apprentice animal keeper in City of Westminster

The primary role of the apprentice animal keeper is to carry out animal husbandry and enclosure maintenance tasks within Golders Hill Park Zoo & Queen's Park Farm in accordance with the Secretary of States Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for the welfare of the animals and enjoyment, recreation, education, and safety of visitors.

Responsibilities

• To undertake general enclosure cleaning, animal care, feed preparations & animal observation under supervision.
• To undertake basic repair, maintenance & installation of enclosures, their furnishings & associated facilities under supervision.
• To use basic hand/power tools and grounds maintenance equipment under supervision.
• To attend staff meetings & participate in group emails/messages as appropriate.
• To work as part of a team with the aim of ensuring productive working relationships within the team and with other employees, team leaders, supervisors & external agencies.
• To work with and assist volunteers & work placement students in the Zoo/Farm.
• To undertake the Keeper and Aquarist qualification as part of the City of London apprenticeship programme and complete coursework and examinations in a timely manner.
• To assist with paid visitor experiences, ensuring experiences are supervised and carried out in a professional and safe manner.
• To provide a highly visible presence to engender a sense of well-being for customers & members of the public.
• To assist in promoting Golders Hill Park Zoo, Queen's Park Farm and the wider heath to local schools, colleges & other user groups.
• To assist in enforcing park bylaws and rules of the animal collections.
• To observe departmental safety procedures and use safe working practices specifically with regard to PPE, and adherence to COSHH and risk assessments; report accidents and near misses to supervisors.
• Actively seek to implement the City of London's occupational health and safety policy in relation to the duties of the post.
• Actively seek to implement the City of London's equal opportunity policy and promote equality of opportunity in relation to the duties of the post.
• To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be requested appropriate to the grade.
• Demonstrate how the five welfare needs of an animal can be used as a basis to provide the animal with opportunities to display positive welfare, including providing a suitable environment, diet, appropriate social grouping and protection from fear, pain, suffering, injury and disease.
• Prioritise more critical and less critical activities and tasks using scheduling techniques that enable meeting deadlines and allow for unexpected tasks.
• Communicate information clearly and within a timely manner with internal audiences such as colleagues, vets, managers and contractors, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding.
• Communicate effectively with external audiences such as the scientific community, the general public, visitors and media in a range of contexts including presentations, public speaking, visitor engagement, conservation education activities and customer service.
• Actively listen, process and prioritise information, confirm understanding and react according to level of risk (e.g., lost child procedure, animal escape, instruction from senior staff).
• Devise and deliver a talk/presentation using a range of appropriate resources such as audio/visual equipment, PowerPoint slides, physical props.
• Deal appropriately with difficult issues (e.g., visitor/internal conflicts and complaints) following workplace policies and procedures.
• Accurately record, retrieve and monitor information and write reports using relevant systems such as diaries, ZIMS, Tracks, Excel and follow workplace procedures designed to keep data secure.
• Use information from reliable sources and scientific nomenclature of taxa for research, enclosure/tank design and husbandry plans.
• Observe, describe and interpret animal behaviour, including species-specific behaviours; take response action where appropriate.
• Develop, implement and evaluate appropriate sensory and cognitive enrichment in accordance with enclosure/tank design and species-specific needs.
• Identify individual animals through transponders, photos, ear tags, leg bands, individual markings, sex determination.
• Create a plan using the principles of population management in line with the organisation collection plan.
• Interpret diet sheets and safely store, prepare and present diets to promote species-specific natural behaviours.
• Evaluate diets and propose modifications to minimise uneaten food and wastage, promoting physical and psychological health.
• Correctly follow procedures for waste management and disposal including hazardous materials, biosecurity risks and legally regulated materials.
• Identify the best equipment, methods of approach, capture, handling, restraint and loading for specific situations and species, and create informed plans.
• Show confidence in assisting with capture and restraint of wild and high-risk species.
• Identify the most appropriate methods of transporting animals, considering species, risk level, duration, animal welfare, health and safety, legislation.
• Train animals using positive reinforcement-based techniques and apply them in routine care, monitoring and recording results.
• Identify, assess severity of and report potential health issues in animals in a timely manner; monitor changes in health and report findings.
• Correctly collect, document and store suitable samples (hair, faeces, urine, gill) for veterinary health monitoring.
• Administer treatment following instruction from a veterinarian or competent staff member (e.g., medication, parasite treatments, nail/hoof trimming).
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different enclosure designs and propose improvements.
• Select optimal enclosure substrates and furnishings and maintain them, monitoring condition and replacing as appropriate.
• Identify potential and existing physical and biohazards within enclosures and respond, participating in solutions where possible.
• Use, maintain and store a range of tools correctly, including electrical tools.
• Monitor and take responsibility for the health and safety of visitors and welfare of animals in enhanced animal contact situations.
• Comply with and support other staff in complying with emergency protocols (e.g., animal escape drills, fire).
• Carry out safe housekeeping regimes, including safe use and disposal of products, cleaning of enclosures/tanks, public areas, Life Support Systems maintenance and managing associated hazards.
• Design and implement research projects, including formulating variables, using reliable research methods, analyzing results and summarising findings for practice improvement.

Qualifications

• GCSE in English (grade 4) and Maths (grade 4).
• Relevant qualifications and industry experience may be shared; the apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect existing knowledge.

Skills

• Communication skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Organisation skills.
• Customer care skills.
• Logical reasoning.
• Team working.
• Patience.
• Physical fitness.

Salary & Working Hours

• £27,550 per year.
• Hours: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm, Monday – Sunday on a rota, 1 hr unpaid break. Flexibility may be required. 35 hours per week.
• Start date Monday 26 January 2026.
• Duration 2 years 3 months.

Training & Course

You will be supported to achieve the Keeper and Aquarist Level 3 apprenticeship. Theoretical training will be provided with the support of the training provider. Practical training and support will be given in the workplace, allowing you to embed your learning. You will receive 6 hrs per week to support apprenticeship studies.

Employment Details

City of London Corporation staff can take advantage of the pension scheme and receive discounts and special offers for a wide range of products and services. Training course: Keeper and Aquarist (Level 3). Hours: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm.