Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Sanctuary Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Sanctuary Manager leads day-to-day operations of a wildlife sanctuary or rehabilitation center, ensuring high standards of animal welfare, habitat management, regulatory compliance, volunteer and staff leadership, community outreach, fundraising, and strategic conservation planning. This role combines hands-on animal care and emergency response with program management, financial oversight, and partnership development to advance species recovery and sanctuary sustainability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wildlife Technician / Animal Care Technician
Rehabilitation Assistant / Wildlife Rehabilitator
Field Biologist or Conservation Field Technician

Advancement To:

Sanctuary Director / Executive Director
Conservation Program Manager / Regional Conservation Lead
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Director

Lateral Moves:

Park or Reserve Manager
Natural Resource Manager
Environmental Education Program Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Oversee daily animal care and husbandry for a diverse range of native wildlife species, including feeding, enrichment, medical monitoring, record-keeping, and individualized care plans to ensure welfare and successful rehabilitation.
Develop, implement and evaluate species-specific rehabilitation and release protocols consistent with state and federal wildlife regulations and best-practice guidelines to maximize survival and conservation outcomes.
Coordinate intake, triage, treatment routing and temporary housing for rescued or injured wildlife; provide or arrange emergency stabilization and veterinary care; maintain medical records and treatment logs.
Manage and supervise sanctuary staff, seasonal workers, and volunteer teams; create schedules, deliver training, conduct performance reviews, and maintain a safe, inclusive workplace culture focused on animal welfare and professionalism.
Oversee habitat management and restoration projects including native vegetation planting, wetland restoration, erosion control, invasive species removal, and construction/maintenance of species-appropriate enclosures and aviaries.
Lead development and administration of annual operating budgets, forecast capital needs, approve expenditures, track grants and program-specific funding, and provide transparent financial reporting to executive leadership and boards.
Write, submit and manage grant proposals, donor reports, and fundraising campaigns; cultivate donor relationships and community partnerships to secure diversified revenue streams for long-term sanctuary sustainability.
Ensure full compliance with local, state, and federal permits and regulations (e.g., wildlife rehabilitation permits, animal welfare statutes, USDA/APHIS where applicable) and coordinate permit applications, renewals and inspections.
Develop and maintain a preventative veterinary care program in collaboration with veterinarians and veterinary technicians, including vaccination, parasite control, diagnostics, surgery coordination and post-operative care.
Design and implement intake screening and quarantine protocols to prevent disease transmission, manage biosecurity measures, and maintain sanitation standards across animal housing and public areas.
Oversee sanctuary operations including facilities management, maintenance of utilities, vehicle and equipment fleets (ATV/tractor), waste disposal, and emergency preparedness planning for fires, floods, disease outbreaks, and mass casualty events.
Lead rescue and field response operations, including coordinating capture and transport logistics, triage in the field, volunteer deployment, and liaising with wildlife authorities and emergency services.
Develop, monitor and analyze population and post-release monitoring programs using telemetry, banding, camera traps and observational surveys to evaluate rehabilitation success and support scientific research and conservation outcomes.
Manage public-facing programs: design and deliver educational programs, school and community outreach, guided tours, interpretive signage and volunteer training to advance conservation awareness and sanctuary mission.
Create, update and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), health and safety protocols, and incident reporting systems to mitigate risk to staff, volunteers, visitors and animals.
Supervise data management systems for animal records, intake/disposition logs, medical histories and compliance documentation; ensure accurate data entry and generate regular operational metrics and impact reports for stakeholders.
Build and maintain strategic partnerships with universities, conservation NGOs, animal control, government agencies and veterinary clinics to enable research collaborations, internships, shared resources and coordinated response efforts.
Plan and execute capital projects and infrastructure upgrades including enclosure design, visitor facilities, quarantine zones and storage, collaborating with contractors, engineers and architects as necessary.
Recruit, onboard and coordinate volunteer and internship programs including orientation, role assignment, skills training, scheduling and recognition programs to sustain a robust community engagement pipeline.
Monitor and mitigate human-wildlife conflict issues in the surrounding landscape by advising local communities, conducting outreach, and designing humane deterrent and coexistence strategies where appropriate.
Prepare and present regular reports to boards, funders and regulatory bodies summarizing animal welfare outcomes, program metrics, budget status and strategic priorities to support transparency and governance.

