Animal Kitchen Food Preparation Technician - Part Time Santa Barbara

Animal Kitchen Food Preparation Technician - Part Time

Part Time • Santa Barbara
Support our mission by helping feed our animals!

Position Status: Part Time, Regular, Hourly, Non-Exempt
Compensation: $19.20 - $20.70 per hour
Schedule: Friday & Sunday, opportunity for more days
Requirement: Applicant must be 18 yrs or older

JOB DESCRIPTION

SUMMARY:
 
Under general direction of the Animal Nutritionist the Food Preparation Technician is responsible for the preparation of animal diets for the Zoo’s animal collection, maintaining the cleanliness of the animal kitchen, freezer, and refrigerator, and washing animal dishes.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES include the following:
 
  • Maintains cleanliness of Zoo’s animal kitchen throughout the day. 
  • Operates automatic dishwasher to wash all dishes, buckets, and utensils.
  • Performs cleaning duties at the end of shift, such as wiping down all surfaces, disinfecting sinks, and mopping floors.
  • Monitors temperature of walk-in refrigerator and freezer
  • Cleans and mops the floor of walk-in refrigerator.
  • Receives written and oral instructions concerning animal diets to be prepared.
  • Interprets established diets accurately.
  • Cuts fruits, vegetables, and other food items.
  • Uses scale to weigh and measure designated ingredients accurately according to written diets.
  • Works with many different types of food preparation equipment including, knives, dicer, grinder, blender, hot plate, and microwave.
  • Restocks and shelves food items in All animal food storage areas.
  • Stores completed diets for the day in the animal kitchen refrigerator.
  • Adheres to Zoo’s cleanliness and sterilization standards.
  • Adheres to Zoo’s policies and procedures as outlined in the Employee Policy Manual.
  • Follows Santa Barbara Zoo Animal Kitchen Standard Operating Guidelines/Protocols
  • Follows all Santa Barbara Green Business practices/standards when possible.
  • Follows all recognized AZA and USDA food safety handling and best practices
  • Attends bi-monthly all-employee meetings.
 
SECONDARY DUTIES:
 
  • Other Animal Care department functions as necessary
  • Special team assignments as appropriate.
  • Guest Relations
  • Greets every guest with a smile. 
  • Thanks guests for supporting/visiting the Zoo.
  • Answers phone calls, voice mails, and e-mails promptly.
  • Insures the Zoo’s presentation standards for cleanliness and maintenance are met by keeping work areas clean, picking up trash, reporting unsafe or unsightly conditions.
  • Associates with guests to assist and share information.
  • Responds to all guest inquiries, complaints, and comments according to Zoo guest relation procedures.
  • Maintains a clean neat appearance and adheres to the Zoo’s uniform dress code.
  • Takes responsibility to stay informed about happenings at the Zoo, such as reading employee communications and attending meetings.
  • Reflects the qualities outlined in the Guest Relations Statement and the Employee Pledge.
 POSITION CRITERIA:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements and environmental characteristics described below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability, and working and physical elements required of the position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience:
• Minimum 18 years of age

License, Certification, or Preferred Qualifications:
• Some animal-related or food prep work preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability:
• Ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
• Ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop productive and friendly relationships at work.
• Ability to interact courteously and respectfully with supervisors, fellow employees, volunteers, and our guest.
• Ability to exercise safe work habits.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:
• Requires the ability to access all areas of the facility.
• Requires the ability to negotiate the zoo work environment including behind-the-scenes, lawns, gravel, and hilltop.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds occasionally and 10 or fewer pounds frequently. 
• Must be able to unload and shelve dry goods in grain storage up to 50 pound bags.
• Must be able to stand/walk during entire shift.
• Ability to perform physical activities that require considerable use of arms and legs and moving the whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Ability to exert a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Exposure to cleaning solutions.
• Exposure to sharp objects and hot surfaces.
• Involves working out-of-doors in all weather conditions.
• Supportive and open employment culture.

Tools Used:
• Scale
• Automatic dishwasher
• Two-way radio
• Hand tools
• Standard kitchen utensils, knives and equipment
• Grinder
• Hot Plate
• Microwave
• Blender
• Food Processor


This job description is representative of the expectations of the position described.  Additional duties, reporting relationships, and/or position criteria may be assigned as deemed necessary by the Chief Executive Officer or authorized representative.  No changes to this job description shall be made without written permission by the Chief Executive Officer or authorized representative.

The Zoo reserves the right to revise this job description at any time.  The job description does not constitute a contract for employment, and does not guarantee employment for any specified period of time.  The job description does not in any way alter the at-will employment relationship.
Compensation: $19.20 - $20.70 per hour

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.





(if you already have a resume on Indeed)

Or apply here.

* required fields

Location
Or
Or

U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Information (Completion is voluntary)

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

You are being given the opportunity to provide the following information in order to help us comply with federal and state Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action record keeping, reporting, and other legal requirements.

Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 4/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

You Belong at the Zoo! Why?

It’s a great place to work!
We strive to: 1. Provide a learning environment with great benefits and advancement opportunities. 2. Work as a team. 3. Enjoy our work and have fun!
We are guest-oriented.
We strive to: 1. Be professional, engaged, warm, friendly, informed, and resourceful because we care about our guests’ experience. 2. Ensure safe, clean, and injury-free facilities. 3. Be a place of choice to visit in town.
We are goal-oriented.
We strive to: 1. Set competitive goals that involve our entire staff. 2. Focus on our mission and the best ways to deliver our care and services to our animals, our staff, and our guests. 3. Be the best place to visit in Santa Barbara!