Lead Rhino Specialist

Location: Yulee,Florida,United States

Job Title: Lead Rhino Specialist

Department: White Oak Conservation

Reports To: Collections Manager 

FLSA Status: Exempt

 Last Revised: May 2021  

White Oak conserves and sustains some of the earth's rarest wild animals through innovative training, research, education, and conservation breeding programs that contribute to the survival of wildlife in nature.  The conservation programs span 600 acres along the St. Mary’s River in northeast Florida, surrounded by 17,000 acres of mixed forest and wetlands that make up the beautiful White Oak property.  Founded in 1982, White Oak leads professional efforts to improve veterinary care, develop holistic animal management techniques, and better understand the biology of critically endangered species by providing excellent care and managing conservation programs for over 30 species of imperiled wildlife in large, naturalistic habitats.      

White Oak Mission:
Save endangered wildlife and habitats through sustainable conservation breeding, education, and responsible land stewardship.

Position Purpose: 
The lead rhino specialist functions as the hands-on leader of animal husbandry, delivering exceptional and safe care to advance White Oak’s conservation programs. This position’s primary responsibility is the management of rhino and equids, but also works with other ungulate taxa. The lead rhino specialist works cooperatively with the collection manager and veterinary team to implement best practices and achieve the goals of the rhino team. This position contributes directly to the White Oak Conservation mission by supporting ungulate husbandry programs. 

Essential Responsibilities: 
The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
•    Oversee the daily care of the ungulates in designated area, to include feeding, cleaning, medicating, handling, and record keeping activities.
•    Oversee hand rearing, animal transfers, introductions, operant conditioning, and area research projects.
•    Coordinate with veterinary team to conduct ungulate care procedures and medical treatments.
•    Complete requisitions and purchase requests for all supplies and animal feed needed in designated area.
•    Oversee and perform animal care facilities maintenance including mowing, weed-eating, pressure washing, dirt and substrate work, gate adjustments, lock lubrication, limb pick up, and other repairs. 
•    Oversee team cleanliness and organization of work and break areas, food storage, food prep, vehicles, and equipment.
•    Maintain records and reports related to the ungulate collection.
•    Participate with research project reviews and approved project implementation.
•    Assist Ungulate Collection Managers in creating protocols, transfer plans, and other preparations.
•    Assist Ungulate Collection Managers with design and implementation of animal management and conservation breeding plans.
•    Coordinate animal welfare assessment program for the area’s animals.
•    Participate in the design of habitats and animal care facilities.
•    Conduct routine meetings with individual staff members and the team.
•    Participate in the recruitment and hiring of new personnel for assigned area.
•    Inform and participate in employee evaluations with Ungulate Collection Managers.
•    Responsible for overseeing the highest level of safety in the workplace through staff training and implementation of safety protocols and procedures.
•    Participate in the emergency response.
•    Oversee area intern training including ungulate husbandry and management, record keeping, research, conservation, and education projects.
•    Oversee, facilitate, and participate in high level guest experiences in the ungulate area. 
•    Perform other duties that are not specifically identified above but are required to care for White Oak’s ungulate collection.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
•    Associate or Bachelor’s degree in animal science, wildlife management, biology, or a related field.
•    At least 5 years of rhino and other ungulate husbandry experience. 
•    Experience in an AZA accredited/certified facility preferred.
•    Experience working with rhinos in large acreage habitats is preferred. 
•    Demonstrated experience working with veterinarians and a working knowledge of common medical procedures.
•    Experience with animal management plans, policies and tools, animal escape and recapture, and collection planning.
•    Experience with diverse ungulate managem