Animal Keeper – Primates

Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park

Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park is an award-winning visitor attraction, set amidst a beautiful 28-acre natural valley situated in North Devon. We are home to over 70 species with around 800 individual animals.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated individual to join our Animal keeping team on a full-time basis. The successful candidate will mainly be responsible for the daily husbandry of our Primate section, which is made up of 50 individuals of 10 species. . They must be able to maintain high standards of animal welfare and husbandry and have good observation skills. They must also be able to maintain accurate record-keeping and have good verbal and written communication skills.

Candidates should have an animal-related qualification and at least two years’ paid experience working on an animal department within a zoo. It is essential to have experience working with Primates and ideally having experience with Category 1 species. Good knowledge of primates is essential and it would be beneficial to have experience working with Larger Old World Monkeys and Lesser Apes. Experience with operant conditioning and environmental enrichment is desirable. As well, as experience with enclosure furnishing and maintenance.

The successful applicant will be a hardworking, team player who is also confident working under their own initiative. They must be self-motivated, have great public speaking skills, and be confident in delivering educational talks to visitors. Good communication skills and an excellent customer service ethic are vital for this role.

Being situated in a valley, applicants should be physically fit and be able to work outside in all weather conditions. A full clean UK driving licence is also essential due to our location. This full-time position is 35 hours in the winter season and 40 hours in our summer season. Flexibility is required to meet the needs of the business, including working weekends and bank holidays.

This position will be paid at the rate of the national minimum wage. There is also no accommodation available for this role.

Closing date for applications is Friday the 11th of December 2019 at 6 pm.

Applicants must email a CV and covering letter, highlighting your skills and experience, including why you believe you should be considered for this position, to headkeeper@cmwdp.co.uk. Please use the job reference ‘Animal Keeper - Primates’ in the email title.

Only successful candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, interviews may need to be held via video call.

Shortlisting of applications and interviews for the role will take place while the advert is live; the advert will close once the successful candidate is found. Interested candidates are therefore encouraged to submit applications as quickly as possible.