Curator of Mammals

Position Title: Curator of Mammalogy
Reports to: Vice-President and Director of Animal Programs
Directly Coordinates and Supervises: Assistant Curator, Collections Manager, Curatorial Fellow
About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
WCS stands for wildlife and wild places. As the world's premier wildlife conservation organization, WCS has a long track record of achieving innovative, impactful results at scale. We run field programs spanning 60 countries and the entire ocean.  We build on a unique foundation: Our reach is global; we discover through best-in-class science; we protect through work on the ground with local and indigenous people; we inspire through our world-class zoos, aquarium, and education programs; and we leverage our resources through partnerships and powerful policy influence.  Our more than 4,000 diverse, passionately committed team members in New York City and around the world work collectively to achieve our conservation mission.
Position Objective 
Responsible for all aspects of the management of the Bronx Zoo's mammal collection, exhibits and department staff; interact and work with other departments within WCS as they relate to the Mammal Department
Principal Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate all components of the operation of the Mammal Department, including regular meetings with supervisory staff and site visits to department buildings and exhibits.
• Be the architect of the Mammal Department's collection plan encompassing rationale for species selection for exhibits and propagation efforts as part of the WCS Integrated Collection Plan.
• Maintain the Society's standards for excellence in animal care and management.  Work with veterinarians and other WCS animal departments to assure the physical and psychological health and well-being of the animal collection.
• Oversee the development of husbandry protocols for all species in the Mammal Department.
• Coordinate with department staff, veterinarians, and nutritionists to create appropriate diets for all species in the Mammal Department.
• Working with the Behavioral Husbandry Department, oversee the assessment and work to maximize the welfare of all the animals in the department.
• Participate in and provide leadership to AZA population management programs (e.g., SSP, TAG, and SAFE programs).
• Collaborate with scientific staff from other zoological parks (and WCS facilities) to obtain information that will enhance the management of the collection or assist other institutions with their collections.
• Formally disseminate information to staff via department newsletter, keeper meetings, orientation programs, and providing feedback on job performance to keep lines of communication between staff and keepers as open as possible.
• Provide oversight of the hiring of candidates for supervisory, keeper, provisional keeper, intern, and volunteer positions.
• Ensure the supervision and evaluation of intern and volunteer activities within the department as part of WCS's effort to provide training for future zoologists as appropriate.
• Interface with other internal departments as it relates to the Mammal Department (e.g. Global Health Programs, Animal Records, the Center for Global Conservation, the other animal departments, Operations and the various shops, EGAD, Marketing, Public Affairs).
• Prepare and manage the operating and capital budgets for the department.
• Participate in capital and master planning as appropriate.
• Participate in fundraising efforts, both public and private, as requested.
• Participate as a member of exhibit/holding facility design teams to ensure that proposed designs of animal facilities are appropriate and acceptable for the animal collection.
• Conduct and encourage appropriate in-situ and ex-situ animal research and disseminate results by writing papers for professional and popular publications and giving presentations to professional and lay audiences.
• Prepare and submit grant proposals and investigate other avenues of financial support for programmatic elements of the department.
• Represent the department and Society at professional conferences, meetings and with the media as required.
• Contribute to, enhance, and uphold WCS's policies on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and all other Core Values of WCS.