Job Description

Take your first step into the fascinating world of exotic animal nutrition at the Oklahoma City Zoo! As an Animal Nutrition Intern, you'll gain hands-on experience working alongside our commissary, veterinary services, and animal care teams to develop, prepare, and evaluate diets for a wide range of species. This internship is perfect for anyone interested in the science behind keeping animals healthy and thriving through expert nutrition management.

Employment Status:

Full-time temporary

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Duration:

12 weeks

Schedule:

Spring 2026 - Starting on 01/26/2025

Compensation:

14.00 per hour

Department:

Veterinary Services

Direct Supervisor:

Taylor Novak - Nutrition Manager

Primary Work Location:

Zoo setting both indoors and outdoors

Certification:

Valid Oklahoma driver's license within thirty (30) days of hire and pass driver's history check. Completion of assigned OKC Zoo HSI training in the first (1) month of employment.

Other:

This position is safety sensitive. It is subject to pre-employment and/or periodic background checks and drug testing. This position works around animals susceptible to specific respiratory diseases, thus is subject to annual tuberculosis testing.

Internship Summary:

This internship is designed to be an entry point for someone who is seeking a career working in the field of animal nutrition. Interns will receive training and experience in exotic animal nutrition by working with the commissary, vet services, and animal team departments to develop and assess diets.

Development Outcomes

An intern in this position will complete assigned tasks resulting in the following learning outcomes:


Intern will develop an understanding of the essential role that zoos and aquariums play in conservation Interns will develop a thorough understanding of safety procedures necessary for working with animal collections in a Zoo Intern will learn how diets are prepared and distributed across the Zoo Intern will learn basics of diet formulation and assessment Intern will develop an understanding of research study design, data collection, and data analysis. Intern will learn how to assess body condition of a variety of exotic animals.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be 18 years of age or older Commitment of designated schedule*
Current college or graduate student enrolled in a degree-granting program Interest in pursuing a career in animal nutrition and/or research Have the ability to work well in a busy and fast paced environment Provide own housing and transportation Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel Either 1) Experience working with R or similar statistical-based software and coding language or 2) At least 6 credit hours of animal nutrition coursework

Physical Demands

Walk, sit and stand for extended periods of time. Push, lift, and carry up to 50 lbs. Bend, stoop, kneel, and move intermittently throughout the day. Exposure to fumes, odors, dust, moving mechanical parts, and vehicles. Exposure to extreme weather conditions, such as heat, cold, rain, snow and ice. * Exposure to potentially dangerous animals.