Job Information
Zoological Society of Cincinnati AmeriCorps - Animal Conservation & Research - CREW Imperiled Cat Signature Proje in Cincinnati, Ohio
Animal Conservation & Research - CREW Imperiled Cat Signature Project Number of Position(s): 1 ABOUT THE CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN AND AMERICORPS The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden offers opportunities for everyone! CZBG and AmeriCorps have partnered to bring a variety of fun, engaging, and conservation-based opportunities to audiences including youth, visitors, animal ambassadors, and more! Together, CZBG and AmeriCorps will provide quality STEM education to economically disadvantaged PreK-12th grade students, will engage Zoo visitors, volunteers, Zooteens, and community members in environmentally conscious practices and behaviors, grow and maintain Zoo and community garden spaces, facilitate data coordination for animal welfare excellence and conservation research, and support a variety of sustainability initiatives. This position will focus specifically on understanding, researching, and communicating activities and results of the Imperiled Cat Signature Conservation Project at the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is known for many things - our conservation efforts, our green initiatives, our friendly staff... but did you know that we have a strong set of core values that make us the best team around, and a Top Workplace in Cincinnati? We're more than coworkers... we're family. By building Collaborative Relationships, displaying Positivity & Energy, having Pride, Passion & a Sense of Ownership, supporting Accountability, Mutual Trust & Respect, and embracing Progressive Thinking, we have built a team of dedicated staff that focuses on our visitors, our community, & our future. This is what we believe and how we act. If this gets you fired up, we look forward to having you join our team! ABOUT THE POSITION The incumbent is a full-time AmeriCorps position serving 1,700 hours (40 hours per week) over a 12-month term of service (October 1, 2025, to September 25, 2026). They will report directly to and be supervised by CREW Research Associate and Cat Colony Manager, Christina Bunner. Schedules will serve 5 days a week, 8-hour days and assigned as needed, Monday-Friday. RESPONSIBILITIES Provide support for domestic cat veterinary care, including restraining cats, sterilizing instruments, preparing surgical packs, administering medications, and assisting during medical procedures and surgeries Oversee the intake, processing, and organization of fecal, blood, and saliva samples Learn and apply operant conditioning techniques to train domestic cats for medical handling Support ongoing research projects in cat welfare and reproduction by learning techniques such as hormone extraction, video scoring, semen collection/evaluation/cryopreservation, fertility analysis, scientific communication, experimental design, and scientific writing Train, mentor, and assist volunteers, students, and interns Evaluate, track, and report on the progress of program goals and outcomes Measure impact of and goals for program year Participate in mid-year and end-of-year performance evaluations Participate in professional development through in-service days, service projects, and training opportunities QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Skills Strong written and verbal communication skills Excellent organizational skills with ability to meet deadlines and independently manage multiple tasks and timely follow-through, with flexibility to adapt to changing needs and to work effectively with minimal supervision Ability to understand and interpret animal body language in order to work safely with live animals Comfortable handling biological samples, including fecal samples, blood, saliva
