OKC Zoo Intern - Nutrition

Start your career in exotic animal nutrition with the Oklahoma City Zoo! Our Animal Nutrition Internship provides hands-on training and experience in diet development and assessment. Interns will collaborate with the commissary, vet services, and animal care teams to ensure proper nutrition for a variety of species. Additionally, interns will gain valuable research experience through data collection and analysis as part of a dedicated diet study. This opportunity is perfect for those passionate about animal health and eager to explore the field of animal nutrition.

Employment Status: Part-time temporary

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Duration: 12 weeks (40 hours a week)

Schedule: Summer 2025

Compensation: 14.00 per hour

Department: Veterinary Services

Direct Supervisor: Nutrition Manager

Primary Work Location: Zoo setting both indoors and outdoors

Certification: Valid Oklahoma driver’s license within thirty (30) days of hire and pass driver’s history check. Completion of assigned OKC Zoo HSI training in the first (1) month of employment.

Other: This position is safety sensitive. It is subject to pre-employment and/or periodic background checks and drug testing.  This position works around animals susceptible to specific respiratory diseases, thus is subject to annual tuberculosis testing.

Internship Summary: This internship is designed to be an entry point for someone who is seeking a career working in the field of animal nutrition. Interns will receive training and experience in exotic animal nutrition by working with the commissary, vet services, and animal team departments to develop and assess diets.

Development Outcomes 

An intern in this position will complete assigned tasks resulting in the following learning outcomes

• Intern will develop an understanding of the essential role that zoos and aquariums play in conservation 
• Interns will develop a thorough understanding of safety procedures necessary for working with animal collections in a Zoo
• Intern will learn how diets are prepared and distributed across the Zoo
• Intern will learn basics of diet formulation and assessment
• Intern will develop an understanding of research study design, data collection, and data analysis.
• Intern will learn how to assess body condition of a variety of exotic animals.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Commitment of *designated schedule*
• Current college or graduate student enrolled in a degree-granting program
• Interest in pursuing a career in animal nutrition and/or research
• Have the ability to work well in a busy and fast paced environment
• Provide own housing and transportation
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Either 1) Experience working with R or similar statistical-based software and coding language or 2) At least 6 credit hours of animal nutrition coursework