Seasonal Wildlife Care Center Assistant

Job Title: Seasonal Wildlife Care Center Assistant

Department: Wildlife Care Center

Reports to: Wildlife Care Center Manager

Supervises: None

Classification: Non-exempt (hourly), Full-time (1.0 FTE), 40 hours per week

Employment Dates: Seasonal Term April 1st, 2026 - September 30th, 2026

Salary range: $18.00 per hour

Benefits Include:

• Ability to attend free or subsidized courses at Bird Alliance of Oregon
• Substantial discount at our Nature Store, including optics
• Opportunity to work in one of the most beautiful forests in Oregon

About Bird Alliance of Oregon

Bird Alliance of Oregon has been a leading voice in conservation for over a century. Through conservation advocacy, environmental education, and wildlife rehabilitation, we promote the understanding, enjoyment, and protection of native birds, other wildlife, and their habitats. We are located in a 172-acre wildlife sanctuary next to Forest Park, just minutes from downtown Portland.

We believe that inspiring all people to love and protect nature is best achieved when we embrace diversity as a value and practice. In the same way an ecosystem needs many types of plants and wildlife, an organization thrives when it includes a diversity of people and perspectives. We recognize widespread inequities that create gaps between our present reality and our aspirations. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment, reflecting the diversity of our community in our board, staff, volunteers, and members, ensuring our internal culture, business practices, and programs are welcoming and advance our diversity goals.

Our Wildlife Care Center (WCC) is Oregon's oldest and busiest wildlife facility, treating thousands of animals and responding to more than 15,000 wildlife-related inquiries (phone calls, emails and social media) each year. The Wildlife Care Center is busy and complex, with three major programmatic areas - wildlife rehabilitation, the wildlife advice hotline, and wildlife rescue and transport. The WCC program includes a wide variety of other projects and services, including wildlife coexistence outreach, events and media, wildlife rehabilitation-related research efforts, and providing career development opportunities for volunteers and young wildlife professionals.

Job Summary

The Wildlife Care Center Seasonal Assistant is responsible for assisting the Wildlife Care Center staff with all aspects of daily operations, including treatment and care of injured and recovering wildlife, supervision and training of volunteers, public outreach, record keeping, and facility maintenance. Applicants should possess excellent team building skills. The Care Center Assistant must be able to juggle a multitude of tasks with professionalism, flexibility, and a sense of humor. This role will work with volunteers, stakeholders, membership groups, resource agencies, and the general public in office and field settings. A passion for wildlife conservation and engaging diverse groups of people are essential elements of this job.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assists with the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife, including cleaning, diet preparation, habitat set-up and maintenance, enrichment, baby bird feeding, and medical care
• Provides consultation in person and over the phone on urban wildlife issues
• Assists in the training & supervision of the Wildlife Care Center’s volunteers and interns
• Maintains cleanliness & organization of the facility
• Participates in occasional off-site wildlife pick-up, rescue, and releases
• Coordinates after-hours patient care & completes closing duties nightly
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 1 year of experience working for or volunteering in a wildlife rehabilitation facility, or comparable experience in other wildlife-related work or study
• Basic wildlife rehabilitation skills including animal handling, feeding, examination, injections, basic wound management, and medication dosing
• Experience working with and/or supervising volunteer efforts, preferably in an animal care setting
• Knowledge of natural history, particularly of the fauna of the Pacific Northwest
• Excellent communication skills, on the phone and in person
• Computer literacy & ability to learn our medical database system and volunteer software
• Experience and enthusiasm for working with diverse communities
• Able to work calmly and efficiently in busy, high-intensity situations
• Strong organizational and time management skills

Working Conditions:

The ability to perform tasks in conditions as described below is essential to successfully perform the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the necessary functions of the role.

• Occasional flexibility of schedule
• Work is performed both inside and outside in all weather
• Work requires standing and walking for long periods of time, up to a ten-hour shift, including:
  • carrying & lifting up to 25 lbs
  • crouching, kneeling, bending, and pulling
• Work involves significant fine motor control and repetitive hand motions

Wildlife rehabilitation involves exposure to injured and dying animals, and the humane euthanasia of suffering animals is a necessary component of the work. Seasonal assistants are not expected to make euthanasia decisions or perform euthanasia, but will be exposed to these things in the course of their work.

Bird Alliance of Oregon does not discriminate on the basis of race; creed; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; age; religion; marital status; national origin or ancestry; political affiliation; citizenship; lawful immigration status; mental, physical or medical ability; Veteran status; or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment, reflecting the diversity of our community in our Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and members; ensuring that our internal culture, business practices, and programs are welcoming and that they advance our equity goals to empower people to make positive changes in their community and environment. All Bird Alliance of Oregon employees will encounter and serve diverse coworkers and community members, and work to advance our diversity strategies. More background on our diversity efforts can be found at https://birdallianceoregon.org/about-us/