Development Associate - Museum jobs in Fort Collins, CO

POSITION TITLE: Museum Assistant (Live Animal Assistant) (Hourly)
REQUISITION #: req5849
DEPARTMENT: Cultural Services
LOCATION: MUSEUM/DISCOVERY CENTER
BENEFIT CATEGORY: Variable Hourly View Classifications & Benefits
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Part-Time Hourly
HOURLY RATE: $15.00 per hour (based on relevant experience)
SELECTION PROCESS: Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. MT on 1/26/2023.

The City of Fort Collins is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Post-offer background check required .

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The City may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

The Community: The City of Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River. At 5,000 feet in elevation, residents enjoy a moderate, four-season climate, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. With 174,800 residents, Fort Collins is Colorado’s fourth-largest city and spans 57 square miles. With the 20 year growth projection, the City of Fort Collins is expected to reach 255,000 residents.

The first people who hunted in this region arrived approximately 11,000 years ago, and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. European-American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from eastern cities and across the globe to the Colorado Territory, including what would become the town of Fort Collins; an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military fort. The expansion included the sugar beet industry's growth, which brought new residents whose descendants still live here today, including Mexican-American families from southern Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, as well as Germans from Russia. Since 1879, Fort Collins has been the home of the state’s land grant institution, Colorado State University, which currently enrolls 34,000 students. Along with the university, the city’s major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and world. The community’s overall social diversity continues to grow.

There are abundant outdoor recreation opportunities available to the many residents who enjoy healthy lifestyles. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction, as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. The Downtown district provides many venues for live music, shopping, dining, and nightlife within the city. Fort Collins is widely considered the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. The City has a strong appreciation for arts, culture, and entertainment. Various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation.

The City’s long list of acknowledgements includes:

• No. 2 Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America: American Water Works – June 2021
• No. 5 Best Remote-Ready Cities: Livability.com Jan 2021
• Top 30 Creative Small Cities: CVSuite – May 2020
• No. 18 Safest Cities in America: SafeWise – April 2020
• No. 1 Best Place to Live: Livability.com March 2020
• No. 9 Most Fitness Friendly Places: SmartAsset – Dec 2019
• No. 7 Safest Driving Cities: Allstate – June 2019
• No. 4 Best U.S. Cities to Raise a Family: MarketWatch – April 2019
• No. 9 Best Performing Cities: Milken Institute – Jan 2019
• No. 3 U.S. Cities with Highest Economic Confidence: Yahoo – Nov 2018
• No. 2 Brain Concentration Index: Bloomberg – Nov 2018
• No. 1 City in America for Cycling: PeopleForBikes-May 2018
• Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award: Alliance for Innovation-April 2018
• The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-Nov 2017
• 18th Best City for Career Opportunities: SmartAsset – Sep 2017
• 3rd Best College Town to Live in Forever: College Ranker – July 2017
• 25 Best Towns Ever: Where to Live Now: Outside Magazine – June 2017
• No. 1 Stable and Growing Housing Market: Realtor.com-June 2017
• 11th Happiest City in America: Yahoo! Finance - March 2017
• No. 9 Top 150 Cities for Millennials Report: Millennial Personal Finance - Feb 2017
• No. 2 Best Cities for Small Business Owners: ValuePenguin – Feb 2017

Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?

• Potential for paid personal leave and paid holidays

- Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, and financial assistance

- Wellness program, workout facilities

- Personal & professional learning opportunities plus potential for career mobility

- Collaborative work environment

SUMMARY
The Live Animal Assistant is a part of a team that is responsible for the daily care and husbandry of FCMoD’s live animal collection on display in the Animal Encounters area of the museum. This position is under the supervision of the Live Animal Technician and works closely with the Technician, other Live Animal Assistants, and volunteers. The Animal Encounters area of the museum is one of the most popular areas on the gallery floor. Presenting healthy animals in clean and comfortable habitats is critical to both the health and safety of the animals as well as a high-quality visitor experience.

Caring for live animals is a 365 day a year job. The Live Animal team usually spends 2 hours every day (8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) feeding and watering the animals as well as cleaning and maintaining each animal’s habitat prior to the museum opening to the public. Currently the museum has 24 different animal species whose husbandry needs are met each day. Working as a team allows flexible scheduling among team members. Usually each team member works 6-8 hours per week. Holidays are covered in a shared and equitable manner by the whole team. The ideal candidate would have some experience in the care and handling of a variety of species ranging from arthropods to small mammals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Daily care and feeding of FCMoD’s live animal collection.
• Communicating to team mates the status of the animals daily.
• Attending team and museum meetings when required.
• Occasionally interacting with visitors interested in the live animals.
• Presenting live animal programs to the public as assigned.
• Communicating with the Live Animal Technician any supply needs, questions of care, or any issues or concerns in a timely fashion.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no supervisory responsibilities but will oversee the work of volunteers.

City Competencies

• Demonstrated cultural competence to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of diverse identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong learning orientation. Leverages all resources and is creative in ways of learning for self to continue adapting to changing issues and trends.
• A desire and ability to understand the diverse needs of internal and external customers, and to create experiences and deliver services that exceed their expectations.
• A desire and ability to utilize digital tools for organizational information, individual, and teamwork.

QUALIFICATIONS
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the necessary functions of this position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, able to analyze situations, responding quickly to deliver effective solutions.
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to keep and maintain accurate records.
• Ability to comfortably interact and communicate with the public which includes ages ranging from toddlers to senior citizens and people with a wide variety of abilities.
• Knowledge of basic computer skills such as email, and Microsoft Word and Excel.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and sit; extended periods of walking and moderate physical activity required. Use hands to feel and manipulate tools and materials and reach with hands and arms. Employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

VALUES-BASED BEHAVIORS

• Listens attentively to others.
• Asks clarifying questions to gain a better understanding of the other person’s views and assumptions.

• Works effectively in a team environment and actively participates in joint problem solving; willingly cooperates with co-workers.
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities for personal and professional development.
• Comes to meetings prepared and on time; honors work commitments; follows through on commitments; meets deadlines.
• Collaborates with other work groups and outside organizations as appropriate, in a proactive and responsive manner.
• Honors the private and confidential matters of co-workers.
• Protects the proprietary and confidential information of FCMoD.
• Follows rules, regulations, and policies.
• Positively contributes to problem solving and implementing changes.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

8th grade education and 1-2 years of proven experience and success working with and caring for a range of live animals or equivalent combination of education and experience. Prior experience working in a museum environment a plus.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze and interpret instructions, timelines, and standard business documents. Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedural guides. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from co-workers and the public. Bi-lingual English/Spanish a plus.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

None.

The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 221-6535 for assistance.

Notice Regarding Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana Use:
Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.

The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this City policy “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.

POST OFFER BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED.

Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.