Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoo Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Zoo Director is the senior operational and strategic leader of a zoological institution, accountable for delivering exemplary animal care and welfare, advancing conservation and research goals, ensuring regulatory compliance, growing revenue through admissions and philanthropy, and creating outstanding safe visitor and staff experiences. This role requires an experienced manager who combines deep knowledge of animal husbandry and veterinary practices with proven capability in operations management, fundraising, capital project delivery, stakeholder relations, and team leadership.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Curator, Head of Animal Care, or Lead Curator with multi-species management responsibility.
Operations Manager or Facilities Director within zoos, aquariums, or large nature centers.
Director of Conservation Education or Development Director at a nonprofit conservation organization.

Advancement To:

Chief Executive Officer / President of a larger zoological or conservation institution.
Regional Director or Executive Director overseeing multiple facilities or a system of parks.
Board-level leadership or senior roles in national zoo associations and conservation NGOs.

Lateral Moves:

Aquarium Director or Wildlife Park General Manager.
Director of Wildlife Conservation Programs or Research Institute Director.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide visionary leadership and day-to-day executive management for the entire zoo, setting strategic priorities that align animal welfare, conservation, education and business sustainability to achieve the institution’s mission and long-term goals.
Oversee and continuously improve animal care and welfare programs by collaborating closely with curatorial and veterinary teams to establish and monitor species-specific husbandry standards, enrichment programs, and behavioral health initiatives.
Lead institutional accreditation and regulatory compliance efforts (e.g., AZA, USDA, local/state permitting), ensuring timely reporting, inspections, recordkeeping and corrective action plans to maintain legal and accreditation status.
Develop, manage and own the annual operating budget and multi-year financial plans—monitoring revenue streams (admissions, memberships, concessions, events), controlling operating expenses, and reporting financial performance to the board.
Drive revenue growth through strategic pricing, membership drives, on-site guest experience improvements, retail and food operations optimization, and ancillary revenue opportunities such as summer camps and facility rentals.
Architect and execute a robust fundraising strategy that includes major gifts, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, special events, and capital campaigns; personally cultivate and steward high-value donors and institutional partners.
Lead capital project planning and delivery—working with architects, engineers and contractors to scope, budget and deliver exhibit upgrades, infrastructure improvements and new build projects on time and on budget.
Ensure the highest standards for visitor safety, guest services and interpretive programming by partnering with operations, security and education teams to design guest flow, signage, emergency procedures and accessibility initiatives.
Recruit, develop and retain high-performing leadership and frontline teams; provide coaching, set performance objectives, approve hiring decisions, and ensure robust staff training, diversity, equity and inclusion, and succession planning.
Serve as the organizational spokesperson—representing the zoo to the media, community stakeholders, municipal leaders and national associations, promoting institutional initiatives and enhancing public trust and visibility.
Oversee the veterinary services budget and operations in coordination with the Chief Veterinarian: ensure preventive medicine programs, medical record integrity, quarantine protocols and emergency medical readiness.
Establish and manage strategic conservation, research and education partnerships with universities, NGOs and government agencies; facilitate collaborative projects, applied research and species recovery initiatives.
Implement and maintain health and safety programs for staff, volunteers and visitors, including occupational safety, zoonotic disease prevention, emergency response drills and incident investigation procedures.
Manage procurement, contracts and vendor relationships for supplies, animal nutrition, specialized equipment and facility services while ensuring competitive sourcing and inventory controls.
Develop and implement institutional policies related to animal acquisition, disposition, transport, breeding and genetic management, aligned with conservation goals and ethical standards.
Oversee analytics and reporting for attendance, revenue, conservation outcomes, and operational KPIs; use data-driven insights to inform marketing, admissions strategy and exhibition planning.
Lead community engagement and education strategy by expanding school programs, stewardship initiatives, volunteer programs and public outreach to build long-term constituency and relevance.
Ensure sustainability and environmental stewardship across operations—implement waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation and habitat-friendly landscaping initiatives to minimize the institution’s ecological footprint.
Coordinate risk management, insurance, and legal oversight by working with counsel and insurers to mitigate liability, respond to claims, and ensure compliance with employment, environmental, and animal welfare laws.
Create and execute marketing and communications strategies that increase attendance and donor engagement, leveraging digital channels, social media, PR, and storytelling to highlight animals, conservation impact and visitor experiences.
Champion diversity, equity and inclusion across staffing, board composition and community programming, working to reduce barriers to access and broaden the zoo’s audience and supporters.

