Careers

Join the Houston Zoo and become a part of an organization that is focused on the preservation of wildlife and their habitats by combining conservation with education and promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the local communities. The Houston Zoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Join our food service & retail team!
During Houston’s favorite holiday event, TXU Energy Presents Zoo Lights, Service Systems Associates (SSA) is looking for 150 smiling and energetic people to join the Zoo’s food service and retail team.

Featured positions:

The Houston Zoo connects communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife. We take pride in supporting efforts that save wildlife from extinction by working to implement comprehensive conservation strategies and developing partnerships to increase knowledge and support in communities.

The Houston Zoo focuses on saving wildlife through reducing threats that face species in the wild. This includes action to reduce plastic pollution and paper use, promote sustainable seafood and sustainable palm oil, recycle electronics, and address pollinator decline. We also protect the counterparts of zoo animals, like lions, sharks, cranes and toads in the wild through partnerships with other global wildlife-saving organizations.

Every member of our staff makes this possible by ensuring extraordinary animal care and guaranteeing the zoo’s operations contribute to protecting animals in the wild. Our staff strengthens the zoo, making it possible to protect 20% of the lion population in Africa, save sea turtles through the elimination of plastic bottle sales, among other wildlife successes. By joining the Houston Zoo team, you save animals in the wild!

sea lion jumping in the air during zookeeper talk

Within the Zoo, there are many different job classifications, including animal keepers, facilities maintenance, grounds and housekeeping, horticulture, office administration, guest services, educational positions, marketing and development positions, conservation, veterinary, IT, and senior executive staff.

For most Zoo positions, experience and education are a must, especially for personnel who work directly with the animals. Our animal positions are highly competitive and require skilled individuals who usually have a background in a related life science field (e.g. biology, zoology, behavioral sciences).

Additional Ways to Get Involved

Internships

Unpaid internships are offered in animal care and non-animal areas, veterinary conservation research, and through the Collegiate Conservation Program. Interns in the Collegiate Conservation Program will receive a small stipend for living expenses at the conclusion of the experience.

Visit the Internship webpage for more information and to apply:

Internships

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a great way to get to learn more about the Houston Zoo, gain new experiences, and give back to the community. Volunteers may assist with activities in nearly every department, with events, and in education throughout the Zoo. In doing so, our Volunteer team helps save animals in the wild!

Volunteer Opportunities

Opportunities for Teenagers

Zoo Crew Explorers is a five-week summer program for teens aged 13-17 to learn about various Zoo career possibilities and how each of our staff members are active in saving wildlife.

Opportunities for Teens