Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Experienced Gorilla Keeper



Experienced Gorilla Keeper

Salary up to £19,489.00 depending on experience
Plus a living out allowance of £2,600 per annum.

Howletts Wild Animal Park, situated near Canterbury in Kent, is home to the largest captive breeding group of Western Lowland Gorillas in the world with over 140 births to date. Through our charity, The Aspinall Foundation, we manage and protect over a million acres of Congo and Gabon into which we are reintroducing gorillas. Gorillas from our collection in the UK have joined orphans from the bushmeat trade to create this population. This is a rare opportunity to become part of this cutting edge conservation initiative. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our team of dedicated gorilla keepers. The ideal candidate will have some experience gained in a mainstream zoological collection - preferably with great apes - an awareness of current conservation issues and a passion for animal welfare.

Candidates must have a good level of physical fitness and a full valid driving licence is essential to the role. It would be advantageous to have some experience of driving tractor/trailers, possess a varied skillset including general maintenance, and a recognised Zoo Animal Management qualification.

Working 40 hours over a 5 day week the successful candidate will have a genuinely flexible approach to working hours which will include weekends and bank holidays. Salary is according to experience.

All applicants must have right to work in the UK

Closing date for applications: Friday 23 November 2018

To Apply: Please email your full C.V. and covering letter to – personnel@aspinallfoundation.org
or post to Howletts Wild Animal Park, Bekesbourne Lane, Littlebourne, Canterbury, Kent CT4 5EL.


Please visit our website: www.aspinallfoundation.org to find out more about us.












Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
      


Saturday, October 27, 2018

Keeper



Keeper

Position Type: Full time
Start Date: Immediate start essential
Salary: Starting from £14,000 per year
Hours: Vary throughout year.

Staff Benefits:
- Staff discount card (includes staff discount in zoo shop)
- Free park entry for staff and immediate family plus complimentary tickets
- Free parking

Overview:
Ventura Wildlife Park opened in August 2016 and is one of the UK’s newest zoological collections. We pride ourselves on being a small and interactive park where guests of all ages and abilities can discover a variety of species including: zebra, fossa, lemurs, red kangaroo, wallaby, Cuban hutia, red-rumped agouti, raccoon dog, ibis, spoonbill and various reptiles. We are looking for a responsible and dedicated individual to join our team as a full time Zoo Keeper.

The position involves daily care for a varied collection of species.

The successful individual will need to be engaging, confident, approachable and keen to learn new skills whilst focusing on animal welfare, education and visitor engagement.

The Role Involves:
 Day to day husbandry and care of a variety of animals.
 Diet preparation.
 Animal observation and record keeping.
 Public talks, animal experiences and interactive animal encounter shows.
 Stock taking, ordering and unloading (lifting).
 Assistance with veterinary care when needed.
 Maintaining high standards around the park.
 Helping to maintain park grounds and enclosures at all times and undertaking gardening and basic repairs tasks.
 Strict adherence to safe working practices.
 Working effectively as an individual and as part of a small team.

We are looking for someone who has:
 Experience of working with a range of exotic animals in a zoo or similar environment.
 A good animal knowledge.
 The ability to be responsible and professional.
 High levels of flexibility and practicality in order to respond to daily challenges.
 Good written and communication skills.
 Excellent time-keeping and time management.
 Full clean UK or EU driving licence essential. Minimum of 3 years’ experience required.

Working Conditions:
 Largely outdoor work in all weather conditions.
 Offsite visits as part of our educational outreach programme.
 Occasional early and late working will be required to accommodate deadlines or special events.
 Position includes working weekends, bank holidays and school holidays as part of a rolling 6-day rota.

How to apply:
Please send your CV and a cover letter by email to ashley@venturawildlife.co.uk detailing what role you have applied for and your suitability for the position. All applicants must be willing to attend an interview and complete a trial day at the park prior to starting.

Please note- Accommodation is not included with this position. You will be required to find
your own accommodation locally.












Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
      


Friday, October 26, 2018

Experienced Keeper



Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Experienced Keeper on the Large Mammal Section of the Park (Fixed period maternity cover).

The successful applicant will be responsible for assisting in daily husbandry and will work in close co-operation with the Section Head and their team to ensure the continuous development of the section. They will be expected to undertake research projects, nutritional studies, enrichment and all relevant aspects of work in a progressive animal collection. Participating in the presentation of
educational talks is required.

A minimum of 3 years’ experience with a wide variety of Large Mammal species in a zoological environment is essential, applicants will need to demonstrate good communication skills, be self-motivated, and able to lead and work as part of a team. Possession of a relevant animal management qualification, and a full driving licence are required for this position.

This is a fixed term position until September 2019

In return, we offer a competitive salary and free accommodation.

Closing date: 12 th November 2018

Please send a current CV together with a covering letter to:
Jamie Craig
Curator,
Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens,
Burford,
Oxon
OX18 4JP
jamiecraig@cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk












Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
      


Monday, October 22, 2018

Director Melbourne Zoo




Director Melbourne Zoo

 Enhance visitor experience and provide innovative and creative solutions
 Set the tone for Zoo’s around the world
 Salary up to $260,000pkg

About Zoos Victoria and Melbourne Zoo
Zoos Victoria is a world leading zoo-based conservation organisation, fighting extinction to secure a future rich in wildlife through conservation of wildlife and community. With three world class zoos (Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo) Zoos Victoria connects people with wildlife through inspirational experiences. Through these experiences Zoos Victoria looks to inspire and facilitate the community, both locally and outside of Victoria to take conservation actions that make a measurable positive difference to wildlife.

