ACP Admin - Vice President of Animal Care & Conservation

Join the PRIDE and Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s mission to ignite emotional connections with wildlife that spark conservation action while leading vital programs to protect endangered species. Our beautiful 235-acre campus offers a living classroom that is home to over 3,500 animals representing 500 species. Brookfield Zoo Chicago is embarking on a groundbreaking, ambitious Next Century Plan to achieve our vision. It is the beginning of an exciting transformative journey!


Brookfield Zoo Chicago (“BZC”) is seeking a dynamic, innovative and collaborative leader for our Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation in support of our advancing the highest standards of animal care, welfare and sustainability. Standing on the brink of our 100th anniversary in 2034, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s ambitious Next Century Plan will transform our campus with dynamic animal habitats and wild landscapes. As the animals in our care are at the heart of BZC, the focus will be on strengthening and diversifying our animal population by introducing new species that strategically align with the Next Century Plan while curating an animal population that reflects conservation priorities. The Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation will also focus on strengthening employee engagement, supporting employee development and collaborate with leadership on philanthropy, infrastructure, guest experiences and programming.

The Vice President of Animal Care & Conservation serves as senior leadership manager for the Animal Care & Programs group. Works cooperatively and collaboratively with Senior V.P. and ACP managers to establish, implement, and maintain high quality standards for animal care and welfare. Oversees husbandry programs for the animal collection, working closely with other departments to integrate activities related to animal nutrition, veterinary care, animal acquisition/disposition, breeding, recordkeeping, animal behavior, conservation, and environments.

This is a non-union full-time salaried position, grade 13MT, with an expected hiring range of $139,265.31 to $154,932.65 annually. Please scroll past the job description information for further details.
PRIMARY JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions of the position.

1. *Works closely and collaboratively with the SVP, senior managers of the Animal Care & Programs (ACP) Group, the Animal Health & Welfare Group (AHW), and others to determine institutional standards of care, assure the health and well-being of the animal collection and the integration and coordination of information, plans, and activities to assure optimum care of the collection and achievement of Brookfield Zoo Chicago (“BZC”) overall goals and objectives. Works to maintain and reinforce a culture of continuous improvement and a focus on the importance of behavioral husbandry standards. Creates metrics for measuring quality of animal care, advancements in animal care, and impact of same on animal well-being. Works with staff to quantify and implement means to document animal well-being and animal responses to husbandry programs and environments.
2. *Works with ACP staff and other AHWS specialists to oversee the care of the collection, including but not limited to: monitoring the health and reproductive status of the animals, monitoring, assessing, and responding to indicators of well-being; assist in the determination and support of training and enrichment to support animal visibility goals; identifying the need for special dietary and/or medical treatment; to gather research and other data needed in the care of the collection; and other activities as appropriate. Ensures that ACP operations, facilities and staff comply with established protocols, policies, and procedures, professional standards, and governmental regulations.
3. *With input from SVP and ACP managers, develops, implements, and communicates a management plan for the animal collection and for the department, including species selection, reproduction and contraception, and animal transactions. Seeks appropriate input from ACP managers, Executive Team, and other managers. Manages the collection to optimize the well-being of individuals and populations, for genetic and demographic management, and to meet exhibition/guest experience goals.
4. *Interfaces with SVP, ACP staff, and departments regarding strategic planning and implementation, research plans, animal collection plans, guest experience and exhibition, etc. Collaborates with the SVP and AHWS to set leadership goals to achieve leadership goals within the AZA and conservation communities.
5. *Collaborates in developing in-situ and ex-situ conservation programs while ensuring integration with the animal collection, education, and conservation messages for exhibit goals. Provides leadershi