Job Title: Seasonal Wildlife Technician

Division: Animal Care
Reports To:  Hospital Manager
FLSA Status:  Non-Exempt, Full Time Seasonal
Prepared Date: October 2024

Summary: This is a non-exempt, full-time, seasonal Wildlife Technician position whose responsibility is to ensure that all animals at CWC receive adequate and appropriate husbandry care, to manage the daily tasks of a volunteer-based veterinary clinic, and implement protocols, procedures, medical evaluations, and treatment of native California animals as set by CWC management. The dates of employment are from around March 1st, 2025, through October 31st, 2025. 

include the following (other duties may be assigned):

  • Ensures that enclosures and facilities are cleaned and maintained daily, feeding schedules are adhered to and other animal care needs are met. 
  • Performs intakes, examinations, basic diagnostic procedures, and create treatment plans for incoming patients. 
  • Responds to hospital cell phone text messages. 
  • Admits animals from the public and provides assistance both in person and over the phone regarding animal rescues, transport, emergency care and nuisance wildlife situations. 
  • Administers medical treatments according to CWC policies. 
  • Maintains and updates animal patient care records. 
  • Ensures that protocols that minimize the risk of contraction of zoonotic diseases are adhered to.
  • Assists the veterinarian with animal care, treatments, and procedures. 
  • Coordinates animal releases as needed.  

 Supervisory Responsibilities

With the Volunteer Coordinator, supervises, manages, and trains interns, volunteers and externs; delegates and ensures satisfactory completion of tasks. 

 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

 

Education and/or Experience:

  • At least one year of experience working at a wildlife rehabilitation center as an employee, volunteer or intern. (Internship term may be less than a year). 
  • Must have experience working with volunteers. 

Other required qualifications:

  • Must be able to work cooperatively with co-workers, volunteers, interns, externs, and the general public.  
  • Must be able to provide a friendly, tolerant environment for staff, volunteers, interns, and externs.  
  • Must be able to work quickly, efficiently, and calmly under stressful conditions. 
  • Must be able to handle multiple responsibilities.  
  • Must possess good verbal and written communication skills.  
  • Must have a valid California State driver’s license, with a clean record to be insured by our insurance. 
  • Upon hire, must pass a background check.
  • Must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and able to show COVID Vaccination Card as proof of vaccination. 

Desired experience and education:  

  • Familiarity with basic lab work, physical exams, administering subcutaneous fluids, providing necessary treatments, dosing, and administering medications and stabilizing animals through emergency and critical care.  
  • Degree in biological/zoological sciences, ecology, or conservation medicine.  

 Language Skills:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedures manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of interns, volunteers, or employees of the organization. 

Mathematical Skills:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate ratio and percentages. 

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. 

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, and individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Office and preferably the WRMD.org  database.

 

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 enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work may require hiking, climbing, lifting, bending, stooping, pushing and other moderately strenuous activities.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk, hear and smell. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk and sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals, zoonotic diseases, aggressive and feral animals, mechanical moving parts, outside weather conditions and risk of radiation. The noise level in the work environment can be loud.

Send cover letter and resume to the Hospital Manager, Kristen Kanatzar (kkanatzar@cawildlife.org). No calls please.

EOE/M/F/D/V/SO

Job Title: Seasonal Marine Program Assistant

Division: Marine Mammal Team
Reports To:  Marine Program Manager
FLSA Status:  Non-Exempt, Seasonal
Prepared Date: October 2024

Summary: This is a full-time, seasonal, hourly position. The Seasonal Marine Program Assistant (MPA) is an experienced marine mammal rehabilitative care provider, who works under the supervision of the Marine Program Manager, Stranding Coordinator, and often without supervision. This position is scheduled from February through July 2025.

include the following (other duties may be assigned):

  • Perform all duties of a marine mammal rehabilitator including, but not limited to: large animal restraint, patient intakes, oversee and perform general husbandry tasks of marine mammal patients, administer medication and fluid therapies, gavage feeding of seals and sea lions, assist with patient releases, maintain all rehabilitation equipment and enclosures.
  • Provide CWC marine mammal program support.
  • Provide marine animal response, rescue, and transport.
  • Facilitate volunteer and intern training and leadership.
  • Works with Marine Program staff to assess stranded marine mammal as soon as possible.
  • Utilize a tracking system for animals placed on 24-hour watch.
  • Transport of stranded marine mammals to the appropriate rehabilitation facility.
  • Manage maintenance of assigned equipment.
  • Maintain high quality records of all patients on site and data collected during stranding responses.
  • Establish and maintain good rapport with representatives of various public agencies and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
  • Assist in the response and collection of dead-stranded marine mammals.
  • Perform rescues of injured and contaminated marine birds within our response area.

 Supervisory Responsibilities

Responsible for closely supervising up to four volunteers/interns per shift, ensuring that all safety guidelines are followed while performing rescues, completing husbandry tasks, and providing care for all patients.

 

Experience and Requirements:

  • Two years’ direct experience in pinniped rehabilitation and husbandry.
  • Must have a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record and be comfortable driving a 12-person van (Ford Transit VN) and a Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck.
  • Must be able to work cooperatively with co-workers, volunteers, interns, and the public.
  • Must be able to work quickly, efficiently, and calmly under stressful conditions.
  • Must be able to efficiently handle multiple responsibilities.
  • Must possess good verbal and written communication skills.
  • Upon hire, must pass a background check and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
  • Commitment to professionalism.

Other Desired Qualifications:

  • BA/BS or higher degree (preference given to marine biology fields of study).
  • Excellent public relations skills.

 Language Skills:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedures manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups on the beach or employees of the organization.

Mathematical Skills:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate ratio and percentages. 

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. 

 

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 enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: must be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds. Work is done which may require hiking, climbing, lifting, bending, stooping, pushing and other strenuous activities.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals; routine exposure to zoonotic diseases, aggressive and feral animals; outside weather conditions of extreme heat, cold and precipitation. The noise level in the work environment can be loud.

Send cover letter and resume to the Marine Program Manager, Heather Henderson (hhenderson@cawildlife.org). No calls please.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome a diverse pool of applicants.
EOE/M/F/D/V/SO

For information about becoming a volunteer, visit our Volunteer Page or email volunteer@cawildlife.org.

California Wildlife Center (CWC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit wildlife care organization dedicated to providing emergency rescue, rehabilitative care and release of sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife in Los Angeles County. Located in the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains, CWC operates in collaboration with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. CWC cares for all species of native wildlife. CWC is an equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V/SO