Zoo Jobs: Section Head

Section Head – Elephants

Permanent – Full time – 40 hours per week (annualised).

With its new multi-million-pound elephant facility ‘Project Elephant Basecamp’, award winning Blackpool Zoo is currently looking to fill a key vacancy within its Elephant Section.

Our new facility was completed in 2018 and now houses six Asian elephants, all managed in protected contact. More details of our facility can be found here https://projectelephant.org.uk/care/basecamp

The role:

The successful candidate will head a small team delivering the zoos current elephant care programme to our existing 1 bull elephant and 5 female Asian elephants in a protected contact environment. As Section Head, your role will be to manage and develop a passionate team of animal keepers and trainees, ensuring that safe and efficient animal husbandry is practised at all times.

You will be responsible for the welfare of your team, our visitors and the animals within your area, monitoring and reviewing animal behaviour, keeping accurate records and ensuring that internal protocols and industry guidelines, such as the BIAZA, EAZA and DEFRA guidelines are adhered to.

As well as being responsible for your section, you will also be part of the Senior
Animal Management team within the zoo. Within this role, you will help to develop the animal department during an exciting phase within Blackpool Zoo’s history, with some significant new projects planned in the coming years.

About you:

You will need to be hard working, physically fit, enthusiastic, and reliable. You should possess the Diploma in The Management of Zoo and Aquarium Animals (DMZAA) or an equivalent and have a minimum of five years’ managing staff and elephants in a recognised zoological institution in a protective contact environment. Experience with other megafauna would be an advantage. Excellent customer service and communication skills, both written and oral, are essential. A full manual driving licence is also essential and previous experience of driving Tractors/Multipurpose vehicles would be advantageous.

Salary commensurate with experience.

Blackpool Zoo is one of the UK’s most established medium sized zoos, and in recent years the zoo has gone through a rapid modernization and development process.

The Zoo is operated by Parques Reunidos, one of Europe’s largest leisure and attraction operators which specializes in the tourism/leisure sector. Parques Reunidos currently operates over 60 parks around the world and in normal times attracts over 21million visitors annually.

The closing date for applications: 15^th December 2021

Please send a detailed CV and covering letter explaining why you wish to be considered for this post to Mrs Anita Bubbins, Personnel Manager, Blackpool Zoo, East Park Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire. FY3 8PP or by email to anita.bubbins@blackpoolzoo.org.uk

Please note, we will be reviewing applications and conducting interviews throughout the advertising period for this role. The role may therefore be filled prior to the closing date. We would encourage you to submit your application form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have not heard from us within 14 days of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion. We are only able to provide individual feedback to those candidates who are successful through to the interview stage.

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