Summary:

The Animal Wellbeing and Enrichment Technician enhances the physical, psychological, and behavioral health of zoo animals through the development and evaluation of enrichment and welfare programs. Collaborating with animal care staff, veterinarians, and researchers, this role ensures enrichment practices align with current welfare science and meet AZA and USDA standards. The position also supports training and mentorship for staff, volunteers, and interns to build institutional expertise in enrichment design and assessment. Through research, data-driven planning, and innovation, the technician helps identify and resolve wellbeing concerns while promoting enrichment as a vital part of animal care and guest engagement.

Essential Job Functions:

• Deliver training and resources on animal wellbeing science, enrichment best practices, and assessment tools to enhance behavioral resilience and animal care.
• Support staff development by helping teams interpret wellbeing data, implement improvements, and take corrective actions aligned with welfare goals.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning by overseeing enrichment workspaces, sharing new knowledge, and providing hands-on training for staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Conduct scientific research and data analysis to identify wellbeing deficits and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
• Translate research into practical applications by sharing insights with animal care teams and contributing to a zoo-wide wellbeing data repository and broader animal welfare community.
• Identify and develop innovative enrichment strategies that enhance animal wellbeing by promoting resilience and reducing negative experiences.
• Lead the design and delivery of species-appropriate enrichment items, ensuring compliance with AZA and USDA welfare standards across the zoo.
• Participate in and lead welfare assessments and routine enrichment evaluations using established frameworks such as SPIDER and the Five Domains, while supporting research projects and staying current on industry trends.
• Author or co-author manuscripts on animal wellbeing and enrichment for publication in scientific or popular journals.
• Provide training support and hold a leadership role within the Training & Enrichment Committee to guide enrichment and welfare initiatives across the zoo.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, wildlife biology, animal science, or related field.
• At least 2 years of experience in animal welfare, behavior, or related scientific research in zoological, aquarium, or wildlife settings.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Proven record of successfully initiating or expanding animal wellbeing projects.
• Experience mentoring or supervising staff in animal wellbeing or related programs.
• Proven record of successfully communicating animal wellbeing issues with various audiences and stakeholders.

Competencies:

• Collaboration.
• Critical Thinking.
• Detail-Orientation.
• Leadership & Mentorship.
• Microsoft Office Suite.
• Problem Solving/Analysis.
• Public Speaking.
• Records and Reports Creation and Management.
• Time Management.
• Written/Verbal/Oral Communication.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position may assist with supervising students, volunteers, and interns.

Reporting Structure: Reports to Animal Wellbeing Manager.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

Full-time hourly positions are defined as positions scheduled to work approximately 40 hours a week. Scheduling is at the discretion of the manager.

This position is considered non-exempt under the federal and state wage and hour laws. 

Scheduling Availability Requirements:

Position regularly requires flexible hours including weekdays and holidays. Occasional weekends are required.

Work Environment: While performing the duties of the job, the employee will primarily operate in a mixed work environment that includes both laboratory and zoo grounds.

Time will be split between indoor laboratory settings and outdoor or behind-the-scenes animal care areas.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

This position requires frequent sitting, standing, walking. May require bending, kneeling, or navigating uneven terrain during animal observations or habitat evaluations. Occasional lifting or movement of items up to 50 pounds is required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Other Requirements:

• 21 years or older.
• Clear background check.
• Clear drug screening.
• Clear TB screening.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Clear MVR screening.
• Proof of current automobile insurance.

Benefits & Perks

The Memphis Zoo has a comprehensive benefits and employee perks package. Please see our Memphis Zoo Careers page for details.  

EEOC and Inclusion Statement: 

The Memphis Zoo believes that human diversity is as important as the biodiversity we seek to conserve. World-class zoos are comprised of world-class team members representing a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We value a diverse workplace and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, and veterans to apply. 

The Memphis Zoo is an equal-opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws. If you need to request any accommodations for the interview or hiring process, please let the Human Resources team (HR) know. HR can be contacted at hrteam@memphiszoo.org. 

The Memphis Zoo participates in E-Verify and is an EEO/ADA/Veteran employer.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of pre-employment screening. Memphis Zoo is a drug-free workplace.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.