City of El Paso, TX

City of El Paso, TX

Senior Zoo Keeper-Magellanic Penguin Exhibit

El Paso, Texas, United States

Posted 1 month ago

Salary : $31,270.00 – $52,990.00 Annually

Location : Various Locations within the City of El Paso, TX

Job Type: Civil Service

Job Number: 16580-0623

Department: ANIMAL CARE

Opening Date: 06/29/2023

Closing Date: 8/15/2023 11:59 PM Mountain

Requirements

The Senior Zookeeper will be assigned to work in the New Magellanic Penguin Exhibit opening in 2023.

Experience working with Penguins is desirable!

MOS Codes: None

Education and Experience: High School Diploma, GED or higher, and two (2) years of zoo keeper experience
Licenses and Certificates: Texas Class “C” Driver’s License or equivalent from another state.
General Purpose

Under general supervision, lead the work of zoo keepers and participate in the care of zoo animals.

Typical Duties

Oversee and provide for the care of zoo animals. Involves: Prepare regular and special diets to feed animals. Feed and water animals. Clean, disinfect and maintain cages, enclosures and exhibit areas as needed. Maintain safety of animals. Monitor animal health and well being. Report animal illness or injury to appropriate staff. Assist veterinary staff as needed with administering medications, providing treatment and restraining. Provide care for animals by trimming beaks, nails and wing feathers, providing moisture for turtles, reptiles, birds, etc., shearing sheep, weighing animals and other care services as needed. Record animal information such as temperature and consumption to charts. Perform special projects and activities as assigned.

Assist with behavior modification and enrichment programs for animals. Involves: Assist with design of behavior modification and enrichment programs. Utilize system of rewards to condition animal to do things on command. Provide animal with things to play with to relieve stress and boredom. Provide exercise for animals as needed.

Provide assistance to other zoo staff and to the public. Involves: Identify maintenance problems and resolve or report as necessary. Prepare work orders for maintenance. Assist with grounds and landscaping maintenance and construction. Test water quality in aquatic exhibits. Answer questions from other staff and the public regarding zoo animals, exhibits and related.

Serve as designated leadworker. Involves: Guide, monitor and train less knowledgeable employees. Schedule and assign work. Review and check work. Guide others in work processes. Recommend areas for employee skills improvement. Provide input to employee performance evaluation process.

General Information

Please Note: The new Magellanic Penguin Exhibit is opening in 2023.

Experience working with Penguins is desirable!

For the complete job specification, click

Test information: An evaluation of education and experience will be conducted on qualified applicants.

Note: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. This position will close when a preset number of qualified applications have been received.

Note: This is a new advertisement for Senior Zoo Keeper-Magellanic Penguin Exhibit. You must apply if you are still interested in this position.

A résumé and/or other documents will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Comments such as “See résumé” are not acceptable and will result in the application being considered incomplete.

To qualify for this position, the required education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be clearly stated on your application’s employment history. We do not use any information on your resume to review if you meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

Failure to fully detail all experience and job duties in the application, or copying/pasting directly from the job specification, or responses referring to your résumé will eliminate you from consideration for the position.

BENEFITS

LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE

Every regular, full-time employee who is paid by the City, shall be entitled to receive group life, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, health insurance coverage as provided by the City. Employees shall be eligible for enrollment during the City’s designated enrollment period. (Amended 08/28/07)

Employees shall have the option of membership in a qualified health maintenance organization (HMO) as an alternative to health insurance coverage. Should an employee opt for HMO membership, the City shall contribute to the HMO an amount equal to the health insurance premium the City would have otherwise been obligated to pay on the employee’s health insurance coverage. Any difference between the amount the City contributes and the cost of HMO membership shall be deducted from the employee’s paycheck and forwarded to the HMO.

ELIGIBILITY FOR VACATION LEAVE

All regular employees who are regularly scheduled to work on an average, a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week, who have held a position in the City Service for a period of six months from date of employment, shall be eligible for vacation allowance as hereinafter set forth. Part-time employees shall accrue vacation leave at a pro-rated amount of full-time entitlement based on the number of hours that they are scheduled to work. Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements shall accrue vacation as provided in the applicable agreement.

Regular employees in the City Service shall accrue vacation credit at the following rates per pay period, calculated from the date of employment of each employee:

For 0 – 5 years of service (12 days):
40 hour per week employees – 3.70 hours per biweekly pay period

For >5 to 15 years of service (17 days):
40 hour per week employees – 5.24 hours per biweekly pay period

For >15 or more years of service (20 days):
40 hour per week employees – 6.16 hours per biweekly pay period

SICK LEAVE WITH PAY

Employees shall be entitled to accrue sick leave with pay in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Service Commission.

ACCIDENT WITH PAY LEAVE

The Amended Section 4.4 of the Ordinance shall become effective upon adoption and shall apply to occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurring on and after date of adoption. Occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurring before such date will be governed by the Ordinance in effect at the time of the date of injury or disease.

PREGNANCY LEAVE

A) Pregnancy shall be treated the same as any other temporary physical disability.

B) An employee on pregnancy leave shall use accumulated and unused regular sick leave time and then (unless granted use of special sick leave) shall be on leave without pay, unless the employee chooses to use any accumulated and unused annual leave.

C) An employee going on pregnancy leave shall give written notice to her department head with appropriate medical verification. Before returning to work from pregnancy leave, the individual will provide appropriate medical documentation releasing the employee to return to work, as is required for any individual who has been on leave for a temporary physical disability.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS

The following days are hereby declared legal holidays for all the City departments, provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to members of the Fire Department whose duties are to prevent or extinguish fires, or to members of the Police Department whose duties are those of law enforcement: (Amended 10/03/95)

1. First day of January (New Year’s Day)

2. Third Monday in January (Martin Luther King Holiday)

3. Thirty-first day in March (Cesar Chavez Day)

4. Last Monday in May (Memorial Day)

5. June 19 (Juneteenth)

6. Fourth day of July (Independence Day)

7. First Monday in September (Labor Day)

8. Eleventh Day in November (Veteran’s Day)

9. Fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day)

10. The Friday following the fourth Thursday in November (Day after Thanksgiving)

11. Twenty-fifth Day in December (Christmas Day)

12. Employee’s Birthday

In addition to the above days, the following days are also declared to be legal holidays: 1. Any day designated as a holiday by City Council. 2. When any legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be considered a legal holiday. 3. When any legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the following business day shall be considered a legal holiday.

Do you have a High School Diploma, GED or higher?

Do you have a minimum of two (2) years of zoo keeper experience?

Do you have a valid USA driver’s license? If so, what type of driver’s license do you have?

Texas Class A – CDL or equivalent from another state.
Texas Class B – CDL or equivalent from another state.
Texas Class C or equivalent from another state.
No, I do not have a valid driver’s license.

Candidates will be evaluated based on the information provided on both the application and the completeness of the responses to the Supplemental Questions. Failure to fully detail all experience and job duties in the application, or copying/pasting directly from the job specification, or responses referring to your résumé will eliminate you from consideration for the position.