Dolphin
and
Rehabilitation Animal
Care Specialist
The position of Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist at Mote Marine
Laboratory requires advanced knowledge in the care, feeding, and husbandry of
marine mammals and sea turtles. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist
should have advanced knowledge in animal welfare, food acquisition and
preparation, and maintaining non-medical facilities and equipment. The
Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist should be familiar with National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) requirements for housing marine mammals and Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) for housing sea turtles. The
Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist will assist in the training of other
animal care employees, interns, and volunteers. All employees must comply with
the requirements outlined in the MML employee manual.
General Duties:
Under the direction of the Medical Care Coordinator, the Rehabilitation
Animal Care Specialist is responsible for but not limited to the following
tasks: preparing the daily diet for animals undergoing rehabilitation in the
hospital, assisting in administering the feeds and medications, assisting in
medical examination, and coordinating the handling of animals undergoing
rehabilitation. This position will also be responsible for maintaining food,
supplies, and facilities in strict accordance with NMFS and FFWCC
requirements. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist is responsible for
assisting with the training of staff, interns, and volunteers in the feeding of
animals undergoing rehabilitation. This may include acting as shift leader on
some designated shifts for round the clock care of critical rehabilitated
animals.
The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist may be required to
participate in beach rescue and/or animal transport operations, and should be
familiar with the procedures for transporting marine mammals and sea turtles by
land, sea, and air. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist is responsible
for maintaining life support systems for marine mammals and sea turtle medical
tanks including water quality monitoring, water exchanges, backwashing of
filters, and cleaning fractionators. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist
will assist with routine medical care of marine mammals and sea turtles
undergoing rehabilitation. Such activities may include acquiring radiographs,
ultrasound, or other veterinary diagnostics.
Working Hours:
Working hours will be dictated by the needs of animals requiring care.
Animals undergoing rehabilitation typically require specialized care 24 hours a
day. This position requires a flexible schedule and may involve any hour of
the day or night. Late night, early morning and weekend hours are common.
Minimum Requirements:
-Bachelor’s degree
-Experience with care and
food preparation for marine mammals and sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation,
including requirements specified by NMFS and Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
-
-Valid
-Ability to work flexible schedule, including late nights and weekends
-Ability to lift/carry/move heavy objects (100+ pounds)
-Excellent swimming abilities
-Good verbal/communication skills
-Work well with others
-Scuba certification is preferred
Application:
The closing date to apply for this position is March 13, 2009.
Applications should include a letter of interest, resumé, and the contact
information for three references. Please submit application materials to Human
Resources at humanresources@mote.org or:
Mote Marine Laboratory
Joseph Gaspard
Manatee Care, Training, and Research Coordinator
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium
Phone - (941) 388-4441 x460
Fax - (941) 388-4317