Purpose of the role

Help us deliver unforgettable learning experiences at Whipsnade Zoo. As a Community & Learning Admin Assistant, you’ll coordinate school visits and outreach bookings, handle key communications through the learning inbox, manage payments, and make sure groups have a smooth and welcoming arrival. You’ll play an active role in enhancing our programmes, collaborating with colleagues to improve the school journey and collecting feedback to shape future visits. This is a great opportunity to inspire schools and community groups as they discover and connect with wildlife in truly meaningful ways.

This position is offered as a 12 month maternity contract, working Wednesday - Friday each week, term-time only (based on Bedfordshire term-dates).

 

Key Responsibilities:

  • Booking and Trip Preparation: Oversee school visits/outreach bookings for Whipsnade Zoo and liaise with the teachers where needed in order to prepare for their school trip/outreach activity. 
  • Inbox management: Manage the Learning inbox and respond to enquiries in a timely, helpful manner.
  • Payments and Invoices: Oversee school payments, ensuring that schools pay for their visits in advance and managing invoices when required.
  • Visitor Support: Oversee school arrivals to ensure a smooth and welcoming start to their visit.
  • Experience Improvement: Identify ways to improve school visit experience, working with other teams where needed.
  • Feedback and Evaluation: Gather and review feedback from schools to help shape and improve future visits. 

About You

  • Confident using Computer programmes like MS office packages, including Excel and outlook, or equivalent software packages.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with visitors and staff.
  • Ability to demonstrate initiative when dealing with issues, seeking appropriate solutions.
  • Highly organised with excellent with great written and verbal communication skills. 
Successful candidates will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check. 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.  

About Us

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  
  • Family friendly policies – we offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages  
NB: We reserve the right to close our advertisement early or extend the advertising date until a suitable candidate has been found.

What our team say...

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