Friday, January 29, 2021

Animal Keeper

 


Animal Keeper


Job title: Animal Keeper / Educator (dual role)

Summary

Zoo2U are recruiting for an experienced Animal Keeper / Educator. We are looking for someone who is confident, outgoing, passionate and experienced to join our small but growing friendly company/team. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this position is offered for a minimum of 15 hours per week with overtime available and will eventually lead to a minimum 35 hour permanent contract when the zoo is able to reopen fully. Please note that this is not a trainee position.

The Company

Zoo2U is a family run business 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! We have even adapted to virtual sessions through the current pandemic. This will be a very exciting time to join the company as we look to relocate (locally) and grow the zoo.

The Candidate

You will have a relevant animal related qualification and at least two years’ experience in the zoological industry with practical knowledge of Reptiles, Birds and Mammals, especially species held in our collection. You will be familiar with the SSSMZP and ensure best practice and compliance with health and safety and zoo licensing regulations. You will be dedicated and passionate about animal welfare and will already put this at the centre of everything you do. You will use a variety of methods to enrich and stimulate the animals in your care and have a keen eye for detail with regards to exhibit maintenance and animal health. You will always strive to improve zoo management standards and keep detailed animal records.

You will be presentable and willing to represent the company to a very high standard in all situations. You will be expected to travel (up to 60 miles) from the zoo to deliver outreach to a high standard so you must have experience in presentations/talks/demonstrations to audiences of varying ages and abilities. You will hold a current clean driving licence and be able to use both a manual and automatic vehicle. During the current pandemic we have moved to online outreach and your willingness to get participate in this is expected. There will be occasions when your start and/or finish times will change due to the needs of the business so you must be able to offer flexibility.

You will be hard working, physically fit, enthusiastic and reliable. You will be an excellent timekeeper and a team player; however, you may also find yourself working alone on some days, especially through the current pandemic. You will be required to expand the services offered by Zoo2U, through suggesting new idea's and working closely with the owners to ensure the ideas become a reality. This position would suit someone who is keen to advance their career.

Responsibilities:

  • Daily animal husbandry
  • Maintenance of animal enclosures/public areas
  • Public presentations at a variety of outreach and therapy events/sessions
  • Virtual public presentations
  • Liaising with veterinarians
  • Daily monitoring of animal health and wellbeing, and administering preventative/curative treatment
  • Animal related administration duties

 

Essentials

  • Relevant zoo or animal related qualification(s)
  • Public speaking skills
  • Organisational skills
  • Clean driving license
  • Knowledge of record keeping
  • Non-smoker
  • Minimum 2 years’ industry experience.
  • Practical knowledge of husbandry techniques for a variety of Reptiles, birds and small exotic mammals

 

Desirable

  • Teaching qualifications
  • First aider
  • Current CRB/DBS
  • Falconry experience

 

Expected Start Date: 22/02/2021

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: Dependant on exeperience

COVID-19 considerations:
As an indoor facility, we are closed in line with government regulations. When able to open, all public entering the zoo are required to wear face masks, use a foot dip, and wash and sanitise their hands. Staff also required to wear face masks when public are on site and when working in close proximity to other staff.

 APPLICATION LETTER AND FULL CV TO melissa@zoo2u.co.uk



FYI

This vacancy has been posted out to the many thousands who read the popular Zoo Jobs Blog Page and then on to the 129,400 plus followers of the  ZooNews Digest Facebook Page. It is then immediately forwarded on to Twitter and then to Pinterest and Linkedin (8,000+ connections). Many vacancies are shared to individuals and groups. In short your vacancy will have the potential of reaching something in the region of some 80,000 plus people within 24 hours. Most of these people are working in a zoo environment, Keepers, Curators, Vets, Zoo Directors, Trainers, Aquarists and more.

ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 1200 Zoos in 150+ countries. Zoo professionals are International.

The number of people who will actually read the posted vacancy  will actually be considerably less. Usually this will be between two hundred and three thousand. This will depend on the type of post, the time of the year and where it is located…of course not all will apply. I wish you the very best of luck in finding the right candidate for your post.

To make a donation to help with the continuation of the work of ZooNews Digest please click on the DONATE button on top left of this page. Thank you. I will be most grateful.




photo 
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant

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