Curator of Birds

Curator of Birds

Position Title:

Curator of Birds

Department:
Animal

Reports To:

General Curator

FLSA Status:
Exempt

Position Type:
Full Time

Audubon Nature Institute comprises Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-Mc Mo Ran  Audubon Species Survival Center, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and Audubon Wilderness Park. At Audubon Nature Institute, we are more than a collection of parks, museums, and conservation centers—we are a dedicated team with a shared mission to celebrate, protect, and connect people to the wonders of nature.

Our work is guided by our culture code, which is at the heart of everything we do. We believe in Activating Impact by integrating tangible, real-world outcomes into all our initiatives, fostering a culture where every action contributes to a positive environmental impact. We are committed to Empowering Optimism, using positivity to inspire others to act and believe in their capacity to create meaningful change.

We strive to Create Connection by engaging with people from all walks of life, knowing that the collective strength of a diverse community can address the most pressing challenges facing our natural world. At Audubon, we embody the spirit of Le Bon Temps, infusing the joy and vibrant culture of Louisiana into our everyday work, celebrating our unique heritage while advancing our mission.

As Leaders of the Pack, we constantly seek smarter, innovative solutions, challenging conventions to drive the change we want to see in the world.

The Curator of Birds is a senior supervisory position within the animal department and responsible for the daily operations and care, behavioral training and enrichment, exhibit and life support management, collection and exhibit planning, and conservation initiatives of the avian sections at Audubon Zoo. This position reports to the General Curator. The position is an integral husbandry and animal care resource for animal staff at the Zoo.

This is a working curatorial position.

• The Curator supervises all staff (Keepers, Senior Keepers, Lead Keepers, and Assistant Keepers) in their assigned areas.
• The Curator manages and works to ensure legal compliance and husbandry best practices of the Zoo’s acquisition and transfer operations, live animal collecting operations, and new and transitional animal quarantine operations.
• Provides guidance and supervision related to animal acquisitions and transfers to support the Zoo institutional collection plan.
• The Curator sets goals and expectations for keepers and conducts departmental planning and the development of protocols and procedures.
• Oversees the animal care operations for their assigned sections. Maintains and ensures effective and proactive communication between curatorial staff to support cohesive animal care.
• The Curator works closely with the veterinary staff, members of the other animal sections and all other Audubon Nature Institute departments.
• The position ensures that all records and documentations related to the animal collection and exhibit history are maintained, archived and retained according to established record retention schedules.
• Oversee pest control efforts in assigned sections.
• Willingness to serve on the Zoo’s hurricane team if necessary.
• Serves as Curator One (Animal Manager On Duty) on a rotational basis. Ability to serve as Incident Commander in animal emergency situations.
• Ability to serve on the zoo’s Weapons Team and/or facilitate the training of assigned keepers from their sections for necessary coverage.
• Oversees and tracks budget needs, submitting needs to the General Curator.
• Oversee, evaluate and monitor the internship program for assigned sections.

• Maintain a positive attitude and a strong sense of accountability, fostering a collaborative team environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
• Thrive in a team environment, using your organizational and technical skills to ensure the smooth execution of creative projects that resonate with our audience.
• Celebrate the successes…