Zoo Jobs: Full time senior / head keeper

Monday, June 27, 2016

Full time senior / head keeper

Zoo2U are looking for a confident, passionate and experienced animal keeper to join our small but growing friendly company/team.

The Company

Zoo2U is a family run business based in Crewe, Cheshire, with a heart for outreach into the local community. Our mission is to ‘Interact, Educate and Inspire’ with all those we come into contact with.

Zoo2U has hand-picked a unique collection of exotic animals, which in turn create a varied adaptable team suitable for all occasions. The animals are all friendly and are comfortable interacting with humans, which means that Zoo2U can offer a unique hands-on animal encounter. Zoo2U offers close encounters with exotic animals and tailor their experiences to meet educational school curriculum requirements, while offering kids clubs, children’s parties, fairs and fetes, therapy for special needs and even corporate events!

The Candidate

Using a ‘hands on approach’, you will oversee the day to day running of the animal collection, becoming a role model to staff through demonstrated behaviours. You will ensure best practice and compliance with health and safety regulations. You will always strive to improve zoo management standards. You will have a minimum of 2 years working within the zoo industry, ideally with practical knowledge of reptiles, birds and mammals. You will be expected to give public talks and have some proven people management skills, experience with budget control and record keeping.

You will be hard working, physically fit, enthusiastic and reliable. You will be a good timekeeper and have a keen eye for detail. You will already put animal welfare at the centre of everything you do.

You will be required to be a team player and lead by example with the small (but growing) team, where you will manage all those involved with animal keeping duties. However, you may also find yourself working alone on some days.

You will be required to expand the services offered by Zoo2U, through suggesting new idea's and working closely with the management team to ensure the ideas become a reality.

This position would suit someone who is keen to advance their career, with a progression into a head keeper role.

Responsibilities:

Daily animal husbandry
Maintenance of animal enclosures/public areas
Management of keeping staff/volunteers/work experience students
Procurement
Public presentations at a variety of outreach events and therapy sessions
Liaising with veterinarians
Monitoring animal health and implementing preventative treatment programs

Essentials

Relevant qualification(s)
Public speaking skills
People management skills
Clean driving license
Knowledge of manual record keeping
Non-smoker
Minimum 2 years’ industry experience, ideally with:

Practical knowledge/experience of husbandry techniques for a variety of Reptiles, including lizards, tortoises, non-venomous snakes
Practical knowledge/experience of husbandry techniques for a variety of birds, including parrots, raptors, kingfisher
Practical knowledge/experience of husbandry techniques for a variety of mammals, including hedgehogs, tenrecs, skunks, meerkats

Desirable