Assistant Curator | Full Time

Lincoln Children's Zoo; Lincoln, Northern (NE, KY); Hybrid; USD 67,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health

Dental

Vision

Employee Assistance Program

401(k) and Matching

Flexible Schedule

Employee Discount

PTO

Lifestyle Savings Account

Job summary

Lincoln Children’s Zoo is seeking an Assistant Curator to supervise Animal Department Supervisors and assist the General Curator in daily operations. You will help manage animal care, staffing, facilities, and welfare programs to ensure world‑class care.

The role requires 3–5 years in a zoological setting, 2 years in supervision, and familiarity with AZA and USDA standards, with strong leadership and guest‑facing capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Zoology, Animal Science or related field preferred.
• Minimum 3–5 years full‑time experience in a zoological park or wildlife setting.
• 2 years supervisory experience required.
• Familiarity with AZA standards and USDA Animal Welfare Standards.
• Proficient in AZA population management programs (SAFE, SSP, TAG, PMC).

Responsibilities

• Oversees animal husbandry, welfare, and exhibit of animals in assigned areas.
• Oversees welfare and training programs.
• Ensures Zoo meets AZA and USDA standards.
• Manages day‑to‑day staffing and animal care expectations.
• Coordinates with veterinary staff for animal health.
• Ensures consistent care across taxonomic groups.
• Leads safety initiatives and audits.
• Coordinates training for stage demonstrations and ambassador encounters.
• Represents Zoo in media, PR, and events.
• Contributes to recruitment and performance reviews.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Leadership

Guest experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Zoology, Animal Science

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

ZIMS

Job description

At Lincoln Children’s Zoo, our mission is to enrich lives through interaction with living things.We provide hands‑on experiences for more than 250,000 guests per year and care for over 400 creatures. We are champions of STEM education through camps and programs, and help families make memories by producing special events and experiences throughout the year.

As a team, we are serious about using our Core Values to guide our actions:

• We are there for each other.
• We are humble.
• We go above and beyond.

Job Description:

The Assistant Curator provides direct supervision of Animal Department Supervisors and assists the General Curator with coordinating the day‑to‑day activities of the Lincoln Children’s Zoo’s animal population. The Assistant Curator is responsible for the daily decisions that affect the care of the animals, staffing and facilities management, and staffing resources to provide consistent world‑class care to animals within the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. This position is also in charge of overseeing the Lincoln Children’s Zoo’s welfare and training programs.

Essential Job Functions:

• Oversees animal husbandry, welfare, and exhibit of animals in assigned areas.
• Oversees welfare and training programs.
• Ensures that the Zoo meets AZA and relevant USDA standards.
• Oversees and schedules day to day staffing and personnel needs of the various animal care areas of the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, including animal care expectations and their animal care staffing needs.
• Coordinates and communicates with the veterinary staff to ensure the health of all animals in the collection.
• Oversees consistency in care of animals across taxonomic groups incorporating animal care sciences, welfare, behavioral training, enrichment, and other disciplines as they develop.
• Oversees, in collaboration with the Safety Committee, all animal care safety initiatives, including coordination or assignments for performing zone inspections, safety drills, safety audits and ongoing review of best practices and modern zoological practices.
• Coordinates animal training and scheduling needs for stage demonstrations and ambassador encounters to ensure high‑quality guest experiences and best animal welfare.
• Partners with other departments to meet the Zoo’s animal care, guest experience, operational, media, and revenue goals.
• Prepares for, and initiates, human and animal‑related emergency and safety procedures, including dangerous animal escape procedures.
• Represents the Lincoln Children’s Zoo as requested for media, public relations, and marketing events.
• Participates in recruitment, selection, and employee relations concerns in partnership with Human Resources and the General Curator.
• Delivers annual performance reviews for Zookeepers and provides work plan goals for the coming year.
• All other duties as assigned.

Preferred Talents:

• Experience with Microsoft programs and spreadsheets.
• Exceptional guest experience skills.
• Ability to be flexible to change and provide solutions when problems arise.
• Ability to provide guest interactions in the form of speaking to large audiences as well as small groups.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision.
• Strong desire to support the Lincoln Children’s Zoo’s mission and vision.
• Animal training and/or Ambassador animal program experience.
• Experience with AZA welfare assessments.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Zoology, Animal Science or some related field strongly preferred. Advanced degree in a related field preferred.
• Must have a minimum of 3-5 years of full‑time experience in a zoological park or wildlife setting.
• Must have 2 years of experience in a supervisory role.
• Candidates must possess a high level of emotional intelligence and demonstrate a proven history of building cooperative relationships across all organization functions and levels.
• Competitive applicants must be able to share a clear vison for attracting, developing, and retaining high functioning engaged team members.
• Familiarity with AZA animal population management programs (SAFE, SSP, TAG, PMC, etc.). Leadership service as a studbook keeper, SSP coordinator, or Taxon Advisory Groups.
• Must have a working knowledge of AZA Accreditation Standards and USDA Animal Welfare Standards.
• A working knowledge of animal diseases and methods of preventing the spread of contagious disease.
• Proficient in ZIMS software and experience maintaining records and preparing reports.

Pay Rate: $67,000-72,000 . Full‑time, non‑exempt

Benefits:

• Health
• Dental
• Vision
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401(k) and Matching
• Flexible Schedule
• Employee Discount
• PTO
• Lifestyle Savings Account