Zoo Maintenance Technician

Zoo Maintenance Technician

Salary

$46,794.34 - $78,396.85 Annually

Location

3500 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA

Job Type

Permanent Full-time

Job Number

14514

Department

Zoo

Opening Date

11/10/2026

Closing Date

11/22/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The Maintenance Mechanic II is responsible for performing skilled maintenance and repair work across a wide range of facilities and grounds. This position ensures the upkeep of buildings, fences, roofs, walkways, exhibits, and outdoor infrastructure, along with supporting the Administration Buildings mechanical systems, such as the chiller and cooling tower. Work will involve both preventive and corrective maintenance to sustain operations and ensure the Zoo remains safe and welcoming for staff, animals, and visitors.

This is a hands-on position that requires adaptability and versatility. The Zoo presents unique challenges compared to standard facilities, as work often involves specialized enclosures, outdoor structures, and sensitive environments where safety is paramount. The incumbent will respond to work orders and radio calls, document completed work using the Citys asset management system, and proactively perform preventive maintenance tasks. While the position does not supervise staff or lead crews, the incumbent will occasionally serve as a liaison to outside contractors and other City trades, escorting them to appropriate areas within the Zoo and ensuring work is completed safely and effectively.This position is well-suited for individuals who prefer variety and outdoor work, enjoy moving from task to task, and thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same.

The Zoo encompasses a wide variety of structures including animal enclosures, exhibit features, outdoor spaces, and traditional buildings such as the Administration Building, Education offices, and ticketing areas. Maintaining these facilities is essential to ensuring visitor safety, supporting Zoo operations, and upholding the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation standards, which require a high level of safety, functionality, and proactive maintenance.

Departmental Hiring Salary Range: $46,974.34-$53,697.58

Essential Functions

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

• Perform skilled maintenance and repair of Zoo facilities, including roofs, fences, walkways, animal enclosures, and public areas.
• Maintain and troubleshoot building systems at the Administration Building, including chillers, cooling towers, and standard office-style infrastructure.
• Respond to service requests and radio calls promptly, performing corrective action and documenting work through the asset management system.
• Conduct preventive maintenance tasks to reduce equipment failures and extend the life of building systems and Zoo infrastructure.
• Escort and assist outside contractors and other City trade personnel when work is outsourced, ensuring safe access to sensitive areas.
• Ensure compliance with AZA accreditation standards through consistent upkeep of animal housing, visitor facilities, and safety systems.
• Support Zoo operations by maintaining safe and functional environments for staff, visitors, and animals.
• Utilize mobile devices and radios to monitor and respond to work orders in real time.
• Documents all work performed in the Asset Essentials work order management system, maintaining accurate and complete records.
• Collaborate with supervisors and other Facility Maintenance personnel to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Adhere to all safety requirements and protocols, especially in animal-sensitive or public areas.

Education/Experience

Work requires knowledge necessary to understand basic operational and technical processes. Level of knowledge equivalent to four years of high school or equivalency.

Two years experience as maintenance mechanic.

Preferred Education/Experience:

Two to four years of progressively responsible experience performing building, grounds, or facilities maintenance, preferably in a unique environment such as a zoo, park, aquarium, or public assembly facility. Additional vocational or technical coursework in building trades (carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, or electrical).

Additional Information & Requirements

• Valid Drivers License Required

Work Hours: This position is primarily scheduled 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, however, off days may alternate and the incumbent may occasionally be scheduled to work a weekend to support Zoo operations and events. Flexibility is essential to meet the needs of the facility and ensure proper coverage.

• Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.

• Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization.

• Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.

• Retirement

If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

• The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant's school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.

NOTE:

The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type.

Non-City

Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.

01

The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.

• I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.

02

Are you a current or previous City of Norfolk employee?

• Yes - I am a current City of Norfolk Employee
• Yes - I am a previous City of Norfolk Employee
• No - I am not a previous or current City of Norfolk employee

03

If you were referred for this position by a current City of Norfolk employee, please provide the employees full name, department, and job title, and your relationship to the employee. If not, please indicate by typing "N/A."

04

Please provide an explanation of any periods of unemployment that are 30 days or longer. Indicate N/A if you have not experienced any periods of unemployment.

05

Do you have experience performing maintenance in zoo, aquarium, or other animal-related facilities?

• Yes, direct experience
• Yes, related facility experience (e.g., parks, specialized enclosures)
• No, but I have general maintenance experience
• No experience

06

Which of the following maintenance tasks have you performed regularly? (Select all that apply)

• Roof repair
• Fence or gate repair
• Building system troubleshooting (HVAC, chillers, cooling towers)
• Concrete or walkway repair
• General carpentry or painting
• None of the above

07

When responding to a variety of maintenance requests across the Zoo (from roofs to animal enclosures), how would you prioritize your work?

• Start with the tasks that I personally prefer or am most skilled at.
• Wait until I am told by a supervisor which task to begin.
• Address safety-related or containment issues first, then move on to operational and routine items.
• Group similar tasks together to increase efficiency, even if safety issues are pending.

08

Do you have experience working with preventive maintenance programs or asset management systems (e.g., Asset Essentials, FacilityDude, or equivalent)?

• Yes, significant experience
• Yes, limited experience
• No experience

09

Safety is critical in a Zoo environment. Which best describes your approach to safety?

• I always follow protocols strictly and encourage others to do the same
• I generally follow protocols but may need reminders
• I rely on supervisors to tell me whats required

10

When contractors come on site to perform work, your role is often to guide them to the right areas. Whats the most important step in doing this well?

• Provide them with Zoo keys and move on to other tasks to increase work output.
• Stay with them the entire time, to observe and ensure they do the right thing.
• Ensure you understand the scope of their work and direct them to the correct location safely.
• Leave them to figure it out on their own.

11

Have you ever worked in a facility that required compliance with industry standards such as AZA or OSHA?

• Yes, direct experience
• Yes, related compliance experience
• No

12

Preventive maintenance is essential in a Zoo setting. Which of the following best describes your approach?

• Only fix or maintain things once a problem is reported so we can continue working on other assignments.
• Perform preventive maintenance when time allows but prioritize emergencies.
• Balance scheduled preventive maintenance with corrective repairs, adjusting based on urgency/resources.
• Perform preventive maintenance tasks on schedule, even if nothing looks wrong.

13

This position involves a lot of outdoor work in ail types of weather. How do you handle that aspect of the job?

• Im comfortable working outdoors year-round and will plan ahead with proper gear.
• I prefer to work inside and would struggle in outdoor conditions.
• I can work outdoors but only during certain seasons.
• Im adaptable, but would need clear communication on expectations for outdoor assignments.

14

Do you have experience using a radio communication system to receive and respond to work requests?

• Yes, regular use in past jobs
• Limited experience
• No experience

15

Please indicate your veteran status. (A copy of your long form DD-214 may be required)

• I am not a Veteran
• I am a Veteran
• I am a Disabled Veteran

Required Question

Employer City of Norfolk