Reporting to the Executive Vice President of Animal Care & Conservation, the Associate Vice President of Animal Care & Welfare (AVP) will play a key and critical role in fulfilling the Zoo’s mission of providing outstanding care and welfare for a rich and diverse collection at Dallas Zoo. The AVP will need to be a team-oriented leader, innovative thinker, and adept and strong communicator. This position leads and oversees three animal care teams, as well as animal behavior, training, and enrichment functions.  The AVP will have a total staff of 129 employees that includes a curatorial staff of five direct reports. In all aspects of this role, the AVP must have the big-picture vision, while being able to work together both with their teams and across the organization, to consistently implement strategies in support of the Zoo’s strategic goals.

It is essential that the AVP have the technical skills in, and knowledge of, the latest standards and best practices of animal husbandry. But equally important, this individual must possess outstanding leadership, team building, and people skills to adeptly lead, mentor, and support the team. The AVP must bring innovative thinking to implement high standards of care; decision-making skills to make the right but sometimes difficult decisions; and the ability to identify, monitor and respond to organizational needs. This role requires someone who is highly professional and ensures the Zoo is best in class and knowledgeable about current trends.

The AVP will uphold and instill the zoo’s core values:

• A passion for our mission and profession. We provide exceptional care for our 2,000+ animals and their environments.
• Supporting a WILDLY motivated team. The Zoo is a fun place to work and we approach our profession with passion, enthusiasm and a pursuit of excellence.
• Providing a place for everyone. We embrace human diversity in our staff, guests and community partners.

The Zoo seeks a professional who is –

• Committed to Mission – Understands and believes in the organization’s mission and has a passion to advance that mission for greater impact at the Zoo, in the community, and across the zoo profession
• A Team Leader – Builds and maintains a high-performing organizational culture while growing and mentoring staff to their full potential
• Forward Thinking – Can look both within their team, in the department, and across the organization, connecting the dots to propel the Zoo to new heights in its practices, gaining recognition as a leader in animal care and wellbeing
• Connected to AZA – Can easily work with their colleagues throughout the profession to help advance the Zoo’s practices and enhance the its reputation in the zoo and aquarium field
• Collaborative & Communicative – Able to build trust within and beyond their team, establish a transparent culture, and clearly share information which can help the team be more effective and efficient in their roles
• A Listener –Is approachable and will listen and learn from their team, leveraging and celebrating their knowledge and expertise, and share learnings across the team and department
• Flexible – Can easily adapt to changing needs and priorities of the team, collection, and organization and provide direction and support to get things done
• Supportive and Inclusive – Creates an inclusive and welcoming organizational culture and is open to a wide variety of perspectives, thoughts, and ideas
• Social Presence – Has a confident public presence and can represent the team and the organization in a variety of situations
• Professional and Organized – Can handle organizational details including budgets, reporting, and ensure adherence to industry best practices and standards
• Positive Attitude – Is easy to work with, has a sense of humor, and provides positive energy for the team