Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zookeeper Supervisor

🎯 Role Definition

The Zookeeper Supervisor leads and mentors the animal care team, overseeing daily husbandry, behavioral enrichment, training, exhibit maintenance, and welfare monitoring for assigned species or collection. This role acts as the primary operational manager for assigned units — ensuring animal welfare, regulatory compliance (AZA/USDA/local equivalents), efficient scheduling, budget stewardship, and high standards for visitor-facing engagement. The Zookeeper Supervisor serves as a liaison to veterinary staff, curators, education and maintenance teams, and participates in conservation and breeding program planning.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Zookeeper / Senior Zookeeper with 2–4 years of hands-on experience
Animal Care Technician or Veterinary Technician transitioning to supervisory responsibilities
Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist or Field Biologist moving into captive care

Advancement To:

Lead Zookeeper or Collection Supervisor
Curator or Head of Department (Mammals/Avian/Reptile)
Director of Animal Care or Operations Manager
Conservation Program Manager (for institutions with integrated programs)

Lateral Moves:

Education & Interpretation Specialist (zoo education)
Animal Training & Behavior Specialist
Welfare & Compliance Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Supervise and coordinate daily animal care operations for assigned species or exhibits, including feeding, cleaning, enclosure checks, and behavioral observations to ensure consistent, high-quality animal welfare.
Develop, implement, and evaluate species-specific husbandry plans that reflect best practices in nutrition, enrichment, social housing and environmental design to improve physical and psychological welfare.
Train, coach, and mentor zookeepers and animal care staff; create and maintain staff schedules, conduct performance reviews, and foster a safety- and welfare-first culture across shifts.
Design and implement behavioral enrichment programs using evidence-based, species-appropriate techniques; track enrichment outcomes and iterate programs to maximize engagement and welfare.
Lead operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training sessions for husbandry and veterinary procedures, reducing stress during medical exams and facilitating routine care.
Serve as the primary point of contact for veterinary staff during rounds, medical procedures, and emergency interventions; prepare animals and provide restraint support following established protocols.
Maintain comprehensive, up-to-date animal records (medical, behavioral, breeding, feeding, weights) using institutional databases (e.g., ZIMS, Tracks, or equivalent) to support health monitoring and reporting.
Manage exhibit maintenance priorities in coordination with facilities teams to ensure safe, functional environments; initiate and oversee modifications for enrichment, safety, and biosecurity improvements.
Oversee quarantine, import/export, and transfer procedures for animals, ensuring compliance with all permit, transport, and biosecurity requirements.
Coordinate and participate in institutional breeding and species management plans, including working with regional studbooks, SSPs, or cooperative breeding programs to meet conservation goals.
Ensure all animal handling, enclosure cleaning, and feeding operations comply with regulatory standards (USDA, local authorities) and institutional accreditation requirements (AZA or equivalent).
Develop and manage operational budgets for assigned units, including supplies, enrichment materials and small capital requests, tracking expenditures and optimizing resource use.
Lead incident response for animal escapes, injuries, or facility failures; implement emergency action plans, coordinate multi-department responses, and complete after-action reports to prevent recurrence.
Conduct regular behavioral and health assessments and escalate clinical concerns to veterinary or curatorial staff with detailed observations and documented data.
Implement and maintain biosecurity and sanitation protocols to prevent cross-contamination, disease transmission and to protect both animals and staff.
Facilitate interdepartmental communication—working closely with curators, education, guest services and marketing—to align animal programs with visitor engagement and institutional objectives.
Recruit, onboard and train new animal care staff; develop training curricula that include animal handling, safety, welfare standards, enrichment creation and recordkeeping expectations.
Prepare and present reports, keeper logs, and status updates for leadership, trustees or external stakeholders; support grant writing or conservation outreach with technical information when requested.
Manage inventory and ordering of food, medical supplies and enrichment materials, negotiating with vendors and tracking cost-efficient supply chains while maintaining quality and safety.
Monitor and analyze animal behavior and welfare metrics, using data-driven approaches to recommend enclosure or protocol changes to improve animal outcomes.
Ensure high standards for public-facing interactions: supervise keeper talks, feeding demonstrations and behind-the-scenes programs, training staff to present accurate conservation messages and maintain animal welfare during public contact.
Conduct safety training and audits, enforce personal protective equipment (PPE) use and safe working practices to minimize occupational hazards for staff and visitors.
Mentor staff in professional development, identify training opportunities, and support continuing education on topics such as animal behavior, conservation biology, and welfare science.
Participate in accreditation reviews, inspections and audits; prepare documentation, lead tours for inspectors, and implement corrective actions arising from review findings.

