Main Duties and Responsibilities:
To assist the Section Head in ensuring smooth daily operations and the highest quality of standards in animal husbandry, care, training, enrichment, and presentations.
• Function as Overall-In-Charge in the absence of Manager and Assistant Manager.
• Work directly with staff in daily operations to ensure the proper and consistent husbandry, housing, care, feeding, training, enrichment, and presentation of the animals to achieve the highest level of positive welfare as per the MWG Animal Welfare Code.
• Assist Section Head to oversee daily deployments, staff attendance records and oversee and/or conduct briefings for daily activities and shows.
• Promote team work and functional, respectful communications among staff.
• Ensure the maintenance of safe, clean, species-appropriate enclosures for the animals.
• Assist in the coordination and implementation of regular improvements to enclosures and repairs and renovations as needed.
• Ensure that in the course of daily operations all departmental policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Provide daily oversight of staff duties and responsibilities, training assignments, special projects, and the implementation of enrichment activities for all animals.
• Ensure that proper record keeping of animal-related activities including feeding, weights, behaviour, training, and enrichment forms are completed each day by appropriate staff.
• Assist in the requisitioning and pick up of supplies and equipment.
• Maintain the highest quality of animal presentations and guest interactive programs and promote the conservation messages of MWG.
• Participate in shows as presenter, handler, and/or backstage support as needed.
• Conduct training sessions with assigned animals and behaviours and strive to meet completion timeframes.
• Support management in the implementation of staff training programs to continually upgrade the calibre of trainers and presenters.
• Contribute to the design and development of new behaviours, routines, and presentation ideas for the shows and related guest interactive programs in assigned areas.
• Review and make recommendations to management in regard to staff performance, attitude, and progress.
Requirements:
• Diploma/Degree, preferably in Life Sciences or the equivalent.
• At least 3 years of animal care, training, and/or show management experience.
• Ability to manage animals appropriately, identify health or behavioural problems, and develop solutions.
• Ability to contribute to new concepts and ideas to improve presentations.
• Ability to multi-task in a diverse working environment.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong people management skills.