About the Department

Are you ready to join a team that is "Building Community Through Fun?" Are you ready to make a difference? 

The City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) is looking for people who want to make San José a better place to live and visit. Our mission is to connect people through parks, recreation, and neighborhood services for an active San José. ActivateSJ, PRNS’s strategic plan, envisions healthy communities that inspire belonging by following the guiding principles of stewardship, nature, equity & access, identity, and public life.
  
 The Department creates and activates thriving public places, including over 40 community centers, 10 regional parks, over 200 neighborhood parks, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, and over 65 miles of trail. We also offer diverse programming for all ages and abilities. We take a fun approach to public service, and value the public’s trust. Our team is collaborative, supportive, and innovative. We are a fast-paced organization that takes decisive action after thoughtful planning.
 
For more information, please visit sanjoseca.gov/prns.

About Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (HHPZ): This is a 16-acre amusement park and Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo located in San José, California. HHPZ is open year-round catering to families with children. It operates nine amusement park rides, showcases various endangered species, and operates one of the oldest classical puppet theaters in California, as well as offering many other playgrounds and attractions emphasizing play and imagination in a natural conservation setting. 

Position Duties

The Department is currently recruiting staff to fill multiple Zoo Keeper positions including full-time benefited and part time unbenefited vacancies at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. We are seeking highly motivated, personable individuals with strong leadership skills and innovative ideas to become part of a dynamic team of employees with a strong commitment to providing excellent service to our diverse community. 

About Zoo Keeper Full Time/Part Time: The position performs work involving the care and feeding of zoo, domestic farm, and/or non-domestic animals and the maintenance of enclosures, grounds, and service areas. Responsibilities include working with animals under all types of climatic conditions and supporting daily animal care, including basic husbandry, behavioral observation, enrichment, training, and safe animal handling and restraint. Staff support animal training and behavioral management as assigned and are responsible for maintaining accurate animal records in alignment with established protocols. In addition, the position responds to general questions from the public regarding domestic and non-domestic animals.

Please note that schedules can vary every week or be on an “on call” basis depending on knowledge, training, and experience with specific animal routines. These positions will be required to work weekends, evenings, and holidays, during all climactic conditions as assigned and must have the ability to enter animal areas and perform physical work (including lifting objects up to 50 lbs.).

The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. The Zookeeper classification is subject to the City’s pay floor rate $28.99 hourly for full-time and $30.48 hourly for part-time unbenefited Zookeeper positions. 

Salary range: $ 53,311.44 - $ 64,711.92 annually.

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Completion of high school, General Educational Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate.

Experience: One (1) year experience in the care of non-domestic animals.

Acceptable Substitution: College coursework in zoology, biology or related field can substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Licenses/Certificates: Possession of a valid State of California driver’s license may be required.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies, and federal and state rules and regulations. Demonstrated skills and experience with the following:

• Knowledge of and experience with modern zoo operating practices and principles, including safety. 
• Knowledge of and experience with principles for working with domestic and/or non-domestic animals as they pertain to park and zoo and performance of animal husbandry tasks.   
• Knowledge of and experience with normal domestic and/or non-domestic animal behavior, with the ability to recognize and report abnormal behavior, attitude, or appearance of animals.   
• Knowledge of and experience with species specific behavioral enrichment and animal training programs.
• Knowledge of and experience with performing and/or assisting with basic veterinary procedures, handling and restraint of a wide variety of animals such as reptiles, birds, mammals, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, and/or other domestic and non-domestic animals as they pertain to park and zoo exhibits. 
• Knowledge of and experience with performing basic construction and maintenance of animal habitats and displays, including plant maintenance.

Communication Skills: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills: Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Problem Solving: Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Social Awareness: Demonstrates the ability to read or sense other people's emotions and how they influence the situation of interest or concern; demonstrates empathy and organizational awareness.

Meeting Ethical Standards: When confronted with ethical dilemmas, acts in a way that reflects relevant law, policy and procedures, agency values, and personal values

Analytical Thinking: Approaches a problem or situation by using a logical, systematic ,sequential approach.

Selection Process: 

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process may consist of one or more interviews. 

If you have questions regarding selection or hiring process, please contact Jaine Davies PRNS Employee Services Analyst at [email protected].