Conservation Social Science Industry Placement in Chester

Full-time 12 month industrial placement commencing September 2026.

Are you excited by the prospect of gaining invaluable work experience with one of Europe’s leading Zoological collections? Global biodiversity conservation is a multi-disciplinary endeavour, with research in the social sciences playing an increasingly central role. As such, this placement will provide valuable training and experience that will be essential for all aspiring conservationists.

What you’ll be doing:

• Working with the Lead Conservation Scientist and Conservation Scientist Social Science in a team environment, the social science placement will include conducting a specific social science research project. This could include diverse areas such as educational impact, human/animal interactions, connectedness to nature, or human behaviour change, either related to zoo visitors or as part of our field conservation programmes.
• Potential opportunities to attend conferences to present your project.
• Opportunity to report findings and write summary articles and documents for a range of stakeholders, potentially including the opportunity to be part of peer-reviewed publications.

The Work Placement:

• The year in industry placement is for a period of up to 12 months commencing in September 2026.
• Full Training with the Conservation & Science Teams.
• Uniform provided, along with lunch vouchers for the days you attend.
• Monthly stipends of up to £120 per month may be payable based on appropriate expenses.
• Full Time Hours (40 hours per week), alternatives can be discussed if you are successfully shortlisted.

Our Requirements:

• A passion for biodiversity conservation and an interest in the human dimensions that influence it.
• Being highly organised and proactive in your approach to work.
• The ability to write and deliver oral presentations in a clear, concise and engaging manner.
• A desire to learn how science can be used to help support and inform conservation in a zoo setting.
• Experience of using Microsoft Office software such as Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Some data handling and analysis experience is desirable.

This opportunity is only available to those studying at a UK university on a degree programme with an industrial year. All industrial placements are full-time voluntary positions for 12 months, commencing September 2026. Although no direct animal contact takes place in this role, you will attend monthly workshops to gain wider knowledge of modern zoo management. We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse organisation and encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Interested in applying?

To apply for this opportunity, click the ‘apply for job’ button on this page where you’ll need to submit a CV and covering letter detailing your qualifications, interest in the position and your university and degree programme. As part of your application, we would also like you to create a short, 2-minute video answering 2 questions. Further details on this will be included within the application form.

Do you want to find out more about these placements? Speak to our experts? Register for our Zoom webinar on 13/1/26 at 5pm! Register in advance for this meeting: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.