Purpose of the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the front line of wildlife conservation, supporting the delivery of badger vaccination and associated sampling across sites throughout Cornwall. This is a genuinely hands-on field role, offering the opportunity to work outdoors in diverse landscapes while contributing directly to the Cornwall Badger Project.

Working across multiple field locations, you will play a vital role in gathering data and supporting practical conservation action that makes a real difference on the ground. This position directly supports ZSL’s strategic priorities around habitat restoration and long-term wildlife recovery, helping to drive positive, lasting change for nature. Your work will contribute to protecting wildlife and strengthening ecosystems, ensuring the environment can thrive for generations to come.

This position is offered as a 6-month fixed-term contract, working 35 hours per week.

 

Key responsibilities:  

  • Landholder Communication: Liaise with farmers and other landholders to arrange land access
  • Site SurveysConduct surveys to assess badger activity in designated areas.
  • Trap Deployment & Fieldwork: Assist with deploying badger traps and support trapping, vaccination, and sampling efforts, ensuring all activities align with project goals, licenses, and best practice guidelines.
  • Data Management: Assist with accurate and timely data entry to support project documentation.   

About You

  • Experience of biological fieldwork, preferably in agricultural environments.
  • A full clean driving license, with experience in off-road driving being an advantage.
  • Comfortable with early starts and flexible working hours, with a positive and adaptable approach to varying schedules.
  • Excellent people skills for liaising effectively with landholders, volunteers, and other stakeholders. 
  • Strong attention to detail when recording and managing data.
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. 

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 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 – [email protected] 

What our team say...

Other jobs like this

Careers Site Advertising End Date
13 Feb 2026
All Locations
Field Based
All Departments
Science research
Advertising Salary
£30,771 per annum
Vacancy Type
Fixed Term
Remote
Science and Research
Contract length
6 months
Careers Site Advertising End Date
31 Jan 2026
All Locations
Philippines
All Departments
International field programmes
Advertising Salary
PHP 30,000-35,000/month
Vacancy Type
Fixed Term
On-site
Global Conservation and Field Programmes
Contract length
12 months
Careers Site Advertising End Date
07 Feb 2026
All Locations
Philippines
All Departments
International field programmes
Advertising Salary
Between Php 40,000.00 - Php 55,000.00/ month
Vacancy Type
Fixed Term
On-site
Global Conservation and Field Programmes
Contract length
Initial 12 months and extension till end of project
Careers Site Advertising End Date
06 Feb 2026
All Locations
London Zoo
All Departments
Animal operations and zookeeping
Advertising Salary
£27,682.20 per annum
Vacancy Type
Permanent
On-site
Conservation Zoos
Careers Site Advertising End Date
05 Feb 2026
All Locations
London Zoo
All Departments
Animal operations and zookeeping
Advertising Salary
£27,682.20 per annum
Vacancy Type
Permanent
On-site
Conservation Zoos
Careers Site Advertising End Date
19 Feb 2026
All Locations
Whipsnade Zoo
All Departments
Grounds, horticulture, and logistics
Advertising Salary
£25,339.86 per annum
Vacancy Type
Permanent
On-site
Conservation Zoos
Careers Site Advertising End Date
01 Mar 2026
All Locations
Head Office (Regents Park)
All Departments
People
Advertising Salary
£120k - £130k
Vacancy Type
Permanent
Hybrid
Enabling Functions and Professional Services
Careers Site Advertising End Date
04 Feb 2026
All Locations
London Zoo
All Departments
Commercial operations (including retail and admissions)
Advertising Salary
£13.85 per hour
Vacancy Type
Fixed Term
On-site
Conservation Zoos
Contract length
7 months
Careers Site Advertising End Date
28 Jan 2026
All Locations
London Zoo
All Departments
Grounds, horticulture, and logistics
Advertising Salary
£13.85 per hour
Vacancy Type
Fixed Term
On-site
Conservation Zoos
Contract length
12 months