Animal Farm Manager, Full Time, Permanent in Reading

Wellington Country Park are looking to recruit an Animal Farm Manager.

Job Summary

Reporting to: General Manager (or Duty Representative)

Overall Objective: We are looking for a permanent Animal Farm Manager to help us develop the children’s Farm to its full potential. This individual will be totally responsible for the running of our Animal Farm attraction alongside a small team of both part-time and full-time Animal Farm staff.

Hours of Work: 8 hours a day average based on business operating times and seasons, 5 days a week out of 7.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK. Sponsorship is not available for this role.

Rate of Pay: circa £28,000

21 days holiday plus statutory holidays on a pro-rata basis

Highly discounted meals

Free family entry to the Park

Free parking

Free uniform provided

Excellent staff discounts are available across all Wellington Estate businesses

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

• Completing daily husbandry tasks such as feeding, cleaning out animal pens, animal handling and grooming.
• Ensure all tasks are completed to the appropriate standard.
• To set larger monthly jobs and ongoing projects.
• Maintaining a health plan and ensuring all aspects are completed by appropriately trained staff.
• Remaining up to date with new advances in animal care through attendance of workshops and training courses.
• To review and update diet plans for all animals.
• Arranging routine treatments including vaccinations, shearing and farrier treatment.
• Leading any animal medical treatment.
• To develop and maintain an enrichment and animal training program on the farm.
• To raise any concerns over animal welfare/health with the General Manager.

STAFF MANAGEMENT

• Staff management- recruiting and interviewing new staff.
• Produce the farm staff rota and ensure all staff are notified of working hours.
• Create and maintain staff training plan and ensure all staff are trained to the agreed standards.
• Ensure training sheets are kept up to date and signed off.
• Review annually to ensure training is kept up to date.
• Leading farm team to include setting tasks and job lists, guidance and training.
• Ensuring all tasks are completed to a high standard within time constraints.
• Supervising the education team whilst on the farm running sessions.
• To schedule in and lead work experience inductions and training.
• To review placements with colleges once complete.
• To carry out ongoing reviews of performance.

FARM OPERATIONS

• To ensure the cleanliness and presentation of the farm, with particular regard to all public facilities such as toilets, hand wash stations etc are kept to the agreed standards of presentation.
• To comply with all standards of both the NFAN Code of Practice and Hart DC Animal Activities License.
• Public activities - running an interactive activity schedule daily with various animals whilst interacting with visitors by providing information, answering questions and general conversation.
• To review existing animal activities and plan for new activities.
• Develop the educational offering for school groups.
• Running these sessions and ensuring staff are trained to also run them.
• To ensure all H&S practices are followed correctly to the laid down regulations ensuring the safety of both staff, visitors and animals at all times.
• Customer service - ensuring all visitors receive high quality customer care by ensuring staff are approachable and accommodating at all times.
• Dealing with any complaints, escalating them if required.
• To be the key person for communication between other departments or senior management and farm staff on a daily basis.
• To be the point of contact on the farm for any contractors undertaking work.
• To complete weekly stock checks and to ensure all orders are placed to allow smooth running of the animal farm such as feed, bedding, medication, cleaning supplies etc.
• To ensure all daily records are maintained including medical records, movement records and diaries.
• To do monthly updates of records and inputting data onto spreadsheets to include animal records, diet sheet reviews and medical records.
• To create an annual budget for the farm.
• Liaising with colleges and universities and being the contact for work experience enquiries.
• To further develop the farm.
• To source new animals when required.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Organising and running the Farm on a day to day basis, ensuring the Farm is always presented in a manner which compliments the Park as a whole.
• Ensuring the highest standard of animal care and welfare is maintained at all times including veterinary care and medication and the accurate keeping of all medical records and movement forms.
• To help develop the Farm as a ‘Visitor Attraction’ through the continual introduction of and participation in friendly and informed interactive activities, including petting sessions, with all visitors (including school groups).
• To ensure standards and procedures of Health & Safety are followed and maintained for the safety both of visitors to the farm as well as our staff and animals.