Dolphin and Whale Hospital and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital
Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist
The position of Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist at Mote Marine Laboratory requires
advanced knowledge in the care, feeding, and husbandry of marine mammals and sea turtles.
The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist should have advanced knowledge in animal welfare,
food acquisition and preparation, and maintaining non-medical facilities and equipment. The
Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist should be familiar with National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) requirements for housing marine mammals and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FFWCC) for housing sea turtles. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist will
assist in the training of other animal care employees, interns, and volunteers. All employees
must comply with the requirements outlined in the MML employee manual.
General Duties:
Under the direction of the Medical Care Coordinator, the Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist is
responsible for but not limited to the following tasks: preparing the daily diet for animals
undergoing rehabilitation in the hospital, assisting in administering the feeds and medications,
assisting in medical examination, and coordinating the handling of animals undergoing
rehabilitation. This position will also be responsible for maintaining food, supplies, and facilities in
strict accordance with NMFS and FFWCC requirements. The Rehabilitation Animal Care
Specialist is responsible for assisting with the training of staff, interns, and volunteers in the
feeding of animals undergoing rehabilitation. This may include acting as shift leader on some
designated shifts for round the clock care of critical rehabilitated animals.
The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist may be required to participate in beach rescue and/or
animal transport operations, and should be familiar with the procedures for transporting marine
mammals and sea turtles by land, sea, and air. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist is
responsible for maintaining life support systems for marine mammals and sea turtle medical tanks
including water quality monitoring, water exchanges, backwashing of filters, and cleaning
fractionators. The Rehabilitation Animal Care Specialist will assist with routine medical care of
marine mammals and sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation. Such activities may include acquiring
radiographs, ultrasound, or other veterinary diagnostics.
Working Hours:
Working hours will be dictated by the needs of animals requiring care. Animals undergoing
rehabilitation typically require specialized care 24 hours a day. This position requires a flexible
schedule and may involve any hour of the day or night. Late night, early morning and weekend
hours are common.
Minimum Requirements:
-Bachelor’s degree
-Experience with care and food preparation for marine mammals and sea turtles undergoing
rehabilitation, including requirements specified by NMFS and Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
-US citizenship or foreign citizen’s U.S. work permit appropriate for the work
-Valid Florida driver’s license or ability to obtain in one month
-Ability to work flexible schedule, including late nights and weekends
-Ability to lift/carry/move heavy objects (100+ pounds)
-Excellent swimming abilities
-Good verbal/communication skills
-Work well with others
-Scuba certification is preferred
Application:
The closing date to apply for this position is March 13, 2009. Applications should include a letter
of interest, resumé, and the contact information for three references. Please submit application
materials to Human Resources at humanresources@mote.org or:
Mote Marine Laboratory
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236