Animal Keeper

Location: Melbourne | Southern Metropolitan

Job type: Part time / From 24/11/2024 - 23/11/2031

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Other

Reference: 1437244

**Location Profile**:
Somers School Camp is a multi-campus outdoor education government primary school. Our curriculum centres on building the capacity of the whole child, stewardship of the environment, meeting challenge and building resilience.

Our Somers campus has been in operation since 1959 and is located on 12 hectares of DE&T land, which extends through coastal bushland to the foreshore and the spectacular sandy beaches of Western Port Bay. All areas of Victoria are offered camps over a two-year period. One hundred and sixty Year 5 and 6 students (80 girls and 80 boys) from a large number of schools attend each of the 19 nine-day camps held every year. A total of three thousand and forty children attend Somers School Camp each year along with one hundred and seventy-one visiting teachers.

The Animal Keepers support the day-to-day operations of our Environmental Studies Program. The Program seeks to engage children with a range of animal experiences, in order to inspire and facilitate environmental action. Animals in the Program include domestic animals (guinea pigs, goats, chickens), native animals (lizards, snakes, possums), and temperate marine fish. Duties include animal husbandry and healthcare, assisting with interpretive activities for students, and maintaining records.

**Selection Criteria**:
**Selection Criteria**:
Applicants should demonstrate:
**SC1** Demonstrated experience in managing captive animal species relevant to the Somers School Camp program.

**SC2** Demonstrated experience providing animal experiences for primary school students.

**SC3** High level interpersonal skills.

**SC4** Demonstrated task management skills and contingency management skills.

**Qualifications**:

- An approved Captive Animals Certificate and/or equivalent work experience preferred.
- Working with Children Check.
- Driver's Licence.

**Animal Husbandry**
- Monitor and maintain animal wellbeing.
- Identify behavioural and activity changes.
- Identify abnormal health/behaviour in animals and respond appropriately.
- Administer animal treatments as directed.
- Capture, restrain, transport and introduce animals according to best practice.
- Prepare and present appropriate diets.
- Complete all scheduled tasks.
- Understand and follow quarantine and zoonotic disease prevention protocols.

**Animal Environment**
- Enclosure maintenance - appropriate cleaning regimes, enclosure maintenance check, pest and weed management, presentation and security.
- Animal enrichment - develop, implement, document, monitor and review animal enrichment programs.

**Administration**
- Maintain records for all animals.

**Interpretation and Education**
- Facilitate animal experiences for students

**Role**:
[Attendance requirement for this position]

An education support class position at this range will perform tasks that are carried out in accordance with guidelines, accepted practice, and school policy under supervision and direction. This may include coordination of other education support class staff within the work area or educational program.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students but must not include duties of a teacher as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the _Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)_ or its successor. Supervision of students can be required individually or in groups up to 4 in controlled circumstances and where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

Certification and/or qualifications of up to three years can be required at this level (noting that Registered Nurse is not included at this level, the first level for which is Level 1 range 3).

A role at this range may include:

- Specific support tasks to achieve outcomes. Typically, this will involve accountability for a single function, (e.g. ensuring data is properly maintained) or the co-ordination of a work area under the direction of the principal or a manager.
- Assisting teachers, within an educational program, by undertaking specific support tasks or the coordination of the support function.
- Supervised health and wellbeing support tasks, medical intervention support tasks, or other specialised student/teacher support roles (e.g. enrolled nurses performing the role as described in schedule 3). These roles require specific qualifications and/or training, including roles where further training must be undertaken from time to time. The role is for a specific purpose, for which there will be direct accountability as opposed to support roles that are carried out by a range of staff performing routine tasks under direction.
- Technical tasks that require a sound knowledge of basic technical and/or scientific principles that are used to develop and adapt work methods