Assistant Zookeeper Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $37,592.88 - $54,133.75 Annually
Location : Various Locations within the City of El Paso, TX
Job Type: Civil Service
Job Number: 16590-0526
Department: ANIMAL CARE
Opening Date: 05/14/2026
Closing Date: 6/14/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Requirements
MOS Code: None
Education and Experience: High School Diploma or GED, or higher, and one (1) year of confined animal care and handling experience, excluding personal pets.
Licenses and Certificates: Texas Class "C" Driver's License or equivalent from another state.
General Purpose
Under immediate supervision, provide proficient and excellent care for the zoo's animals in accordance with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) animal health, welfare and conservation principles, standards and practices.
Typical Duties
Feed, water and care for exotic zoo animals and clean and maintain animal enclosures. Involves: Prepare regular and special diets to feed animals. Clean, disinfect and maintain holding areas, enclosures and exhibit areas. Maintain safety of animals, self, coworkers, and public. Monitor animal health and well-being. Report animal illness or injury to appropriate staff. Assist veterinary staff with administering medications, providing treatment and restraining for medical procedures and/or exams.
Assist with behavioral conditioning and enrichment programs for animals. Involves: Utilize system of positive reinforcement techniques to achieve desired behaviors to meet health and/or husbandry needs. Provide animals with interactive items and activities to relieve stress and encourage natural behaviors.
Assist other zoo staff and the public. Involves: Identify maintenance problems and resolve or report as necessary. Assist with grounds and landscaping maintenance and construction. Test water quality in aquatic exhibits. Answer questions from other staff and the public regarding zoo animals, exhibits and related. Interact with the public in keeper chats/encounters, behind-the-scenes tours, media interviews, or other public educational presentations and event interactions.
General Information
For the complete job specification, click here.
Note: This eligible list will be used to fill full-time and part-time positions.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. This position will close when a preset number of qualified applications have been received.
Important Note: The required Supplemental Questions and answers are considered an examination component and will generate a score.
Applicants are being tested on a conditional basis pending a review of minimum qualifications. Applications will be reviewed for applicants who pass the Supplemental Questions exam.
Per CSC Rules & Regulations, after review of the minimum qualifications for applicants that pass the Supplemental Questions exam, a passing score, combined with applicable seniority points and veteran points, will be used to create a list of candidates.Please note: Applicants with foreign diplomas, transcripts, and degrees must have all documents translated and evaluated by an agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) prior to submitting them to the Human Resources Department. Please visit for more information.
A résumé and/or other documents will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Comments such as "See résumé" are not acceptable and will result in the application being considered incomplete.
To qualify for this position, the required education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be clearly stated on your application's employment history. We do not use any information on your resume to review if you meet the minimum qualifications for this position.
Failure to fully detail all experience and job duties in the application, or copying/pasting directly from the job specification, or responses referring to your résumé will eliminate you from consideration for the position.
BENEFITS
LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE
The City of El Paso is a self-insured entity with a third-party administrator for Medical and Pharmacy benefits. Basic Life Insurance Coverage is available at no cost to eligible employees. Additional Life Insurance and coverage for your dependents are also available.
Employees can select optional Dental, Vision, and Short Term Disability coverage. Employees also have the option to participate in a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account (healthcare and/or dependent care for daycare expenses). All of these insurance and coverage options can be configured within a month of your new employee orientation date.
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with access to mental health sessions, therapy, and more is available at no cost. A trained counselors are also available to help you and your dependents cope with life's stressors so that you can live a happy productive lifestyle.
The City's Wellness Program seeks to promote better health and wellness amongst the workforce through various programs and incentives in which employees may choose to participate in, to include wellness education, fitness tests, biometric screenings, group fitness, health coaching and so much more!
Keep Learning, Growing & Reinventing Yourself! The City of El Paso's Tuition Assistance Program encourages employee personal and professional development by sharing educational costs with those employees who have successfully completed their original probation, and in turn retain a skillful workforce. Each year, employees can obtain Tuition Assistance for Degree, Certifications, Continuing Education, and Books & Equipment.
ELIGIBILITY FOR VACATION LEAVE
All regular employees who are regularly scheduled to work on an average, a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week, who have held a position in the City Service for a period of six months from date of employment, shall be eligible for vacation allowance as hereinafter set forth. Part-time employees shall accrue vacation leave at a pro-rated amount of full-time entitlement based on the number of hours that they are scheduled to work. Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements shall accrue vacation as provided in the applicable agreement.
Regular employees in the City Service shall accrue vacation credit at the following rates per pay period, calculated from the date of employment of each employee:
For 0 - 5 years of service (12 days):
40 hour per week employees - 3.70 hours per biweekly pay period
For >5 to 15 years of service (17 days):
40 hour per week employees - 5.24 hours per biweekly pay period
For >15 or more years of service (20 days):
40 hour per week employees - 6.16 hours per biweekly pay period
SICK LEAVE WITH PAY
Employees shall be entitled to accrue sick leave with pay in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Service Commission.
ACCIDENT WITH PAY LEAVE
The Amended Section 4.4 of the Ordinance shall become effective upon adoption and shall apply to occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurring on and after date of adoption. Occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurring before such date will be governed by the Ordinance in effect at the time of the date of injury or disease.
PREGNANCY LEAVE
A) Pregnancy shall be treated the same as any other temporary physical disability.
B) An employee on pregnancy leave shall use accumulated and unused regular sick leave time and then (unless granted use of special sick leave) shall be on leave without pay, unless the employee chooses to use any accumulated and unused annual leave.
C) An employee going on pregnancy leave shall give written notice to her department head with appropriate medical verification. Before returning to work from pregnancy leave, the individual will provide appropriate medical documentation releasing the employee to return to work, as is required for any individual who has been on leave for a temporary physical disability.
LEGAL HOLIDAYS
The following days are hereby declared legal holidays for all the City departments, provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to members of the Fire Department whose duties are to prevent or extinguish fires, or to members of the Police Department whose duties are those of law enforcement: (Amended 10/03/95)
1. First day of January (New Year's Day)
2. Third Monday in January (Martin Luther King Holiday)
3. Thirty-first day in March (Cesar Chavez Day)
4. Last Monday in May (Memorial Day)
5. June 19 (Juneteenth)
6. Fourth day of July (Independence Day)
7. First Monday in September (Labor Day)
8. Eleventh Day in November (Veteran's Day)
9. Fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day)
10. The Friday following the fourth Thursday in November (Day after Thanksgiving)
11. Twenty-fifth Day in December (Christmas Day)
12. Employee's Birthday
In addition to the above days, the following days are also declared to be legal holidays: 1. Any day designated as a holiday by City Council. 2. When any legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be considered a legal holiday. 3. When any legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the following business day shall be considered a legal holiday.
01
Please choose your level of education and experience

