Work where you play!  Join our team at Parks Tacoma to put your skills to use serving your community and making Tacoma a vibrant, healthy, and welcoming place to live.

Who We Are - Parks Tacoma is a CAPRA-accredited, independent park district that leads efforts to build a healthy, sustainable community. Located in Tacoma, Washington, Parks Tacoma’s mission is to create healthy opportunities to play, learn, and grow. The independent park district spans the city providing a wide range of life-enriching destinations and services, including 70+ parks, 80+ miles of trails, 1,000+ acres of urban forest, 66 playgrounds, four community centers, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Park, and much more. Our work is guided by eight core values that are the foundation of our actions and goals: innovation, excellence, equity, inclusiveness, sustainability, accountability, safety, and fun.

Why You’ll Love it Here - Come work with us and work where you play! You will contribute to the overall vitality and well-being of your community when you work for Parks Tacoma, and you’ll do so as part of a supportive team of committed, passionate, and mission-driven professionals. The people of Parks Tacoma are the key to its success, and you just might be the next great addition to our team.  On top of that, you’ll wake each day knowing that you’re helping make Tacoma a great place to call home.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium  -  Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. The 29-acre zoological park was established in 1905, and attracts over 800,000 visitors a year. It is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), which ensures rigorously high standards of animal welfare, veterinary care, conservation, education and more. The Zoo sits within 700-acre Point Defiance Park, offering spectacular views of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Point Defiance Zoo is operated by Metro Parks Tacoma, the oldest independent park district in Washington. For more information, visit www.pdza.org.
.
Position Information  -  Under the supervision of the area Curator, this position is responsible for performing specialized work in the care, observation, and maintenance of an assigned zoological area at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to:

• Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact professionally with other employees, customers, and suppliers.
• Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments.
• Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.