Apprentice Animal Keeper

Availability: Must have 5 days of unrestricted availability to include weekends, holiday, mornings, and late nights
Hours: 40 hours per week.
In accordance with all federal, corporate and departmental rules and regulations;
Represent SFDK in a well-informed, positive manner at all times.
Provide excellent guest service by responding proactively to customer requests, expectations, and special needs.
Effectively communicate in a professional manner to staff of all levels.
Practice safe work habits by properly wearing appropriate PPE and storing and handling all chemicals in accordance with MSDS and SFDK policy. 
Demonstrate reliable flexibility in working in a fast-paced and fluctuating animal environment.
Collect breakout and prepare daily rations. 
Clean and sanitize animal habitats, food preparation kitchens, storage areas, and office spaces. 
SCUBA dive to help maintain exhibits as directed.
Support animal care management in providing daily care to animals including feeding, daily physical exams and husbandry care as directed, administering veterinary prescribed medications and supplements and providing daily environmental enrichment.
Closely monitor and record animal behavior and notify leadership of potential health and social challenges. 
Demonstrate advanced proficiency in recognizing, interpreting and responding to animal behavior. 
Demonstrate advanced understanding and application of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement. 
Train behaviors as assigned. 
Conduct animal presentations, interactions and tours including narrations. 
Coordinate with animal care management and other essential teams to modify and implement new presentations.
Help guide and develop Apprentice, ACS 1- CORE, ACS2 and ACS3 trainers in their area development. 
Prepare for, collect and submit diagnostic samples as directed by animal management and veterinary team. 
In the absence of the supervisor, effectively direct and execute the daily schedule ensuring all tasks, feeds and other commitments are met. 
In the absence of the supervisor, and in coordination with other animal care management and veterinary teams lead and execute animal capture and restraint procedures, examinations, treatments, surgery, emergency care and necropsies. 
Assist other marine mammal areas as needed. 
Assist in the development and implementation of research projects as assigned. 
Support animal care management in proactively maintaining area equipment and tools. 
Learn to operate heavy equipment including trucks, forklifts and pallet jacks. 
Perform other duties as requested/assigned 
Requirements:
Must be at least 18 years of age. 
Must have a minimum of 5 days of unrestricted availability including weekends, holidays, early mornings and late nights. 
Must have or be able to acquire a valid California driver's license. 
Must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a related animal science or have at least 5–8 years of work experience related to shaping and modifying animal behavior through operant conditioning and positive reinforcement completed within the last nine years. 
Must be able to read, write and speak English and must be comfortable speaking in front of large crowds. 
Must have strong swimming skills. Note: Placement in specific areas may require additional swim competencies including but not limited to carrying two 20-pound buckets 30 ft (including stairs), surface diving to 15 feet to retrieve a 5-pound weight, swimming one freestyle lap (approx. 120ft), swimming 60 feet fully submerged underwater and pulling yourself, unassisted, out of the water onto the ledge all to be completed within 8 minutes or less.
Must possess the mental and physical capacities necessary to perform the primary job duties including lifting/moving 50 pounds, working indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions, working around/in cold produced seawater. 
Must be SCUBA certified. 
Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Training
Proficiency in MS office applications. 
Previous experience in the husbandry and training of a variety of marine mammal species. 
Basic understanding of water chemistry and filtration. 
Advanced knowledge of USDA regulations and Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) Standards and Guidelines.
 
Safety Sensitive Position