• High School Diploma or GED, and one (1) year of confined animal care and handling experience, excluding personal pets.
• Associate's Degree or higher and six (6) months of confined animal care and handling experience, excluding personal pets.
• None of the above

02
Do you have a valid USA driver's license? If so, what type of driver's license do you have?

• Texas Class A - CDL or equivalent from another state.
• Texas Class B - CDL or equivalent from another state.
• Texas Class C or equivalent from another state.
• No, I do not have a valid driver's license.

03
Describe your level of knowledge of the care and feeding of zoo animals.

• No knowledge of the care and feeding of zoo animals.
• Some knowledge of the care and feeding of zoo animals.
• Good knowledge of the care and feeding of zoo animals.
• Considerable knowledge of the care and feeding of zoo animals.

04
Describe your level of knowledge of AZA principles and practices.

• No knowledge of AZA principles and practices.
• Some knowledge of AZA principles and practices.
• Good knowledge of AZA principles and practices.
• Considerable knowledge of AZA principles and practices.

05
Do you have the ability to support husbandry in any taxa which can include birds, carnivores, primates, reptiles, insects, other small/large mammals, fish, marine mammals, etc?

• Yes
• No

06
Do you have the ability to prepare and feed animals regular and special diet foods?

• Yes
• No

07
Please provide an example of a time when you had to maintain accurate and thorough daily logs and records of animal care and observation.
08
Applicants with foreign diplomas, transcripts and degrees must have all documents translated and evaluated by an agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) prior to submitting them to the Human Resources Department. Have you had your diploma, transcripts, degree or other required documents translated and evaluated by an agency of NACES?

• Yes, it has been translated and certified and I can provide documentation upon a job offer.
• No, I have not had my degree translated and certified.
• N/A - my degree is from an accredited U.S. university or college.

09
Required supplemental questions and answers are considered an examination component and will generate a score. Applicants are being tested on a conditional basis pending review of minimum qualifications. Applications will be reviewed for applicants that pass the Supplemental Questions exam.

• I understand that my answers to the supplemental questions will generate a score.
• I understand that I am being tested on a conditional basis pending review of minimum qualifications.

10
Candidates will be evaluated based on the information provided on the application and the completeness of the responses to the Supplemental Questions. The following will disqualify you from moving forward in the recruitment process.-Failure to fully detail all work experience and job duties.-Failure to fully detail all lead, supervisory and managerial experience and duties if required. -Overlapping dates of work experience.-Copying and pasting directly from the job specification.-Responses referring to your résumé.

• I acknowledge I have read and understand the above information.

Required Question