Secondary Functions

Oversee volunteer and docent programs to ensure meaningful engagement, training, retention and positive guest interactions.
Support ad-hoc institutional reporting requests for municipal partners, funders, accrediting agencies and board committees.
Mentor and support curators, education leads and operations managers in cross-departmental initiatives and strategic projects.
Participate in national and regional zoo association committees to share best practices and keep the institution aligned with sector trends.
Contribute to the development of interpretive content, exhibit narratives and educational materials in collaboration with the education and curatorial teams.
Coordinate with municipal planners and public safety officials on traffic, parking and large-event logistics to ensure seamless guest experiences.
Assist in preparing grant proposals, donor briefs and presentation materials for board and fundraising campaigns.
Support recruitment and leadership development by participating in candidate selection panels and succession planning workshops.
Help maintain institutional archives, conservation data records, and public reporting of scientific outcomes and conservation impact.
Facilitate occasional after-hours emergency response and executive-level decision-making in crisis situations, including severe weather events or animal welfare incidents.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven budget development and financial management skills, including P&L oversight, capital budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting.
Deep knowledge of animal husbandry, zoo medicine basics, quarantine standards, and welfare metrics; familiarity with AZA accreditation standards desirable.
Fundraising and development expertise, including major gift solicitation, corporate sponsorships, grant writing, capital campaign management and donor stewardship.
Regulatory and compliance proficiency relating to USDA, state wildlife permits, OSHA, environmental regulations and municipal codes.
Project and facilities management experience: managing exhibit design, construction contracts, maintenance scheduling and vendor oversight.
Data literacy: ability to use attendance and revenue analytics, CRM systems (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud), and basic BI tools to inform decisions.
Strategic planning and program evaluation skills to design multi-year conservation and education plans with measurable outcomes.
Marketing and communications competency, including digital marketing, social media strategy, public relations and brand management.
Risk management and emergency response planning capabilities, including insurance management and incident investigation practices.
Understanding of human resources best practices: recruitment, employee relations, performance management, labor law basics and benefits oversight.

Soft Skills

Inspirational leadership and people management with a track record of building collaborative, high-performing teams across disciplines.
Excellent verbal and written communication; comfortable public speaking to a diverse set of audiences including donors, media and community leaders.
Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills—able to cultivate trust with boards, municipal partners, funders and community organizations.
Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into executable plans and measurable KPIs.
Problem-solving and critical thinking under pressure, demonstrated during emergencies or high-stakes operational challenges.
High emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in staffing and programming.
Negotiation skills for vendor contracts, partnership agreements and donor discussions.
Time management and prioritization of competing initiatives in a dynamic, multi-stakeholder environment.
Adaptability and resilience to lead through change, capital projects, and evolving public expectations.
Coaching and mentoring orientation to develop future leaders and empower departmental teams.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in zoology, biology, wildlife management, environmental science, business administration, nonprofit management, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or higher in zoo/wildlife management, conservation biology, business administration (MBA), public administration, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Zoology, Animal Science, Wildlife Biology
Conservation Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science
Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Finance
Education, Communications, Public Relations

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years of progressive leadership experience in zoological institutions, aquariums, wildlife parks, large museums or conservation nonprofits with multi-disciplinary responsibilities.

Preferred:

Prior experience as a zoo director, deputy director, chief operating officer, head curator, or senior director within a similar institution.
Demonstrated success with accreditation processes (AZA preferred), capital campaign leadership, large-scale project delivery, and measurable conservation outcomes.
Proven track record in fundraising, community engagement, staff development and multi-million dollar budget management.