About the Role
The Melbourne Zoo, the oldest Zoo in Australia, is located in the beautiful leafy Parkville area and welcomes approximately 1.3 million visitors per year. The Director Melbourne Zoo, is a key role in the organisation, with a strategic focus across visitor experience, life sciences and operations.
The Director will provide dynamic, proactive leadership and will work closely with the CEO and General Managers to optimise visitor experience, inspire employees and volunteers, deliver strong commercial outcomes whilst creating a wildlife friendly society. Driving collaboration and building partnerships with other sites to achieve Victoria Zoo’s strategic plan will be key to the success of this role.

About You
To be considered for this incredible opportunity, we are seeking a strategic executive leader who is passionate about contributing and making a difference to Zoos Victoria. Previous experience in midsize organisations (300-400 staff) with a focus on people (both staff and visitors) will be essential for this role. You will be an innovative and driven leader who has been successful in sharing the organisational vision and engaging and taking people along on the journey to achieve strategic organisational outcomes. With a structured approach to problem solving you will drive multiple and potentially high profile projects at the Melbourne Zoo that will ensure the role is always unique and interesting.

Furthermore this is an opportunity to leave a legacy (animals, science and conservation focus) and an opportunity to be innovative and set the tone for zoo’s around the world.
Tertiary qualifications and an understanding of either zoo industry or organisations with visitor experience will be highly regarded. In addition you will have strong business acumen, experience in enhancing processes to improve outcomes and have genuine passion about representing Melbourne Zoo and Zoos Victoria.

To Apply
To apply for this unique opportunity, work with incredible people and be a part of an organisation that is a leader in its field, please apply via the Davidson website, www.davidsonwp.com or for a confidential conversation, please contact Sandra Kerr (03 9929 9528).











Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
      


Saturday, October 20, 2018

Internship Vacancy



 Internship Vacancy

The Living Rainforest is inviting applications for an unpaid voluntary work placement with the Animal Department. Our internship programme has been running successfully for over four years and we are now offering the vacancy to external candidates.
The Trust for Sustainable Living is a registered charity based near Newbury, Berkshire. At our visitor centre, The Living Rainforest, the animal collection is contained within three tropical glasshouses and consists of more than 60 species. These include callitrichids, dasyproctidae, turacos, snakes, chelonia, stingrays, dendrobatids, and invertebrates.

Role and Responsibilities:
•        The primary role of the intern will be to participate in the daily husbandry and daily routines of the animal department. This includes feeding animals, maintaining enclosures, daily record keeping and animal health checks.
•        As an intern, you will also help with the daily supervision of existing volunteers and participate in the training of new volunteers and work experience students.
•        You will also receive training and be expected to participate in keeper talks and keeper experience days which run through holidays and at weekends. 
•        You will have the opportunity to gain knowledge of the different aspects of the department such as veterinary treatment, enclosure design and record keeping.      
•        Where suitable, there may also be opportunities for research projects to be undertaken.
Terms of placement:
•        This is a six - twelve month voluntary work placement for a registered charity, from November 2018.
•        It is preferred that interns are able to work from 9am to 5.30pm five days a week on a rota basis. This will include some weekends and bank holidays as necessary. 
The applicant
•        Preference will be given to applicants with an Animal related qualification or working towards an Animal related qualification, who want to partake in this voluntary work placement in order to seek further industry experience.
•        Some experience within the zoo industry or with exotics would be desirable but not essential.
•        Applicants should be enthusiastic, hard-working and have a willingness to learn new skills.
•        We recommended that you have your own form of transport to get to and from The Living Rainforest each day as public transport is infrequent in this area.
•        Please note that there is no accommodation available with this position, but some assistance can be given towards moderate travel expenses.


To Apply
The vacancy will remain open until 9th November 2018 unless filled sooner. Interviews will be held as soon as possible after applications are received, on a first come first served basis. To apply for this position please send your CV and cover letter, including a contact telephone number to Paula Rhoads, Human Resources:


Post: The Living Rainforest
Hampstead Norreys
Berkshire
RG18 0TN













Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
      


Friday, October 19, 2018

Veterinary Pathologist



Veterinary Pathologist

HQ, WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre
37.5 hours per week
Circa £30,000 per annum

We are looking for an energetic, focused individual to join our Animal Health team; primarily taking responsibility for post mortem examinations but also assisting with clinical diagnosis, disease prevention, zoo licensing and conservation research. 

Working in a fast paced environment you will be part of a team expected to deliver comprehensive animal health cover throughout the year. Based primarily at Slimbridge Wetland Centre, some travel will be necessary to provide clinical support to our wetland centres nationwide.

You will have a veterinary degree and experience of working in a busy veterinary environment including clinical work with exotic species and conducting post mortem examinations ideally with specialist knowledge of avian pathology.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is a conservation charity that protects wetlands for wildlife and people. We conserve, restore and create wetlands. We are pioneers in saving wetland wildlife, both in the UK and around the world. At our 10 UK sites around a million visitors a year engage with wetland nature. We work internationally in key global wetland areas, balancing conservation with sustainable livelihoods and influencing national and international conservation policies.     

In return for your hard work and dedication you’ll enjoy a wide range of benefits including:
-        25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing to 30 days after 5 years service)
-        Contributory pension scheme (conditions apply)
-        Life assurance
-        Free parking
-        Free entry to all our centres

For more information, and to apply for the role, please visit http://jobs.wwt.org.uk/vacancies/1092/ZooNewsDig/veterinary_pathologist/

Closing date: 4th November 2018
Interview date: 15th November 2018


Registered Charity Number England & Wales, no 1030884 and Scotland, no SC039410 












Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant