Elephant Care Branch Manager
- The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
- Hohenwald, TN
- Apr 02, 2025
Job Description
The Elephant Sanctuary in TN is celebrating 30 years’ of providing elephants with care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being. We are currently hiring a Branch Manager to join our dedicated team of caregivers as we continue to grow. This new position is an important member of our elephant care program with responsibility for multiple barns, coordination of caregiver team of 6 to 10, and overseeing care of 5 to 9 elephants while collaborating with Elephant Management Team to ensure safety and procedural protocols are in place. We encourage you to apply if you meet the following job requirements and prerequisites:
- Five years’ experience working with safety and Protected Contact elephant care husbandry and training protocols
- Two or more years’ experience as a collaborative team leader or managing supervisor
- Demonstrated exceptional work safety record
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Valid driver’s license, insurable to drive company vehicles, and ability to provide own transportation to/from work
- Requires equipment and tool operating experience including mowers, weed-eaters, chainsaws, and power tools. Heavy equipment operation a plus (skid steer loaders, farm tractors etc.)
- Requires vehicle operating and maintenance experience including 4-wheel drive trucks, ATVs
- Flexibility to work different times as needed including evenings, weekends, holidays, and Night Feed.
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to work for 8 hours in all weather conditions and on uneven terrain
- Must be able to lift or carry 50lbs repeatedly during loading/unloading supplies
- Must be able to perform repetitive manual tasks, (cutting produce, pressure washing, raking etc.)
- Must be able to clearly communicate verbally; hear, understand, and respond to communications over the radio and under noisy conditions; and react quickly and safely in an emergency
- Ability to maintain extended or awkward positions and react quickly around animals
- Sit, push, pull, lift overhead, reach at or below shoulder level, keyboarding, gross manipulation, fine manipulation, stooping, crouching, kneeling, climbing stairs
Status: Full-time, non-exempt; 40 hrs/week
Pay range: $21-$25/hour. Comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, AirEvac, 401k/ROTH, life insurance, and paid time off.
To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to humanresources@elephants.com
No telephone calls, please. All applications will be held in strict confidence.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
URL
https://www.elephants.com/careers-and-internships
Salary
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Our Mission
The Elephant Sanctuary exists to...
- provide captive elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being
- educate the public of the complex needs of elephants in captivity and the crisis facing elephants in the wild
Our Work
Since 1995, The Sanctuary has provided refuge for 29 elephants who are retired from zoos and circuses. There are currently nine elephant residents with room for more. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee began on 110 acres and has grown to three separate and protected, natural habitats, spanning over more than 3,060 acres.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee provides elephants retired from entertainment and exhibition with herd, home, and individualized veterinary and husbandry care for life. Elephants that have lived their lives in captivity have an opportunity at The Sanctuary to live in an expansive habitat that allows for a range of natural behaviors.
Many of the elephants suffer long-term health and complex behavioral issues common to elephants that have spent their lives in captivity, such as tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, obesity, arthritis, and aggression. Because elephants have complex physical and social needs, successful outcomes are measured not only by the elephant’s physical health, but also their social, behavioral and psychological well-being.
As a true sanctuary, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is closed to the public. The best way to see the elephants is by live-streaming EleCams, which can be viewed on this site.
Education is a very important part of The Sanctuary’s mission. Through Distance Learning, The Sanctuary teaches hundreds of school and community groups around the world a respect for wildlife while learning about the crisis facing Asian and African elephants in captivity and in the wild.
In the wild, elephants are migratory, walking miles each day. They form intricate family structures and grieve for their dead in a more-than-instinctive way. They show humor and express compassion. The Elephant Sanctuary’s mission is to give elephants the freedom they deserve.
The Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is accredited by The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Our Values
- 1Elephants are intelligent creatures with complex physical and social needs.
- 2Elephants in Sanctuary deserve nothing less than individualized, whole-elephant care for life.
- 3“Sanctuary” means providing a safe haven and natural habitat, dedicated solely to elephant wellbeing.
- 4Protected contact and positive reinforcement are cornerstones for working humanely, effectively, and safely with captive elephants.
- 5Animal welfare standards include nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state.
- 6People can and must make a difference in protecting wild elephants so that the species can survive for generations to come.
- 7Collaboration and sharing of best practices leads to better management, treatment and care for elephants everywhere.
- 8Staff thrive on teamwork, continuous learning, and shared commitment to the wellbeing of the elephants entrusted to The Sanctuary’s care.
- 9Honesty, integrity, and open communication with partners and key stakeholders are foundational to The Sanctuary’s relationship and business practices.
- 10A healthy ecosystem is a diverse one. Likewise, a healthy workplace thrives on diversity, inclusivity, and equality.
- 11Sustainable decisions, processes, and purchasing demonstrate advocacy for the planet we share with the elephants entrusted to our care.
- 12Continuous learning about the biology and behavior of elephants supports our best practices.