ESSEX COUNTY TURTLE BACK ZOO: ANIMAL HEALTH TECHNICIAN
DEFINITION:
The Turtle Back Zoo’s Animal Care Department has an opportunity for a part-time animal health technician. The animal health technician is responsible for the preparation, clean up and assistance with routine and emergency animal procedures, including immobilizations, examinations, and collection of diagnostic samples. The technician is also responsible for the daily care and daily medical treatment of any hospitalized and quarantined animals as well as processing biological samples for testing, such as blood, feces, and urine as well as the cleanliness and proper stocking of the hospital and the maintenance of various veterinary equipment. Position reports to the veterinarian, director of animal operations, and curator.
EXAMPLES OF WORK:
- Serve as animal hospital keeper including all aspects of daily animal care and maintenance including cleaning, feeding, watering, observing, enclosure upkeep, monitoring health, record keeping and other aspects of professional animal care and management, including training and enrichment.
- Routinely assist with all aspects of anesthesia monitoring, radiology, ultrasonography, CT, endoscopy, surgery, and dental work.
- Monitor behavior and health of animals in the Animal Hospital and appropriately reporting animal’s status.
- Obtain various samples from Zoo animals and preparing them for diagnostic laboratory testing such as fecal analysis, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, and microbiology.
- Perform routine pharmacy related skills including medical calculations involving, but not limited to, dilutions and dosages.
- Precise interpretation, dispensing, and administering medications as prescribed by a veterinarian.
- Maintain medical packs, perform routine equipment maintenance tasks, and assist in the upkeep of the hospital supplies inventories to ensure proper function of the hospital.
- Maintain medical records in a correct, timely, and orderly fashion.
- Assistance with necropsies including collecting and preparing tissues for histopathologic evaluation.
- Communicate courteously and effectively with all animal care specialists regarding animal medical related information and treatments.
- Establish and maintain positive, cooperative, and effective working relations with fellow employees.
- Constantly exhibit a guest service attitude, a smile, and an obvious interest in guest comfort and service.
- Communicate with the public in a courteous and tactful manner and assist guests with questions and directions to various areas of the Zoo. Address the guest – do not wait to be asked.
- Remove trash and debris from public area.
- Any and all other duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS:
EXPERIENCE:
- Satisfactory completion of sixty (60) college credits, including eighteen (18) credit hours in veterinary science/technology, animal science technology, zoology, biology, animal husbandry or related fields at an accredited college or university.
- Registered Veterinary Technician’s License
- One (1) year of experience in a veterinary office, animal hospital or animal shelter performing vaccines, diagnostic tests, euthanasia, and/or various other medical treatments on animals or in work involving animal nutrition, taxonomy, animal behavior, parasitology or bacteriology.
- Preference will be given to applicants with prior zoo veterinary technician experience.
Note: A passing score on the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) administered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) may be substituted for the required education and experience.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
All candidates selected for hiring by the Turtle Back Zoo must undergo a complete background and professional reference check, and those who are hired should possess the ability to lift 75 lbs. and work indoors/outdoors in all conditions as required.
Physical aspects of the job include: enclosure construction / maintenance, stooping, sitting, twisting, walking (often on uneven terrain). The position involves working on weekends and holidays and is subject to 24-hour on-call availability.
**QUALIFIED APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT RESUME, COVER LETTER AND AT LEAST 3 REFERENCES TO JILIAN FAZIO, DIRECTOR AT JFAZIO@PARKS.ESSEXCOUNTYNJ.ORG
Please put “ANIMAL HEALTH TECHNICIAN” in the subject.