Description
Norfolk, Virginia is America's most authentic and urban waterfront city. Home to the world's largest naval station and the business, arts, and cultural center of Coastal Virginia, Norfolk has been rated a top place to live, work, play, and raise a family by numerous publications. Working for the City of Norfolk is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others. With our commitment to competitive pay and a strong retirement package, you can do good for your community and do well for yourself. Join a caring workplace that proudly celebrates uniqueness, authenticity, and a shared commitment to improving the lives of our residents.
The Virgina Zoo provides learning opportunities for all levels, interests, and ages, with the mission committed to engaging our community in taking action to protect and save the world’s wildlife and their ecosystems. The Zoo welcomes more than 400,000 visitors annually and is home to more than 700 animals. The Zoo showcases ecosystems from around the planet including Africa, Asia, an expansive herptile collection and Virginia farmyard. The organization supports many in-situ and ex-situ conservation programs and has a significant freshwater turtle, public facing, SAFE habitat experience.
The Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1982. New expansions currently under construction and slated for completion in late 2026, include a large one-horned rhino breeding habitat, a public facing animal ambassador headquarters, a shared virtual reality pavilion, animal habitats connected by overhead mesh walkways, significant indoor and outdoor classroom facilities, and more.
The Norfolk Zoo is seeking to hire an Executive Director of Zoological Operations that is responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategy for all aspects of the teams responsible for animal care, exhibitry, and environmental and facility care. Come work with a passionate team in the fields of animal care, horticulture, and facility operations to help steer the team towards an institutional vision to inspire guests and foster stewardship of the environment and life on earth. The Virginia Zoo is a municipally owned and operated facility by the City of Norfolk with a significant non-profit arm, the Virgina Zoological Society.
Essential Functions
- Reports directly to the City of Norfolk office of the City Manager and manages a high-performing team of more than thirty-five animal care specialists, horticulturists, and facility support technicians. Along with these teams is a ten-member team of directors.
- Serve as a positive leader, through proactive communication, timely feedback, staff development, efficient use of departmental resources, and careful prioritization of institutional goals.
- Model a leadership style that fosters an atmosphere of inclusion, teamwork, and safety, and demonstrates the Zoo values (Integrity, Learning, Commitment to Excellence, Stewardship & Conservation, Leadership & Growth, Fun!)
- Directly oversees and supports a Curatorial Team (Birds and Mammals, Ambassador Programs, and Veterinary Team) and other Zoo Operations Managers.
- Responsible for the consistency and quality of all aspects of care for the living collection.
- Responsible for collaboratively maximizing impact of Zoo resources in pursuit of fulfilling the Zoo mission to inspire, including acquisitions/dispositions, strategic planning, research and development, conservation impact, and interdepartmental synergy.
- Responsible for oversite facilitating compliance with all local, state, federal, and other regulatory guidelines and standards, including but not limited to: USDA APHIS, USFWS, AZA, OSHA
- Works closely with institutional colleagues to ensure proactive maintenance and development of new projects to meet animal care and exhibitry goals.
- Provide insight on construction, habitat and facility design and maintenance of modern zoological practices in animal keeping and husbandry, under the philosophies established by the Zoo’s leadership team.
- Responsible for representing the Zoo in the field of animal care, and developing and maintaining relationships with other animal care, science, and conservation-based entities in support of the Zoo's mission.
Education/Experience
- Four-year degree in zoological, biological sciences, or related field. Candidates with a suitable combined equivalent of education and experience will be considered.
- Eight (8) years of direct experience caring for some combination of the following taxa: birds, herptiles, big cats, and other primate mammals, etc.
- Five (5) years of experience serving in a supervisory role at a curator level or above at an AZA zoological or aquarium institution, with responsibility for staff recruitment, team culture, budget, and high-level collection management.
Critical Skills/Competencies
Additional Information & Requirements
- Exceptional interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills including presentation skills, and the ability to listen actively by summarizing, asking clarifying questions, and interpreting.
- Demonstrated commitment to expertise in areas of animal care including training, welfare and wellbeing, husbandry technical competency, Exhibitry, research, or reproduction.
- Demonstrated leadership acumen in management and supervision of a large, diverse, and passionate team of zoological science novices and experts.
- Demonstrated experience in departmental administration, including budgetary oversight, project development and management, strategic planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Physical Demands Of The Job
- This position requires periods of standing and walking as well as extended periods of sitting with technology systems and reporting. The role will primarily be within the Zoo environment.
- Must be able to function effectively in a variety of exhibit and non-exhibit settings. This may include, walking on wet floors, and outdoor work under variety of conditions: cold weather, hot weather, high humidity, rain, etc.
- Lifting of heavy objects (up to 50 pounds).
- Hours and availability: This is a salaried position calculated at 40 hours per week; Position will share in providing on-call support for after-hours emergencies, weekends, and holiday coverage.
This position is a senior executive unclassified position which serves at the will of the City Manager. City of Norfolk residency is required within six (6) months of hire.
Benefits
The City of Norfolk offers an affordable and comprehensive benefits plan. Availability and options described are dependent upon category of employment. Benefits include:If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.
- Competitive salary
- Health, vision, dental and retirement
- Relocation Assistance
- Signing Bonus: This position is eligible for a one-time $5,000 signing bonus.
- Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.
- Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization.
- Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.
- Retirement
If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.
- The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant’s school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.
Note
The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type.
Non-City
Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.
01
The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.
- I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.
02
Please acknowledge receipt of the following information: This position is Unclassified and serves at the will of the City Manager.
- I acknowledge receipt of the information above
03
This position requires Norfolk residency within 6 months of hire. Are you able to meet this requirement?
04
Are you a current or previous City of Norfolk employee?
- Yes - I am a current City of Norfolk Employee
- Yes - I am a previous City of Norfolk Employee
- No - I am not a previous or current City of Norfolk employee
05
If you were referred for this position by a current City of Norfolk employee, please provide the employee's full name, department, and job title. If not, please indicate by typing "N/A."
06
Please select the highest level of education you have completed.
- High School Diploma/GED
- Associate's Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
- Master's Degree or higher
07
How many years of direct experience do you have caring for some combination of the following taxa: birds, herptiles, big cats, and other primate mammals, etc.
- No experience
- 1-2 years of experience
- 3-4 years of experience
- 5 or more years of experience
08
How many years of experience do you have serving in a supervisory role at a curator level or above at an AZA zoological or aquarium institution, with responsibility for staff recruitment, team culture, budget, and high-level collection management?
- No experience
- 1-2 years of experience
- 3-4 years of experience
- 5 or more years of experience
09
Please provide the name, email address, and phone number of your current or most recent supervisor
10
Please provide an explanation of any periods of unemployment that are 30 days or longer. Indicate N/A if you have not experienced any periods of unemployment.
11
Please indicate your veteran status. (A copy of your long form DD-214 may be required)
- I am not a Veteran
- I am a Veteran
- I am a Disabled Veteran
- Required Question
