Research, Education and Conservation Manager
We’re Twycross Zoo (TZ), an award-winning conservation charity and rapidly growing visitor
attraction. Our vision is to educate and inspire people to care about, and therefore save the other
species with which we share our planet. We’re at the forefront of conservation, education and
research, more on which can be found later in this advert.
We’re looking for an experienced and inspirational manager with exceptional skills in programme
delivery to take charge of our research, education and conservation initiatives and push things to the
next level – does this sound like you?
If so, keeping reading…
What will this role of Research, Education and Conservation Manager entail?
As the Research, Education and Conservation Manager, you will lead a team of Education Officers,
Education Rangers and the Research and Conservation Administrators, to grow opportunities in line
with our Education, Science and Conservation strategies. Seeking opportunities to develop the
educational offering of the zoo for primary, secondary and higher education groups, you will also
explore opportunities for expanding our discovery opportunities for all visitors, and develop an
effective evaluation programme for all of our conservation education activities.
You’ll support the management and development of our academic and conservation partnerships in
the UK and around the world. You’ll develop the research remit of the zoo, working closely with
researchers and universities to increase our research output and supporting researchers, students
and volunteers whilst on site. Doing so you’ll liaise closely with the animal keeping, veterinary and
other departments as needed on collaborative research goals.
Sitting on the zoo’s research review committee you will use your knowledge of scientific procedures to
make judgements of the feasibility of proposed studies by external and internal researchers /
students. You’ll work closely with our conservation partners and cultivate effective partnerships in line
with our conservation strategy.
You’ll manage the departmental budget and resources allocated to our science, education and
conservation strategies, and develop opportunities for public engagement through innovative
interpretation on site as well as providing PR stories as appropriate. You’ll also organise, with support
from the Research and Conservation Administrator, science and conservation focused talks on site.
We are looking for an experienced people manager who can lead and motivate a team of 15, along
with support from the Education Team Leader and the Research and Conservation Coordinator by
setting targets, coaching and monitoring performance. You will take the role of Designated
Safeguarding Officer for the site. You will be also expected to represent the zoo on relevant external
bodies, at conferences and in the media as appropriate.
This is a highly challenging and very rewarding role, in which you can work towards conservation in
many different ways.
What will I need to be considered for this Research, Education and Conservation Manager
vacancy?
We are looking for a talented and inspirational people manager, who has proven experience in the
following fields:
• Planning, developing and implementing educational programmes in a learning outside the
classroom setting
• Executing multi-year, complex strategies within science, education and / or conservation,
achieving targets and KPIs
• Excellent knowledge of natural history, animal behaviour, care and presentation of wild
animals
• Managing complex partnerships with academic institutions and / or conservation NGOs /
charities within the UK and / or abroad
You will also need to have / be:
• Educated to MSc or equivalent level in a relevant subject
• At least 5 years of experience in conservation education, or relevant research on wildlife
conservation, or a combination of both
• A minimum of two years of management experience
• Ability to obtain a satisfactory DBS check
• A full driving licence and willingness to drive zoo vehicles as required
What will I receive in return?
As the Research, Education and Conservation Manager you’ll receive a salary of £30,000, along with
fantastic additional benefits including 31 days holiday per annum (inclusive of bank holidays),
healthcare, enhanced 5% pension, life insurance x 3 of salary, a staff membership card giving you
free entry to the Zoo on your days off and discounts in our retail and food outlets, and free onsite
parking.
You’ll be employed on a permanent contract, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days out of 7 between
the hours of 9am and 5:30pm. Flexibility in relation to working hours is expected.
More about us:
We have a strong commitment to our award-winning education programme which aims to increase
the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding about the animals and their plight in the wild.
TZ welcomes over 30,000 children yearly to participate in its education programme, delivering about
1,000 formal education sessions annually. We also run a very successful range of other conservation
education sessions including weekend and holiday clubs, uniform groups and career days. Our
Education Rangers engage with over 500,000 visitors a year through conservation education talks
and within walkthrough animal enclosures.
We also work on about 70-80 research projects yearly, ranging from undergraduate to postdoc level
in a wide variety of disciplines. Our staff and associated researchers publish and present on national
and international levels and the zoo is internationally renowned for the Ape Heart Project, an EAZA
Great Ape TAG endorsed research initiative about great ape health. We have MoUs with major
universities in the region and work with 40-50 UK and European academic institutions yearly.
We work closely with conservation partners in Asia, Africa and Central America to protect wildlife and
habitats, especially focusing on primates. We embrace the ethos of integrating our science, education
and conservation activities within our day to day practices. We are currently working on research
projects supporting field conservation through technology as well as education initiatives linking UK
families with our overseas conservation partners.
We’re located in Atherstone, Warwickshire (on the A444, which is easily accessed via the A5 and
the M42 Junction 11).
To apply for this position, please head over to
http://jobs.twycrosszoo.org, where you will be able
to select this role and submit your CV for consideration.
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Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
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