ZSL is seeking a dedicated Assistant Zookeeper within the birds section of our Animal Department at Whipsnade Zoo, one of the UK's largest zoos nestled in the beautiful Chiltern Hills.
This exciting opportunity involves caring for an incredible range of birds, including Burrowing Owls, Great Grey Owls and Ural Owls.
As a vital team member, you will ensure the highest standards of animal welfare and husbandry, play an active role in enrichment and training programmes, and help create engaging experiences for visitors. You will work closely with the section manager, team leader, and colleagues, supporting all aspects of daily care and conservation efforts for these amazing species.
This role is a full time position offered for a 8 month period, working 37.5 hours per week. As our zoos are open seven days a week, your schedule will follow a rota, which includes weekends and bank holidays. We aim to balance business needs with personal flexibility, so you'll have advance notice of your shifts to help plan your time.
Key responsibilities:
Husbandry and Enrichment:
Contribute to the development of high standards of husbandry and welfare, developing innovative, enriching, and aesthetic enclosures with the team.
Monitor animal welfare:
Observe behaviour, health, and security, promptly reporting concerns to senior staff.
Visitor Engagement and Safety:
Provide a friendly, informative visitor experience while ensuring safety and acting as the point of contact in walk-through exhibits.
Food Preparation:
Preparation of approved diets and carrying out feeding procedures.
Records and Daily Operations Support:
Assist with ZIMS data entry and collaborate with animal-keeping staff to ensure accurate records and smooth daily operations.
* Hands-on experience with animals and flying birds and a keen interest in zoology and natural history.
* Reliable, professional, and able to work independently or as part of a team.
* Confident presenting keeper talks and engaging with visitors, with a keen interest in learning display bird husbandry techniques.
* Physically fit and comfortable working outdoors, in all weather, and indoors in warm conditions.
* Quick-thinking and safety-conscious, able to make decisions for both animals and visitors.
* A full UK driving license.
This role is subject to standard pre-employment checks, including confirmation of your right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
ZSL recognises that conservation is one of the least diverse sectors, and we actively encourage applications from candidates who identify as part of underrepresented communities. We are committed to building a supportive and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage.
We're ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we're working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.
What We Offer?
At ZSL, we are proud of our approach to employee benefits. Our benefits include:
* Purpose driven work - join an organisation where every role contributes to creating a world where wildlife thrives.
* Pension scheme - we offer a generous pension scheme with up to 12% contributory pension.
* Flexible working - talk to us about your flexible working requirements and we will do everything we can to make sure you work in a way that suits you.
* Holidays - 25 days annual leave allowance, plus UK bank holidays (increasing with milestone anniversaries).
* Access to ZSL's staff Equality Networks -Race & Culture, Team Pride, Disability, and Menopause, supporting an inclusive and welcoming workplace for those with lived experience.
* Wellbeing - access to a blended programme of wellbeing initiatives, including confidential access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
* Life assurance - eligible employees will be enrolled in ZSL's life assurance scheme from their first day.
* Complimentary tickets - annual allocation of Whipsnade Zoo and London Zoo tickets, with a 30% discount in online and retail shops.
* Cycle2Work - our cycle to work scheme enables you to lease a bicycle.
* Season ticket loan - we offer an interest free loan for eligibly London-based employees to buy a season ticket for travel between home and work.
* Family friendly policies - we offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages.
We may close this role early or extend the closing date due to the number of applications we receive, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
We anonymise applications until interview stage to ensure a fair hiring process. It's important to highlight your unique skills, experience, and knowledge. Over reliance on AI-generated content may miss key criteria outlined in the job description and reduce the effectiveness of your application.
If you have any questions about this role, we'd love to hear from you Please get in touch with our recruitment team at -