Senior Avian Curator

Miral Experiences; Abu Dhabi; Sur place; AED 350 000 - 550 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Miral Experiences seeks a Senior Avian Curator to lead the institution's avian collection and programs, ensuring top welfare, husbandry, nutrition, enrichment, and veterinary cooperation. The role directs collection management, acquisitions, breeding, and welfare monitoring while aligning with conservation and guest-engagement goals.

You will collaborate with multiple teams to ensure safe, ethical practices and contribute to strategic planning and institutional development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, Animal Science, Wildlife Management, Conservation Biology, Veterinary Science, or related field.
• Experience leading zoological bird programs and managing avian collections.
• Experience with animal welfare assessment, population management, and conservation breeding.
• Experience with budgeting and strategic planning in a zoo, aquarium, or wildlife park.
• Experience within AZA, EAZA, SEAZA, WAZA, ZAA or similar accredited institutions.

Responsabilités

• Lead planning and long-term development of avian programs while maintaining high welfare standards.
• Collaborate with veterinary, education, conservation, and guest experience teams for integrated care.
• Mentor and develop supervisors, keepers, and volunteers to ensure excellence.
• Support exhibit design, capital projects, and accreditation requirements.
• Ensure safety, risk management, and compliance with professional standards.

Connaissances

Leadership experience

Zoological management

Staff development

Behavioral management

Formation

Bachelor’s degree in Zoology or related field

Outils

AZA/EAZA/WAZA knowledge

Description du poste

Job Description:

About the Role

The Senior Avian Curator is responsible for the strategic leadership, management, and development of the institutions avian collection and associated programs. The role provides direction and oversight for all aspects of bird management, including animal welfare, husbandry, conservation breeding, behavioral management, staff development, collection planning, operational safety, and facility development.

As the institutions lead avian specialist, the Senior Avian Curator ensures that the bird collection is managed to the highest international zoological standards while supporting the broader mission of conservation, education, research, and guest engagement. The position plays a key leadership role within the Animal Care Department and contributes to both departmental and organizational strategic planning.

The Senior Curator is expected to foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and evidence-based animal care, while ensuring that the welfare of the collection remains the primary consideration in all operational and management decisions. This role will be based in Al Ain.

Key Responsibilities

• The Senior Avian Curator leads the planning, management, and long-term development of all avian programs across the institution. This includes maintaining exemplary standards of animal welfare, husbandry, nutrition, enrichment, behavioral management, breeding, and veterinary collaboration. The position ensures that all bird species are managed in accordance with current zoological best practice and that husbandry programs are continually reviewed and improved through scientific evaluation and welfare monitoring.
• The role is responsible for the strategic management of the avian collection, including recommendations regarding acquisitions, transfers, breeding, population sustainability, and collection development. The Senior Curator works closely with regional and international breeding programs, species coordinators, studbook keepers, zoological associations, and conservation partners to ensure that the collection contributes meaningfully to global conservation efforts.
• A significant component of the position is leadership of people. The Senior Curator develops, mentors, and supports supervisors, senior keepers, keepers, trainers, interns, and volunteers, creating an environment that encourages professional growth, operational excellence, teamwork, and accountability. The position establishes clear expectations, promotes continuous learning, and ensures that all staff maintain the competencies required to safely and effectively manage the collection.
• The Senior Curator works closely with Veterinary Services, Animal Welfare, Nutrition, Facilities, Horticulture, Life Support Systems, Education, Conservation, and Guest Experience teams to ensure integrated and effective management of the institutions avian programs. The position also contributes to exhibit design, capital development projects, strategic planning initiatives, and accreditation requirements.
• The role maintains overall accountability for avian-related operational safety and risk management programs. This includes ensuring that appropriate procedures, training programs, emergency response protocols, and risk assessments are in place and consistently applied. The Senior Curator actively promotes a proactive safety culture and ensures compliance with institutional policies and relevant professional standards.
• The Senior Curator is expected to represent the institution professionally within the zoological and conservation community, contributing to conferences, workshops, scientific meetings, professional associations, research collaborations, and conservation initiatives at local, regional, and international levels.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, Animal Science, Wildlife Management, Conservation Biology, Veterinary Science, or a closely related discipline
• Substantial and demonstrable zoological leadership experience, extensive avian management expertise
• Experience in the management of zoological bird collections, including demonstrated leadership responsibility within a modern zoo, aquarium, wildlife park, or related institution
• Experience in animal welfare assessment, population management, conservation breeding, behavioral management, staff leadership, budgeting, and strategic planning
• Experience working within AZA, EAZA, SEAZA, WAZA, ZAA, BIAZA, or similarly accredited zoological institutions

Requirements: