Animal Keeper

About the role:

Animal Keeper

We are currently recruiting an Animal Keeper to join our animal care team at Merrist Wood College.

The role will involve maintaining high standards of husbandry and welfare daily through progressive animal keeping, along with ensuring visitors and guests are provided with an informative and friendly experience. You will also lead practical learning sessions to develop learners' wider skillsets within industry and assist with the supervision of external work experience students undertaking practical exercises in the facility, ensuring the development of industry standard safety practice, animal related skills and attributes.

Our Animal centre is nestled in a beautiful 400-acre campus and comprises of Rare Breed Survival Trust Accredited Farm, small domestic mammals, exotic mammals, birds and reptiles including Roti Island Turtles, Box Turtles, Hog-Islands Boa, Marmosets, Armadillo, Schalow's Turaco and Hornbills. Merrist Wood has a national and international reputation amongst employers and industry specialists and a long history of providing unrivalled education in the land‑based sectors.

You would be joining a well‑established teaching and events team and will have the opportunity to help support study tours worldwide.

This is a fixed term, part‑time role working 14.8 hours per week (FTE 0.40) based at our Merrist Wood College. This contract ends in July 2026. The candidate will be expected to work 2 days out of 7 and this may include weekends and bank holidays in order to provide care for the animals.

You will have a minimum of one year’s full‑time paid experience of working within the animal industry, with an animal related qualification at HND or above. You will be able to demonstrate experience with a wide range of taxa, be well versed in animal training, record keeping and providing environmental enrichment.

The successful candidate will also have excellent communication skills and demonstrate the ability to engage and develop students, along with role‑modeling the attributes that we develop within our learners. Previous experience of an educational role within an animal environment is desirable, but not essential.

Activate Learning is a pioneering education group with a global reach, committed to transforming lives through our approach to learning.

We see our employees as individuals, empowering them to make the right choices for their ambitions and careers. We value our people as vital to our continued success and aspire to a diverse, open and inclusive environment that provides the motivation for everyone to pursue their career goals and flourish.

When you work for Activate Learning, you're working for an organisation that provides you with the advantages of a large employer, a trusted partner in your career development, and a transformational way of working whilst also investing in building a community environment for everyone.

Together, we will bring out the best version of yourself.

• Monthly Staff Appreciation Awards: Celebrating staff for their dedication and accomplishments aligned to our award‑winning Learning Philosophy.
• Wellbeing & Resources Groups: Comprehensive range of resources, guides and tools to support staff wellbeing
• Company benefits: Including free eye tests and will writing, plus access to a Health Cash Plan covering optical, dental, health screening, and therapy treatments for you and your dependents.
• Learning and Development: continuous opportunities for professional growth and skill enhancement through our in‑house L&D team.
• Teaching Support: Tailored induction and development programs for teaching staff.
• Pension Schemes: Teacher and Local Government pension schemes for AL staff
• Generous Annual Leave: Up to 6 weeks paid leave
• Competitive salaries: Annual incremental progression and a twelve point pay scale for teachers.
• On‑Site Facilities: Free parking at all campuses, refectories, hair and beauty salons & gym access.

For a comprehensive list of all of our benefits & wellbeing offering, please visit our work‑with‑us/wellbeing

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