Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Deputy Zoo Manager



Deputy Zoo Manager

Ponderosa Zoo and RTC

Ponderosa Zoo and Rural Therapeutic Centre is a privately owned animal collection based in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire. We keep over 120 animals ranging from Scottish wildcats to African crested porcupines. We are continually evolving and pride ourselves in our high levels of animal welfare and a friendly atmosphere.

We are currently looking to recruit a ‘Deputy Zoo Manager’. This position offers a huge potential to help progress the zoo throughout our developments.

You will need to work closely with the zoo director and report directly to the zoo manager. You will be helping assist the zoo manager with the day to day running of the entire zoo; by ensuring exceptional animal husbandry standards are followed. In addition to providing excellent customer service skills and managing a team of staff and volunteers. As we are also a therapeutic centre, some of our volunteers do have learning disabilities which are supported by external carers.

Other shared responsibilities with the zoo manager include:

-          Planning seasonal events such as Christmas activities

-          Ensuring all animal records are correctly filled in by animal keepers

-          Arranging veterinary treatment when needed

-          Arranging animal transfers to coincide with the institutional collection plan

-          Training of new staff members and volunteers

-          Health and safety responsibilities

-          Regularly reviewing feeding/ husbandry plans for all species kept at the collection

-          Marketing

-          Cash handling and budgeting

Two days of the week you will be covering the zoo manager’s days off. You will be responsible for the managing of all areas within the zoo including the animal department, admissions and gift shop and indoor play area. This will be in addition to personally running the office administration side of things such as dealing with customer enquiries via telephone and email.

This role requires a passionate individual who can bring new creative ideas into our development plans. If you are enthusiastic and a natural leader who has at least 2 years of experience within a zoo environment (or equivalent) and have a minimum of an FdSc in an animal related subject we are excited to hear from you.

This role will be approximately 50% office based and 50% outdoor based.

You will work 5 days per week. The hours vary depending on the seasons. During our winter period the working day will be 9am – 4pm and during our summer period the working day will be 9am – 5pm

Closing date for applications is: 1st Apr 2019

Please send a CV and covering letter to Eve Fern (Zoo Manager) to office@ponderosa-centre.co.uk








photo 
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant

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