Animal Care Manager
Fota Wildife Park
Republic of Ireland
Fota Wildlife Park,
part of the Zoological Society of Ireland, is located on 100 acres at Fota
Island 10km east of Cork City and has an annual attendance of 465,000 visitors.
Fota Wildlife Park’s
vision is to inspire people to understand and conserve the biodiversity of our
natural world. The Park’s core values of conservation, education, research and
entertainment have ensured that we are uniquely placed to foster greater public
understanding of the threats to plant and animal habitats and decreasing global
biodiversity. Fota Wildlife Park has made considerable investment in the past 6
years upgrading its infrastructure and developing 27 acres of additional
land that focuses on
Asian animals including Sumatran tiger, Indian rhino and Asiatic lion.
Job Brief – Animal
Care Manager
An exciting position
has arisen for an Animal Care Manager within Fota Wildlife Park reporting to
the Park Director. The objective of the role is to support senior and lead
Rangers to carry out day to day animal husbandry in accordance with
international best practice. The role will form part of the senior management
team and will be responsible for the operational management of animal issues
and assist with development and implementation of the expanding Wildlife Park’s
strategic needs and goals.
Responsibilities:
- To work with the Director to implement strategic plans in the animal area including the development of new animal exhibits within a long-term strategic plan of Fota Wildlife Park.
- To plan and organise all animal collection and movement in accordance with best practice
- To manage all responsibilities in the context of robust adherence to and compliance with Health and Safety Policies and Procedures with all animal staff and facilities at the Park
- To implement and develop, in consultation with Park Director and Senior Rangers, a range of animal training and enrichment activities
- To effectively lead a team of three senior rangers to ensure that day to day animal husbandry duties, including animal observation, health and welfare and ensure that feeding and cleaningtasks are carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures.
- To liaise with veterinary personnel in relation to animal health and ensure all veterinary recommendations are carried out in an effective manner.
- To work effectively with other Department Managers especially the Operations Manager to ensure the efficient running and continued development of the wildlife park.
- To liaise with HR to ensure best practice in recruitment and development of animal care team as well as in the areas of performance management and grievance procedures.
- To manage the budget for the yearly operation of the Animal Collection and Staff.
- To ensure that all animal record keeping is effectively maintained and up to date and provide reports to the park director as required
- To take full responsibility for positive outcomes to welfare audits
- A 39-hour week applies to the post with a requirement to work one weekend in every five.
Requirements
To be considered for
this post the following qualifications and experience is essential:
- At least a primary but preferably a master’s degree in Animal Science or equivalent in a related discipline
- A minimum of ten years’ experience, to include management experience in an Animal Collection Role, in a Zoological Park setting or equivalent.
- Capacity to represent Fota Wildlife Park at national and international level, at conferences, species meetings, forums and at other collections.
- Competency in customer engagement and interpersonal skills and ability to engage with the press and media.
The successful
candidate will also have sufficient experience to demonstrate:
- An ability to effectively lead and manage an experienced team of Rangers and maintain a positive culture
- An ability to communicate in a professional manner including good interpersonal skills
- An ability to plan and organise work activities effectively to deliver positive outcomes
- An ability to problem solve and make sound and timely decisions
- A comprehensive understanding of Health & Safety as it applies in a Zoological Setting
- Proficiency in the use of IT systems including ZIMS
- A commitment to Continuing Professional Development for self and staff
Experience in the
following would be an advantage:
Experience in and/or
a qualification in Health & Safety and Project Management would be an
advantage
Attractive Salary to
include pension and other benefits such as support relocation assistance where
relevant
Closing date for
applications is: 28th Jul 2017
Apply for this job:
CV and covering
letter to be returned via email only to David Casey david@mssirl.com
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant        |
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