Job Openings
Chicago Zoological Society employs more than 500 full-time employees and for the busy summer season, hires more than 1,000 additional seasonal workers. A highly diverse staff and wide variety of skills are required to operate the zoo every day of the year. Positions include animal care staff as well as professional, administrative, scientific, executive, technical, trades, clerical, and service positions to name just a few. The Society receives thousands of applications each year for hundreds of openings. The busiest recruitment period is during the spring and summer for seasonal positions.
Here are some of the business functions that may have job opportunities. For a complete list of current openings and opportunities, please visit the Full-Time and Part-Time Openings and Seasonal Openings pages for information.
- Administration
- Animal Keeper
- Animal Nutrition
- Accounting
- Catered Events
- Communications
- Education
- Facilities
- Food Services
- Fundraising
- Graphic Arts
- Grounds Maintenance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Janitorial Services
- Marketing
- Membership
- Park Safety
- Retail Operations
- Security
- Warehouse
A wide variety of College Experiential Learning Opportunities and Internships are also available, in both animal care and administration.
You can also find information online about how to apply for a job at the zoo, full-time employee benefits, Zoo University Classes for employees, and the zoo's Diversity Initiative. If you have questions, check the
Frequently Asked Questions pages covering jobs and diversity.
The Chicago Zoological Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability that does not preclude performance of essential job duties, or any other status protected by law. The Society supports and promotes workforce diversity and strives to foster a work environment of respect and inclusiveness where the contributions of all workers are valued and recognized.
The institution serves an ethnically and financially diverse audience and is committed to responding to the needs of its guests and providing them with tools and information to encourage more environmentally friendly actions and lifestyles.
The Society promotes a participative management approach and is a highly team-oriented organization. A high degree of cooperation in projects and programs is evident, and employees from all levels and departments of the organization are involved.
For more information about available positions, call the Brookfield Zoo Job Hotline for recorded information at (708) 688-8881.