Phoenix Zoo: Manager of Nutrition Services

Arizona Center for Nature Conservation
Phoenix Zoo
Job Description

Job Title: Manager of Nutrition Services
Department: Living Collections – Nutrition Services
Supervisor: Curator of Assigned Area
Supervises: Nutrition Services Staff
FLSA Status: Full Time, Regular, Exempt
Grade:10

General Statement:
The Manager of Nutrition Services is responsible for the organization and operation of the Nutrition Services Department through effective management of staff, animal diets, inventory, budget, and records, and participates in all required functions within Nutrition Services, the Living Collections Department, and the greater Zoo. The manager ensures that animal diets are provided in a timely manner under high standards of quality, sanitation, safety, and cost effectiveness. Duties include recruitment, hiring, training, evaluation, and direct supervision of Nutrition Services staff.  The manager will assess all animal diets and advise/direct the proper provision for nutritional needs.  This individual will maintain all relevant records in compliance with government and accrediting agency standards. The manager will develop and maintain a budget to ensure proper accounting for departmental expenditures. The manager will ensure that Nutrition Services staff engage with all Zoo staff, guests, and external partners in a professional and customer service-oriented fashion. This individual will accept and fulfill all other duties as required of Arizona Center of Nature Conservation (ACNC) managers.

Essential Duties:

1. Provide quality guest service for both internal and external customers by engaging in a friendly, helpful, positive and professional manner. Effectively interact with staff from all other Zoo departments, guests, media, government agencies, and outside professionals. Establish and maintain effective vendor relationships.
2. Establish and maintain systems and procedures for ordering, receiving, storing, and preparing food and food supplies; maintain high standards of professional nutritional services.
3. Collaborate in diet development and management for collection animals, and prepare nutritional assessments based on best current tools and information.
4. Manage records to comply with government and accrediting agency standards (i.e., USDA, AZA) by establishing and maintaining accurate, current, and appropriate animal diet sheets.
5. Prepare annual budget by forecasting changes in cost trends and establish cost efficiency measures to ensure financial goals are met.
6. Recruit, supervise, and train Nutrition Services staff regarding all relevant duties. Ensure that requirements for appropriate sanitation and safety levels are met.
7. Establish and maintain effective vendor relationships.
8. Perform Animal Diet Technician duties as needed.
9. Fulfill other duties as required of ACNC managers.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other be performed when circumstances change (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments.)

Qualifications:                        

1. Bachelor’s degree in nutrition or other life science preferred.
2. Minimum of 2 years’ supervisory experience in animal health, human health or food service management.
3. Ability to obtain Forage Sampling Certification, Arizona Food Handler’s Card, and pass Food Borne Pathogen Identification training within first 90 days of employment.
4. Certified to operate a forklift or ability to become certified within first 90 days of employment.
5. Ability to work with live insects, rodents, and other food animals required.
6. Capable of humanely euthanizing animals per USDA and AZA standards.
7. Excellent oral and written communication skills, and superior interpersonal skills.
8. Ability to accurately and efficiently perform mathematical calculations relevant to nutritional services, including but not limited to: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of all units of measure.
9. Ability to lift a minimum of 50 pounds and carry loads for 25 yards required.
10. Able to bend, stoop, crawl, chop food and perform other repetitive motion activities required.
11. Ability to work flexible hours.
12. Possession of a valid driver’s license.
13. This is considered a safety-sensitive position requiring the ability to pass pre-employment background check, drug test, DMV check and clear annual TB test.

To apply, please visit: http://www.phoenixzoo.org/careers/

Résumés are not accepted for any ACNC position without an accompanying application. While postings may remain on outside sites for longer, once a job is removed from the Phoenix Zoo career site, it is closed and we will no longer accept applications. If you are a top candidate for a current opening, we will contact you within a few weeks of the position closing. Unfortunately, due to the number of applications and résumés we receive, we are only able to respond to those applicants who best match our current openings.