Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Lead Mammal & Penguin Keeper



Lead Mammal and Penguin Keeper

We are SEA LIFE Birmingham and we are part of the magical Merlin Entertainments!

SEA LIFE Birmingham is seeking an experienced and driven Lead Mammal and Penguin Keeper to provide the highest standard of care for the National SEA LIFE Centre’s Gentoo Penguins and assigned marine mammals.

Educating and engaging our guests to discover the secrets of the ocean and help us with our mission to breed, rescue and protect is what really makes a difference in this exciting new role. Especially created to support the development of the attraction and our exciting new exhibit!

About the role

You’ll support the Displays Supervisor and Curator to help deliver consistently high standards of animal husbandry and welfare. Duties include all aspects of Penguin and mammal husbandry, including holding areas and exhibits, animal moves and transports, diet preparation, medical treatments, record keeping and public presentations. You will ensure that the highest standards are met and complete records and documentation as required in line with legislative regulations.

Additional duties include planning and executing goal-orientated animal training using advanced concepts in positive reinforcement training for the purpose of day to day husbandry, veterinary care and education.

This role is permanent and includes working a regular, fair share of weekends and also bank holidays as required as well as providing emergency call out cover on a roster basis.

About you

It goes without saying that you’ll have passion for and a good understanding of Penguin and mammal keeping, with first-rate skills in animal training (operant conditioning) and enrichment. Alongside this, you’ll need a basic understanding of the fundamentals of water chemistry as applied to an aquarium environment and an ability to quickly identify and resolve any environmental issues.

Ideally you’ll have a degree level qualification in zoology, and experience of leading a team in a public zoo or aquarium environment would be a real advantage as would demonstrable experience of animal husbandry, a practical ability to create ‘wow’ displays with a working knowledge of the correct use of, theming, lighting and water movement to deliver this. A love for conservation and the wild environment is essential.

As you’ll be engaging with our customers you’ll need to have great communication skills. A confident presenter and conversationalist with the ability to alter your style to appropriately meet the differing needs of each group, in particular, to share your specialist knowledge with children in ways which delight their inquisitive minds and capture their imaginations.

Please note, whilst Merlin Entertainments is an equal opportunities employer, the successful applicant will need to be physically fit due to the nature and demands of the role.

About the benefits

Join us and you could be enjoying a salary of £19,000 as well as 28 days holiday a year (inclusive of bank holidays). You can also look forward to enjoying a great benefits package, including a group personal pension plan, free entry to Merlin’s attractions (after qualifying period), an employee assistance programme,  life insurance, 25% discount in Merlin’s retail shops and restaurants, 40% discount online off of LEGO products, plus much more.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of joining us, are the amazing opportunities to advance your career. Merlin is a large, global, expanding business, with no end of curatorial, operational, or general management roles, so for an ambitious and talented individual looking to go much further with their career, we can provide the opportunities and the support to help you realise your potential.

About the attraction

SEA LIFE Birmingham takes its visitors on a fascinating tour of freshwater and marine life, inspiring and educating the next generation to love and conserve our planet’s aquatic creatures. Dive in and witness the fascinating Jellyfish up close at our Jelly Invaders exhibit. Marvel at their graceful gelatinous shapes bobbing through a glittering underwater wonderland. Whether you journey into our underwater ocean tunnel or get right up close to a magical assortment of creatures, conservation is at the heart of what we do. There are plenty of opportunities to learn about the threats facing marine life and what you can do to help as you explore with us.



To apply or learn more please click HERE




photo 
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant

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