Head of Living Collections — Welfare, Compliance & Strategy in Farnham

The Living Collections Manager is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of Birdworld’s living collections, ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, regulatory compliance, team development, and zoo operations. The role will lead and develop a positive, high-performing culture across the living collections team through mentoring, coaching, training, and continuous professional development. The successful candidate will build capability within the Living Collection leadership team to embed clear standards, accountability, and a collaborative approach to animal care and visitor experience.

The Living Collections Manager acts as the senior competent person for zoo licensing, animal management, and regulatory compliance, ensuring Birdworld consistently meets and exceeds the requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act, Secretary of State Standards of Modern Zoo Practice, Health & Safety legislation, and industry best practice. The role is also responsible for strategic collection planning, conservation participation, veterinary coordination, biosecurity, and ensuring the site remains inspection ready at all times.

Key Accountabilities:

• Regulatory Compliance & Governance
  • Act as the senior competent person for zoo licensing and animal management, ensuring full compliance with legislation, inspections, record keeping, and documentation.
  • Lead zoo inspections and regulatory visits, embedding recommendations and maintaining inspection readiness across the site.
  • Develop, review, and maintain robust operational policies and procedures including biosecurity, emergency planning, animal escapes, hazardous animal protocols, and public safety procedures.
  • Ensure all animal records, permits, licences, and compliance documentation are accurate, auditable, and up to date.
  • Maintain strong professional relationships with external bodies including BIAZA, EAZA, DEFRA, local authorities, and veterinary partners.
• Leadership & Team Development
  • Lead, mentor, and support Team Leaders and the wider living collections team, creating a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
  • Build capability across the department in animal welfare, compliance, husbandry standards, communication, and people management.
  • Ensure effective recruitment, induction, training, succession planning, performance management, and continuous professional development (CPD) across the team.
  • Champion coaching and development opportunities to support staff engagement, retention, and progression.
  • Act as a visible role model for Birdworld’s values, behaviours, and professional standards.
• Animal Welfare & Standards
  • Oversee consistently high standards of animal welfare and husbandry across the living collection.
  • Ensure preventative and reactive animal care is delivered effectively in partnership with veterinary support.
  • Embed welfare monitoring, behavioural management, enrichment, and ethical review processes across the collection.
  • Ensure all environments, habitats, and enclosures meet species specific physical, behavioural, and welfare needs.
  • Promote evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement in welfare practices.
• Operational Oversight & Safety
  • Ensure safe, effective, and efficient daily operations across all animal areas.
  • Maintain robust risk assessments, safe systems of work, and operational procedures for all animal and public-facing activities.
  • Ensure compliance with Health & Safety legislation and company policies across the living collections department.
  • Work collaboratively with maintenance and operational teams to maintain high-quality habitats, infrastructure, and safe visitor experiences.
  • Oversee rota management and resource planning to ensure operational efficiency and budgetary control.
• Strategic Collection Planning & Conservation
  • Lead long-term collection planning, ensuring decisions are evidence-based, ethically justified, and aligned with Birdworld’s strategic and conservation objectives.
  • Support participation in conservation programmes, breeding initiatives, research, and collaborative partnerships.
  • Ensure the collection contributes meaningfully to wider conservation, education, and engagement goals.
  • Support exhibit development and future planning to enhance both welfare standards and visitor experience.
• Records, Veterinary & Biosecurity Oversight
  • Ensure accurate and effective animal record keeping using ZIMS and other relevant systems.
  • Coordinate veterinary care, preventative health programmes, quarantine procedures, and disease control measures.
  • Maintain high standards of biosecurity and infection prevention across the site.
  • Ensure all veterinary, welfare, and compliance processes are fully documented, auditable, and inspection ready.

Person Specification:

• Significant experience in a senior zoo or animal collection management role (not necessary bird focus).
• Strong working knowledge of zoo licensing requirements, animal welfare legislation, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven experience leading, mentoring, and developing high performing teams.
• Demonstrable experience embedding positive team culture and professional standards.
• Excellent leadership, communication, coaching, and people management skills.
• Strong understanding of animal welfare, behavioural management, husbandry, and enrichment principles.
• Experience managing inspections, audits, and compliance processes.
• Strong organisational, operational, and problem solving skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with veterinary professionals and external regulatory bodies.
• Experience using ZIMS or equivalent animal records systems.
• Degree or HND in zoology, animal management, or related discipline.
• Evidence of continuous professional development (CPD).
• Experience working with avian collections.
• Membership or involvement with professional organisations such as BIAZA or EAZA.
• Experience contributing to conservation breeding programmes and strategic collection planning.