Animal Care Specialist: Part-Time (Non-Exempt)
Rate: $12.00 starting hourly to $16.00 max hourly
Pay Grade: [PT] | Starting salary based on prior experience and education.
Location: Farmpark, Kirtland, OH 44094
Position Summary:
Lake Metroparks is seeking an Animal Care Specialist to support daily livestock care and farm operations at Farmpark. Under the direction of the Livestock Manager, this position provides feeding, handling, health observation, recordkeeping, and routine maintenance for livestock and related facilities. The Animal Care Specialist also supports safe animal handling practices, assists staff and volunteers with established procedures, and contributes to educational programs and public experiences. This part-time position may work up to 28 hours per week, including weekdays, weekends, evenings, and holidays as assigned.
Education and/or Experience:
- High school diploma, General Educational Development credential, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience required.
- Minimum of six months of coursework, training, or experience in animal science, agriculture, livestock management, veterinary assistance, or a related field preferred.
- Experience caring for, handling, or maintaining farm animals in a professional, educational, agricultural, or volunteer setting preferred.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license and be insurable under the Agency’s vehicle insurance policy.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain required job-specific training or certifications as determined by the supervisor.
- Pre-employment background check required.
- Must be able to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and follow an assigned schedule that may include weekends, evenings, and holidays.
- Must be able to perform physical work associated with livestock care, farm tasks, and facility maintenance, with reasonable accommodation when needed.
- Must be able to work independently and collaboratively in a public farm environment.
- Must be able to operate approved Park District vehicles and farm-related equipment safely.
Required Training: All Park District employees must complete and maintain required training, which may include safety, fraud prevention, ethics, sexual harassment prevention, and additional job-specific training.
- Follow applicable safety procedures, report hazards or incidents promptly, and support a safe environment for program participants, visitors, volunteers, and staff.
- Provide daily livestock care, including feeding, watering, handling, observing behavior, and monitoring general health and welfare.
- Maintain clean, safe, and sanitary animal areas, including pens, stalls, barns, bedding, feeders, waterers, and related workspaces.
- Order, receive, store, and monitor feed, supplements, bedding, and animal care supplies as directed.
- Complete assigned feeding schedules, including evening, weekend, and holiday coverage as needed.
- Identify signs of illness, injury, or unusual behavior; communicate concerns promptly; assist with veterinary care; and administer medications, vaccinations, or treatments as directed and within approved procedures.
- Assist with species-specific care, breeding support, pregnancy monitoring, newborn care, and related livestock management activities as assigned.
- Maintain accurate animal care records, including health observations, treatments, feed usage, breeding information, inventory, and other required documentation.
- Support safe animal handling practices and assist with training staff and volunteers in livestock handling, restraint, demonstrations, and animal care procedures.
- Assist with public programs, demonstrations, tours, and special events involving livestock or farm operations.
- Operate approved vehicles, trailers, tools, and farm-related equipment safely and in accordance with Park District procedures.
- Perform routine maintenance and minor repairs related to animal areas, fencing, gates, water lines, feeders, sheds, and related farm facilities.
- Provide input for animal care manuals, written materials, supply inventories, and other documentation related to livestock operations.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
- This position has no supervisory duties.
To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements and duties listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to support employees with barriers to employment and to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions.
COMPUTER EXPERTISE REQUIRED / EQUIPMENT OPERATED:
- Use basic computer applications, email, web-based programs, and Microsoft Office products as needed for scheduling, records, communication, and reporting.
- Safely operate approved Park District vehicles, trailers, hand tools, power tools, animal care equipment, and farm-related equipment required for the position.
This position requires the following observable knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors to perform the essential functions.
Knowledge:
- Knowledge of basic livestock care, feeding, handling, behavior, and animal welfare practices.
- Knowledge of common farm animal health concerns, biosecurity practices, sanitation procedures, and when to report concerns for veterinary review.
- Knowledge of safe work practices in a working farm environment, including hazards related to live animals, farm equipment, tools, uneven surfaces, and changing weather conditions.
- Basic knowledge of facility maintenance related to barns, pens, fencing, gates, feeders, waterers, and other livestock areas.
Skills:
- Safely handle, restrain, feed, and care for a variety of farm animal species.
- Observe animal behavior and communicate concerns about illness, injury, stress, or unsafe conditions.
- Maintain accurate records, follow written procedures, and complete routine reports.
- Provide clear instruction, demonstrations, and guidance to staff, volunteers, and program participants.
- Communicate professionally and respectfully with staff, volunteers, visitors, and program participants.
Abilities:
- Work safely around live animals, farm equipment, tools, and the public.
- Recognize animal behavior cues and respond appropriately to promote safe handling and animal welfare.
- Operate approved vehicles, trailers, tools, and farm-related equipment safely and responsibly.
- Identify problems, gather relevant information, follow instructions, and draw reasonable conclusions.
- Work independently, follow direction, and collaborate effectively as part of a team.
- Interact with others using tact, courtesy, patience, and professionalism.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to support employees with barriers to employment and to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, grasp, push, pull, talk, hear, and use hands and arms to handle animals, tools, equipment, feed, bedding, and supplies. The employee may be required to climb steps or ladders, work on uneven surfaces, and move through barns, pens, pastures, and outdoor work areas. The employee must be able to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 100 pounds, with assistance available for heavier or awkward items. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus to safely observe animals, equipment, visitors, and work areas.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to support employees with barriers to employment and to enable qualified individuals to perform essential functions.
The employee works in a working farm atmosphere that includes barns, animal pens, pastures, public program areas, storage areas, and outdoor spaces. Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions, including heat, cold, humidity, wind, rain, snow, and wet or muddy conditions. The position requires regular interaction with livestock, staff, volunteers, visitors, and program participants and may involve exposure to animal odors, dust, hay, bedding, manure, insects, and other conditions commonly associated with farm operations.
POTENTIAL HAZARDS
Potential hazards include working near live animals, farm equipment, vehicles, trailers, hand tools, power tools, gates, fencing, feed and bedding materials, uneven or slippery surfaces, and changing weather conditions. The employee may be exposed to bites, kicks, scratches, sudden animal movement, allergens, dust, manure, biosecurity concerns, noise, fumes, and chemicals or cleaning products used in farm and animal care operations. The employee is expected to follow all safety procedures, use required personal protective equipment, maintain awareness of surroundings, and report unsafe conditions promptly.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
The employee must support the mission of Lake Metroparks, follow applicable policies and procedures, maintain professional conduct, and provide respectful service to program participants, visitors, volunteers, coworkers, and community partners.
Lake Metroparks offers a benefits package for eligible part-time employees, including:
- Ohio Public Employees Retirement System membership.
- Northeastern Ohio Inter-Museum Council membership.
- Agency discounts.
- Mental health support and Employee Assistance Program services.
