Join us at the Zoo!

Interested in saving wildlife in wild places? At the Zoo, our job is for people to fall in love with nature. Our job is for people to have fun. Our job is to save the planet. Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society’s mission is to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife and the natural world. By joining our team, you’ll become a critical part of a conservation organization at a thrilling time as we expand our team to build the Zoo of the future. Help create innovative animal habitats while saving animals in the wild. Joining a passionate team that gets to work around koalas, jaguars, panthers while actively doing conservation work in the field from corals to Florida panthers. A green sustainable work place that embraces DEAI we are actively creating a more diverse and thriving work force.

Position Summary

The full-time Animal Diet Specialist (Commissary) position is for nutritionally oriented professionals looking to join the Animal Health Department at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society. Successful applicants will demonstrate safe work practices in all situations, strong knife skills and food handling, ability to follow a recipe, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Candidates with previous experience in a kitchen or with food preparation are highly encouraged to apply. The position’s primary emphasis is on providing clean, healthy diets for the Palm Beach Zoo’s animal collection. Commissary staff are trained and managed by the Nutrition and Hospital Operations Manager.

Essential Position Functions

• Prepare animals’ diets according to established procedures or guidelines.
• Inspect stored items, ensure rotation, and remove outdated or spoiled food.
• Ensure physical security and quality standards of food items (meat, fish, vegetables, grain, etc.), food supplements, and vitamins (including proper freezing and thawing practices).
• Clean and sanitize Commissary facilities and associated animal feed storage areas, as well as utensils, cutting boards, food pans, and other diet preparation items.
• Follow safe workplace practices and ensure others work safely in the Commissary.
• Comply with USDA and FDA regulations as they pertain to food preparation and storage.
• Comply with all zoo policies and protocols.

Education Requirements and Technical Skills

• High school diploma or its equivalent is required.
• Previous experience with high volume food preparation is preferred.
• Basic knowledge about nutrition including familiarity with the preparation and storage of produce, different types of raw meat, whole prey items, and insects for animal diets.
• Experience in an AZA Accredited facility is desirable.
• Communicates efficiently and effectively in English.
• Has initiative and strong work ethic while preparing animals diets independently.
• Possesses situational awareness and is attentive toward working safely in a kitchen.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks and has good knife handling skills.
• Ability to switch focus quickly and efficiently.
• Must have held a valid driver’s license for at least three years.

Physical Requirements

• Requires the ability to perform physical work including lifting and carrying objects up to 65 lbs.
• Some stair climbing; and standing and walking for extended periods.
• The work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions.
• The position is exposed to unpleasant odors from animals, noises from the animals, food including insects, cleaning solutions and other chemicals.
• The qualifying candidate will be expected to wear personal protective equipment which may including face mask, face shield, and gloves during designated work.
• The work is performed on hard floor surfaces.
• The incumbent may be exposed to animal parasites and zoonotic diseases.
• Due to potential contact with non-human primates, annual tuberculosis testing is required and immunization against other communicable diseases may be required under certain circumstances.
• Flexibility in scheduling is available.
• Ability to work weekends and holidays as scheduled is preferred. Availability during emergency situations (such as storms) is desirable.
• The position is considered to be essential emergency personnel for purposes of shutdowns, severe storms, and other emergencies, to ensure adequate animal care is provided.

Skills and Competencies

• Professional/Technical Knowledge and Competency - Remaining current on developments in the field within and outside the organization; maintaining proficiencies.
• Communication (oral and written) — Effectively expressing ideas verbally and non-verbally and actively listening to individuals and groups; preparing and focusing presentations to the characteristics and needs of the audience; expressing ideas clearly and concisely in written form, through memoranda, letters, reports, and other documents; receiving and giving constructive feedback to team members and implementing improvements.
• Integrity/Trust — Maintaining social, ethical, and organizational values and norms; building trust and confidence with the staff and with internal and external customers; respecting the confidentiality of personal and proprietary information.
• Diversity and Inclusion – Demonstrates behaviors that includes fairness, respect, inclusiveness, empathy, integrity, and ethical conduct. Fosters a climate and culture in which each person is accepted and has the opportunity to grow and develop. Practices behaviors that promote diversity and inclusion in dealings with and on behalf of the Zoo, consistent with laws, regulations, and Zoo policies.
• Teamwork — Supporting, facilitating, and participating in activities that promote team effectiveness; demonstrating sensitivity for the feelings and needs of team members and supporting team goals.
• Concern for Detail — Maintaining a high level of attention for every portion of every task; seeking clarification for ambiguity or inconsistency from supervisors or management.

The job specification requirements stated are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform this job successfully. Employees may be required to perform other related duties as assigned, to ensure workload coverage. Any satisfactory equivalent combination of experience and training which ensures the ability to perform the work may substitute for the above so that the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.

What We Offer:

• Competitive pay, commensurate with your skills and experience
• An EXCELLENT benefits package (current year/plan), which includes:
  • 100% paid employee level coverage for designated medical & dental plan
  • 100% paid coverage for 100K of life insurance
  • 100% paid short-term disability
  • 100% paid long-term disability
• 401K – Employer contributes 3% of your salary
• Optional vision, accident and critical illness coverages available through pre-tax payroll deductions
• Generous paid time off policy, Zoo Membership and FREE admission to other Florida Attractions!

The position will be open until filled. We will contact qualified candidates whom we have chosen to move forward in the interview process.

Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) Commitment

Our Mission is to inspire people to act on behalf of wildlife and the natural world. We recognize that the only way to accomplish our mission is to include all people across all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, mental/physical abilities, and sexual orientations. Just as we value biodiversity, we recognize and appreciate the value of human diversity as being integral to our ability to connect with our visitors and the communities we serve.

Palm Beach Zoo is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions, including those related to recruitment, hiring, training and promotion without regard to race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.