Deputy Team Leader – Familiar Friends Section

An exciting position has arisen for an experienced Deputy Team Leader to join our team and contribute to our mission at Colchester Zoo in a full-time role working within our Familiar Friends section; a mixed taxa section responsible for meerkats, rainbow lorikeets, Aldabra tortoises, koi carp, invertebrate species, and domestic and companion animals.

The candidate will work within the Animal Department to carry out husbandry duties and maintain high standards of welfare for the animal species in their care. As a Deputy Team Leader, the candidate will be required to input ideas for the continual progression and development of animal husbandry, breeding management and enclosure design on the section.

Alongside the section’s Team Leader, the job holder will be responsible for mentoring and managing more junior employed staff members; lead keepers, senior keepers and qualified keepers, and volunteers; student keepers and work experience students. The job holder will also be responsible for deputising to the Team Leader and leading the section in their absence.

The candidate will ensure, and be able to develop, safe working protocols, practices and risk assessments for working in and around the species on the section.

The job holder will deliver enclosure encounters and experiences to zoo visitors for a range of species across the section, as well as deliver educational husbandry content to visiting college groups. The candidate will also look to lead internal zoo subcommittees, where appropriate, and be willing to represent, and present, at external conferences on behalf of CZS.

• Provide excellent husbandry standards and welfare for a range of species
• Manage employed and voluntary members of the animal section and lead the section in the Team Leader’s absence
• Produce safe working practices across the animal section
• Deliver enclosure encounters and experiences to zoo visitors, educational groups and for social media
• Represent CZS in external settings where required

• Demonstrate commitment to continuous personal development.
• Perform other duties as reasonably directed by the animal section’s Team Leader and the Animal Management Team (Zoological Director, Animal Manager, Manager of Living Collections and Head Keeper)

• 7+ years’ experience in a zoological collection
• Excellent standard of practical skill in animal husbandry, including training and enrichment
• Excellent standard of animal observation skills
• Excellent ability to develop animal husbandry, breeding management and enclosure design on the section
• Ability to manage the animal section in the absence of the Team Leader, with limited assistance
• Ability to drive forward the overall standards of the section to a higher level (excellent competency)
• Excellent knowledge of ZIMS
• Vast knowledge of zoo licencing and legislation
• Excellent skills in handling and restraint of various species
• High confidence and ability in dealing with medical issues Knowledge of water quality parameters and management for a range of species
• Experience in operating filtration systems and life support systems
• Knowledge of uv requirements for a range of species

• Ability to work in a team and contribute to team goals (excellent competency)
• Ability to harness positive relationships with all other team members regardless of level / section (excellent competency)
• Ability to follow instruction and carry out tasks at manager’s / senior staff member’s request (excellent competency)
• Ability and willingness to sit on additional zoo subgroups and committees

• Ability to mentor and allocate work duties to the animal section’s employed staff…