Secondary Functions

Support rescue, rehabilitation transfer agreements and specialized intake processes; coordinate logistics and temporary care plans for incoming animals.
Contribute to institutional conservation projects and field program collaborations by providing husbandry expertise and data support.
Lead or support interpretive programming and educational outreach that highlights species conservation status, husbandry protocols, and the institution’s conservation mission.
Participate in cross-functional committees (health & safety, enrichment committee, sustainability) to develop institution-wide policy improvements.
Maintain and develop relationships with external experts, universities and research partners for applied welfare studies, husbandry research and student internships.
Assist with media requests, social media content and public statements related to the animal collection when authorized, ensuring accurate and sensitive messaging.
Provide input into exhibit design and renovations from a husbandry, behavior and safety perspective, including materials, furniture, and sight-line considerations.
Support grant, donation and sponsorship proposals by providing technical descriptions of animal care needs and programmatic outcomes.
Facilitate student internships and volunteer programs, delivering structured training and evaluation to support workforce development.
Participate in periodic on-call rotation for emergency response and be available for off-hours incidents as required by management.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced animal husbandry expertise across relevant taxa (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or mixed collections), with demonstrated ability to create and implement species-specific care plans.
Proficiency with animal records and husbandry databases (e.g., ZIMS, Tracks, Microsoft Excel, or institutional software) for accurate documentation and reporting.
Experience designing and evaluating behavioral enrichment and training programs, including operant conditioning and positive reinforcement techniques.
Strong knowledge of veterinary terminology, routine medical procedures, restraint techniques and basic emergency medical care for common zoo species.
Working knowledge of regulatory and accreditation standards (USDA, AZA or local equivalents), quarantine protocols and permit requirements for animal transport.
Facility and exhibit maintenance familiarity, including hazard identification, safe enclosure design, and coordination with maintenance teams on modifications.
Budget management skills for supply procurement, inventory control and cost-effective planning of enrichment and operational materials.
Proficient in incident reporting, root-cause analysis and creating corrective action plans following animal or staff incidents.
Ability to design and deliver staff training programs, conduct performance evaluations and manage rotas/scheduling for multi-shift teams.
Experience supporting or conducting species management and breeding program activities, including working with regional coordinators and studbooks.
Data-driven skills: ability to collect, interpret and present behavior, health and welfare metrics to inform husbandry decisions.
Familiarity with biosecurity measures, sanitation standards and PPE protocols to minimize disease risk and cross-contamination.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and team development skills with a collaborative, supportive supervisory style that promotes staff retention and professional growth.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for clear reporting, public presentations, and interdepartmental coordination.
Problem-solving and critical thinking under pressure, with the ability to make rapid, evidence-based decisions during animal- or facility-related emergencies.
Empathy and ethical judgment when making welfare decisions that balance animal needs, staff safety and institutional constraints.
Time management and organizational skills to prioritize multiple operational tasks, projects and staff needs in a fast-paced environment.
Conflict resolution and coaching skills to provide constructive feedback and mediate staff-related issues.
Strong attention to detail for accurate recordkeeping, feeding regime adherence and compliance with protocols.
Adaptability and resilience in changing conditions, seasonal variations and during high-visitor periods or exhibit transitions.
Public engagement skills: comfortable delivering keeper talks, educational programs and handling visitor inquiries professionally.
Cultural competence and inclusivity to lead diverse teams and engage with a wide community of visitors and stakeholders.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with demonstrated hands-on animal care experience; vocational certifications in animal care or related fields are advantageous.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Zoology, Animal Science, Biology, Wildlife Conservation, Veterinary Technology, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Zoology / Animal Science
Wildlife Biology / Conservation Biology
Veterinary Technology / Animal Health
Ecology / Environmental Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressive zookeeping or animal care experience; at least 2 years in a lead or supervisory role preferred.

Preferred:

5+ years of animal care experience with demonstrated supervisory responsibility, experience working in AZA-accredited (or equivalent) institutions, and direct involvement in species management, training programs and accreditation processes.