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
- Have or is working towards a Bachelor’s degree from college or university in education, zoology, biology or related field
- One to two years related experience and/or training teaching environmental/science education to ages 4 through adult
- Equivalent combination of education and experience acceptable
Language Skills
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals
- Ability to write routine reports and correspondence
- Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers, employees of TZMI and the general public
Mathematical Skills
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals
- Ability to perform these operations using units of American money
Computer Skills
- Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and, PowerPoint (or Prezi)
- Internet Browser(s)- Explorer, Chrome, Safari, etc.
Other Skills, Abilities or Qualifications
- Must possess a valid driver’s license and be insurable on TZMI’s insurance carrier.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends or holidays as required
- Ability to work with both adult and teen volunteers
- Working knowledge of the natural world preferred
- Experience working with small invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals preferred
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely
- Skilled at public speaking
- Capable of self-motivating and working without direct supervision
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This position requires substantial standing; substantial walking; moderate sitting; substantial reaching with hands and arms; moderate climbing or balancing; moderate stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling; substantial talking or hearing; moderate lifting up to 50 pounds.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This work environment involves substantial work in outdoor weather conditions; substantial work with loud noise level.
