Engagement Officer

Join us at the forefront of conservation storytelling as a ZSL Engagement Officer. This dynamic, visitor-facing role is your opportunity to inspire and connect people with wildlife every single day. From delivering captivating animal talks to hosting seasonal events and guiding guests through immersive walk-through habitats, you'll be creating unforgettable experiences that support ZSL’s mission to bring people closer to nature. If you're passionate about conservation, love working with people, and thrive in a fast-paced, purpose-driven environment, this is your chance to make a real impact.

Key responsibilities:  

• Visitor Engagement: Be an ambassador for ZSL at all times by welcoming visitors and creating a safe, relaxed, inspiring, and fun environment that motivates them to want to live in a world where wildlife thrives.
• Public Presentations: Deliver the full programme of animal talks, ensuring they are informative, engaging, and aligned with ZSL’s mission.
• Event Participation: Contribute to the delivery of seasonal events, helping to enhance the visitor experience throughout the year.
• Health, Safety & Welfare: Ensure the health, safety, welfare, and security of visitors and animals on site, responding calmly and effectively to emergencies and sensitive situations.
• Inclusive Communication: Ensure all communication is accessible and inclusive, engaging diverse audiences in a welcoming and respectful manner.

• Genuine enthusiasm for engaging audiences and delivering outstanding visitor experiences.
• Experience in communicating complex science and conservation themes to diverse audiences.
• Skilled in using tailored engagement techniques to create inclusive, high-quality interactions.
• Strong communication and people skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, volunteers, and the public.
• Embody ZSL’s values of inclusivity and collaboration in all interactions.

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