Assistant Zookeeper - Tropical Birds

Join our team and gain hands-on experience working with tropical birds at London Zoo! In this role, you’ll support zookeepers with daily animal husbandry and welfare, ensuring the highest standards of care. You’ll assist in maintaining enclosures, preparing diets, and monitoring animal health, all while following best-practice protocols. Additionally, you'll play a key role in visitor engagement, helping to educate and inspire the public about these incredible species. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills while working closely with a diverse range of tropical birds in a dynamic zoo environment.

Key responsibilities:  

• Practical experience working with animals, demonstrating a passion for their care and welfare.
• Thrives in a team environment but are equally capable of working independently to complete tasks.
• Punctual, reliable, and diligent, showing respect and professionalism in all aspects of your work.
• Strong communication skills, exercising sound judgment when relaying information and engaging with visitors.
• Proactive problem-solver, particularly in high-traffic walkthrough areas, making quick decisions to ensure both visitor and animal safety while following Health and Safety guidelines.
• Confident in delivering keeper talks and presentations, engaging visitors with insightful and educational content.
• A strong interest in natural history and zoology, with a passion for animal care and conservation is desirable. 

 This role is subject to standard pre-employment checks, including the candidate's right to work in the UK.

We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage. We are committed to ensuring our teams can bring their authentic selves to work without fear of discrimination. ZSL has active equality networks for our staff with lived experience and those who provide active allyship in Race and Culture, Team Pride, Disability Network, and Menopause Network, complemented by our strategic EDI Steering Group.  

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 do we offer?  

At ZSL, we are proud of our approach to employee benefits. Our benefits include: 

• Our vision and purpose - you’ll work alongside colleagues who are passionate about science-led conservation, knowing that you will help us to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wildlife going extinct  
• 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  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