Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoo Program Analyst

🎯 Role Definition

The Zoo Program Analyst is a cross-functional, data-driven program manager who designs, measures, and optimizes education, conservation, and visitor engagement programs at a zoological institution. Reporting to the Director of Programs or Conservation Science, this role combines program evaluation, grant and budget management, partner outreach, and data analytics to ensure programs meet strategic goals (visitor learning, conservation impact, revenue targets, and AZA accreditation requirements). The Zoo Program Analyst translates qualitative program feedback into quantitative KPIs, produces actionable reports for leadership, and supports continuous improvement across education, outreach, volunteer, and community engagement activities.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Education Coordinator, Zoo or Aquarium
Conservation Program Assistant or Outreach Specialist
Data Analyst or Reporting Specialist in nonprofit/park settings

Advancement To:

Senior Program Analyst / Program Manager (Conservation & Education)
Director of Education & Community Engagement
Conservation Science Manager or Head of Programs

Lateral Moves:

Grants & Development Analyst
Visitor Experience Manager
Institutional Effectiveness / Strategic Initiatives Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, maintain, and improve a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for all education and conservation programs, including clearly defined KPIs, logic models, and outcome measures that align with institutional strategy and AZA accreditation standards.
Lead end‑to‑end evaluation projects (pre/post assessments, longitudinal studies, and control/comparison analyses) to measure program effectiveness, visitor learning outcomes, and conservation impact, producing reproducible analyses and actionable recommendations.
Aggregate, clean, and analyze programmatic and visitor data from multiple sources (ticketing systems, CRM, surveys, observational protocols, field monitoring) to create monthly/quarterly dashboards that inform program decisions and board reports.
Develop and maintain program databases and data pipelines; write SQL queries and automated scripts to extract, transform, and load (ETL) program metrics for visualization and deeper statistical analysis.
Produce high-quality written deliverables including grant reports, evaluation summaries, evidence briefs, and program manuals that clearly communicate methodology, findings, and recommendations for non‑technical audiences.
Manage grant-funded program budgets and fiscal reporting, track expenditures against grant terms, prepare budget justifications, and ensure timely compliance with funder requirements and reporting deadlines.
Collaborate with education staff, animal care teams, conservation scientists, and community partners to co-develop program curricula, learning objectives, and engagement strategies informed by data and best practices in informal science education.
Design and deploy mixed-methods data collection instruments (surveys, interviews, observation protocols) and oversee data collection quality control, participant consent procedures, and ethical handling of human-subjects information.
Use visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, or similar) to build interactive dashboards and visual storylines that make program outcomes and trends accessible to leadership, funders, and external stakeholders.
Translate complex statistical analyses (e.g., regression, repeated measures, clustering) into plain-language insights and prioritized action items that program teams can implement quickly.
Serve as the primary internal contact for program-related data requests, preparing tailored reports for development, marketing, operations, and executive leadership with an emphasis on strategic decision support.
Coordinate and manage partnerships with schools, community organizations, universities, and conservation NGOs, negotiating roles, deliverables, and data-sharing agreements to maximize program reach and scientific rigor.
Lead program improvement cycles by running A/B tests, pilot studies, and adaptive management experiments to iteratively improve curriculum design, visitor flow, and engagement strategies.
Provide technical training and capacity building for program staff and volunteers on data collection best practices, use of CRM systems, and interpretation of program metrics to foster data-informed decision making throughout the organization.
Ensure program operations and educational offerings comply with regulatory, safety, and accessibility standards (ADA, child-safety protocols, AZA/industry best practices) and maintain up-to-date records for audits and accreditation.
Prepare and present program impact summaries, strategic recommendations, and funding proposals to senior leadership, the board of trustees, and external funders, tailoring content to diverse stakeholder interests.
Oversee volunteer and seasonal staff data related to program delivery (schedules, training completion, activity logs) to ensure effective staffing models and consistent participant experiences.
Support marketing and revenue teams by analyzing program pricing, attendance patterns, and conversion funnels to optimize earned income from classes, camps, and special programs.
Lead retrospective program evaluations at the end of fiscal years or grant cycles to document lessons learned, sustainability considerations, and scaling potential for successful pilots.
Act as the institutional liaison for external evaluations, peer reviews, and scientific collaborations, coordinating data sharing, IRB/ethics approvals when necessary, and the integration of external findings into program design.
Maintain a rolling roadmap of program priorities, deliverables, and dependencies; use project management tools to track milestones, resource allocation, and stakeholder responsibilities across multi-year initiatives.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist in writing and editing grant proposals and donor-facing summaries that require programmatic evidence and budget detail.
Facilitate cross-departmental working groups to align programming calendars, staffing, and evaluation timelines.
Maintain documentation for standard operating procedures (SOPs) for program evaluation and data governance.
Monitor industry trends in informal science education, conservation communications, and zoo-based research to inform continuous improvement.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program evaluation & M&E frameworks (logic models, theory of change, outcome mapping)
Quantitative analysis: Excel (advanced), SQL for data extraction, and basic scripting in R or Python for reproducible analyses
Data visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or equivalent tools to create executive dashboards and public-facing reports
Statistical methods: hypothesis testing, ANOVA, regression analysis, basic experimental design, and sample-size calculation
Survey design and analysis: Qualtrics/SurveyMonkey experience, psychometrics, and mixed-methods synthesis
Database & CRM management: experience with Salesforce or similar CRMs to manage participant and partner records and track engagement
Grant administration: proposal writing, budget development, compliance reporting, and funder relations
GIS and spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS) for field monitoring, conservation mapping, or demographic analysis of service areas
Project management tools: Asana, Trello, or Jira for tracking program deliverables, timelines, and resources
Data governance & privacy: understanding of IRB basics, data security, consent protocols, and ethical handling of human-subjects or sensitive data
Dashboard automation and ETL: familiarity with APIs, automated reporting, and scheduling data refreshes
Documentation and SOP development for reproducible program evaluation and handoff

Soft Skills

Clear, persuasive written and verbal communication for diverse audiences (funders, board members, educators, community partners)
Strong stakeholder management and partnership-building abilities with schools, NGOs, and municipal partners
Strategic thinking and problem solving with the ability to translate data into prioritized program actions
High attention to detail and strong organizational skills to manage multiple grants, reports, and timelines
Facilitation and training skills to build internal capacity for evaluation and data literacy
Adaptability and creative thinking to design pilots and scale effective programs in dynamic environments
Collaborative team player with demonstrated ability to bridge technical and programmatic teams
Cultural competency and inclusive practice when working with diverse communities and audiences
Ethical judgment and integrity in reporting program outcomes and managing restricted funds
Time management and ability to deliver under competing deadlines

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, conservation biology, education, public policy, statistics, data science, nonprofit management, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or higher in conservation science, evaluation, public administration, data analytics, education, or related discipline.
Certificates in program evaluation, grant management, or data analytics (e.g., Google Data Analytics, Tableau Specialist) are desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Conservation Biology, Ecology, or Zoology
Education, Science Education, or Informal Learning
Data Science, Statistics, or Applied Social Research
Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or Environmental Policy

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressively responsible experience in program evaluation, data analysis, or program management within zoos, aquariums, conservation NGOs, parks, or education-focused nonprofits.

Preferred:

5+ years with demonstrated success managing grant-funded programs, producing evaluation reports, and using analytics to inform program improvement.
Experience working within AZA-accredited institutions, familiarity with accreditation standards and reporting is a strong plus.
Prior experience coordinating with external researchers, academic partners, or municipal agencies and experience leading cross-functional teams.