Wildlife Husbandry Technician; part-time

Hours per week: Part-time, 20 hours
Location: Appalachian Wild Facility : Candler, NC
Schedule: 4 - 5hr days - A mix of Morning, Afternoon, & Evening times on a set, agreed upon schedule at time of hire. Weekend and Holiday coverage required. AWR facility is open 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
Salary: starting $15,080 annually
Positions Available: 3
Supervisor: Operations Coordinator

General Description:
The Wildlife Husbandry Technician role is an entry level position. The Wildlife Husbandry Technicians assist with all aspects of daily husbandry and rehabilitation in Appalachian Wild’s animal care facility. These positions work directly with the Operations Coordinator on a daily basis to oversee and manage intake, care, and rehabilitation of wildlife. This position will help supervise and train a team of volunteers and interns on a daily basis. The Wildlife Husbandry Technicians will regularly provide support and guidance to fellow staff, interns, and volunteers to ensure successful performance of all duties and tasks associated with positions.

Duties & Responsibilities:
The Wildlife Husbandry Technician has a wide range of duties that include, but are not limited to:
-Overall daily upkeep of facility and all procedures and protocols for cleanliness and sanitation
-Participation in day to day husbandry and rehabilitative or basic medical needs of wildlife patients and ambassadors in care including duties, but not limited to:
*Enclosure upkeep
*Feeding and medicating
*Initial intake and examination
*Basic treatments and diagnostic procedures
*Daily enrichment
*Monitoring of patient progress
*Daily patient and ambassador evaluations
*Maintenance of feeder insect colonies
*Recordkeeping
*Effective communication with the operations team
-Basic identification of veterinary needs and appropriate communication with the veterinary team
-Identification and communication of facility maintenance needs
-Basic facility maintenance support - this may include tasks such as filter cleaning/changing, installation/removal of shade sails, enclosure repair, and more
-Implementation and follow through of protocols and procedures
-Ensuring best practices are implemented and followed
-Communication with the public for found animal inquires, arrivals, and final dispositions
-Assisting with animal care needs inventories
-Maintain a safe, professional, and positive work environment for all fellow staff, interns, volunteers, and any visiting public
-Managerial type support duties may include:
*Training and supervision of interns and volunteers in animal care positions
*Identification of and positive communication to encourage animal care volunteers and interns to improve knowledge and skill
*Recognizing tasks, projects, and duties and delegating to appropriate team members

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate:
-Must have at least 6 consecutive months working as part of the animal care team directly in a facility with similar or relative operations
-Must have experience working with wildlife native to western NC. This experience should include, but is not limited to, identification, handling, husbandry, nutritional management, medical care, natural history, habitat and enclosure design and upkeep
-Experience in and knowledge of the wildlife rehabilitation field
-Experience in and knowledge of the veterinary medical field is preferred
-Must have excellent organization, time management, team management, communication and leadership skills
-Possess a strong personal work ethic, positive attitude, superior public relations skills, have a high level of integrity, and is flexible and adaptable
-Have experience with an Animal Care Management system, Species360 experience is preferred
-Willingness to improve upon skills, experiences, and knowledge through professional development and continued education opportunities
-Possess strong computer proficiency
-Possess a willingness to work, grow and evolve in a team environment and possess the skills and ability to work independently
-Must be dependable and reliable
-Willingness and ability to work through stressful, emotional, and sensitive situations professionally and utilize problem solving skills
-Must have a solid understanding of and dedication to fulfilling Appalachian Wild’s mission
-Must be able to lift 50 pounds and work indoor or outdoor in any weather conditions
-Ability to stand, stoop, bend, walk, and other strenuous activities for extended periods of time
-Ability to work in a variety of environmental conditions and traverse uneven, natural terrain
-Up to date tetanus vaccine
-Rabies pre-exposure vaccine with current titers is required within 6 weeks of hire date
-Must be 18 years or older

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that coordinates the needs of wildlife rehabilitation in Western North Carolina, providing care for injured and orphaned wildlife, support for the wildlife rehabilitation network and conservation education to the community. Our facility is the only one of it's kind serving all of western NC and all species of wildlife. We admit over 2,000 patients per year with hotline calls exceeding 5,000 calls annually. Appalachian Wild has grown exponentially since establishing in 2014 and opening doors to the animal care facility in 2018. It's an amazing time to join an incredible team of dedicated and passionate individuals working tirelessly to make a difference for the native wildlife of WNC.

Staff with Appalachian Wildlife Refuge have access to continued professional development and networking opportunities in the wildlife rehabilitation field. All efforts are made to meet needs and interest for individuals to continue to grow and expand their skills, ability, and knowledge. Entry level positions are consistently evaluated for potential growth and opportunities and to meet the overall growth of our organization. Our leadership team is dedicated to achieving Living Wage rates for all of our staff over the next several years.

AWR does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and constituents. Appalachian Wildlife Refuge is a drug and alcohol free environment.

For more information please visit http://www.AppalachianWild.org or find us on your favorite social media platform! To apply for vacant positions send your resume, cover letter, and 3 professional references via email to apply@appalachianwild.org