Secondary Functions

Support outreach marketing, social media content creation and website updates to increase visibility, donor engagement and volunteer recruitment.
Conduct community science programs and coordinate citizen-science volunteers for monitoring and data collection on local wildlife populations and habitat health.
Participate in professional networks, conferences and continuing education to remain current on wildlife husbandry, rehabilitation best practices and regulatory changes.
Assist with merchandising, gift shop oversight and event logistics for fundraising and public engagement events hosted on sanctuary grounds.
Contribute to long-term strategic planning, conservation action plans and land-use planning to expand sanctuary impact and secure additional protected habitat.
Provide mentorship, career development and technical guidance for interns and early-career conservationists to cultivate the next generation of wildlife professionals.
Support the creation of educational materials, curricula and interpretive content for school programs and tourism partners.
Coordinate seasonal staffing and resource allocation during peak intake periods (e.g., spring fledgling season) to maintain response capacity without compromising care standards.
Maintain relationships with media and serve as a spokesperson on sanctuary operations, rescue stories, conservation issues and regulatory matters as needed.
Help evaluate and adopt conservation technologies (e.g., GPS telemetry, remote sensing, GIS mapping) to improve monitoring and habitat management decisions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wildlife husbandry and species-specific care: demonstrated experience managing feeding regimes, enrichment, breeding considerations and behavioral assessments for native wildlife species.
Wildlife rehabilitation and triage: ability to perform intake assessments, emergency stabilization, wound management, splinting, and post-op care under veterinary guidance.
Permit and regulatory compliance: experience preparing and maintaining state and federal rehabilitation permits, USDA/APHIS compliance where applicable, and environmental reporting.
Veterinary coordination: proficient in working with veterinarians and vet techs to schedule procedures, interpret diagnostics, manage medical protocols and maintain medical records.
Habitat restoration and land management: planning and executing restoration projects, invasive species control, native planting and erosion mitigation to improve habitat quality.
Rescue and field response operations: capture, safe animal handling, transport logistics, and incident command coordination during rescues and emergency events.
Budgeting and financial management: development of operational budgets, grant budgeting, expense tracking, and financial reporting to boards and funders.
Grant writing and fundraising: proven track record of writing successful grant proposals, donor stewardship, capital campaign support and donor database management (CRM).
Data collection and monitoring: designing and managing monitoring programs, telemetry/GPS tracking, camera traps, GIS mapping, and database management for outcomes assessment.
Facility and operations management: maintenance planning, contractor coordination, equipment maintenance (e.g., HVAC, water systems), and safety compliance.
Volunteer program management: recruiting, training, scheduling and supervising volunteers and interns with an emphasis on retention and skills development.
Emergency preparedness and risk management: developing emergency response plans, biosecurity protocols and staff training for disease outbreaks, natural disasters and mass casualty events.

Soft Skills

Leadership and team development: strong supervisory skills, conflict resolution, mentorship ability and experience building high-performing teams.
Communication and public speaking: confident presenter for educational programs, media interviews, board meetings and donor events.
Stakeholder engagement and relationship building: ability to cultivate partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions and community groups.
Problem solving and decision making: practical, data-informed decision making under time pressure in field and clinical settings.
Organizational and time management: prioritize competing operational demands, manage multiple projects and maintain meticulous records.
Compassion and ethical judgment: high standards for animal welfare, ethical rehabilitation and transparent reporting.
Adaptability and resilience: capacity to operate in dynamic, often resource-limited environments and respond to seasonal intake spikes and emergencies.
Cultural competency and inclusivity: experience working with diverse communities and fostering an inclusive environment for staff, volunteers and visitors.
Grant and donor communication: ability to translate technical outcomes into compelling narratives for fundraising and stakeholder reports.
Training and instructional skills: ability to teach volunteers, staff and community members safe animal handling, first aid and biosecurity practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science, Zoology, Natural Resources, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Wildlife Conservation, Ecology, Environmental Management, or related discipline; formal coursework in animal welfare, epidemiology or nonprofit management a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology / Wildlife Ecology
Conservation Biology / Environmental Science
Veterinary Technology / Animal Science
Natural Resource Management
Environmental Education / Nonprofit Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in wildlife rehabilitation, sanctuary operations, field biology or conservation program management.

Preferred: 5+ years managing animal care programs, supervising staff and volunteers, and demonstrating experience with regulatory permit management, habitat restoration projects, and successful fundraising/grant management.