Apprentice Zoo Ranger

Job Reference: HCC622400
Salary Range: £24,796 – £25,128 per annum
Work Location: Manor Farm, Botley
Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Temporary until February 2028
Closing Date: 9 November 2025
Interview Date: 18 November 2025

As part of Hampshire County Council’s Countryside Service, Manor Farm is a busy, family-oriented visitor attraction located in a beautiful heritage setting. This is an exciting opportunity to join our animal team as a full time Apprentice Zoo Ranger.

The Role:

As part of the animal team, the Apprentice Zoo Ranger will be responsible for learning and implementing the skills and practical tools required to ensure the highest health and welfare standard of every animal on site. This includes monitoring health and behaviour, helping to create engaging and enriching environments for the animals, fulfilling daily and online records, implementing routine procedures and treatments, treating medical conditions and injuries, and working alongside the animal team to deliver fun and engaging activities for our visitors.
Manor Farm recently obtained a zoo license which will enable us to explore and implement a wider range of animal breeds to display to our visitors. The ideal candidate will have experience and a love of farm animals but will share our desire to explore new breeds and take the practical steps to improve our learning and implement new ideas. With these potential new additions comes the need for fresh knowledge and a passion for zoo animals, where traditionally we have been primarily farm focused. This apprenticeship is a new position in the team, giving someone in the early stages of their zoo career the chance to gain varied experience in animal care in a visitor-facing role.
Alongside practical experience at Manor Farm, you’ll be undertaking studies with Sparsholt College. Zookeeper and Aquarist – Sparsholt College Hampshire . An exciting opportunity to attend college whilst being paid, to learn on the farm and to gain valuable experience in a challenging sector. This apprenticeship will include 12 weekly visits to the campus as well as independent learning and online courses with lecturers. The ideal candidate will be a strong independent learner and be able to manage their time well.

What you’ll do:

The Apprentice Zoo Ranger is line-managed by the Senior Farm Ranger and will work alongside two Assistant Farm Rangers and a team of casual staff. The team work closely to ensure high standards of animal welfare, whilst also creating a memorable visitor experience through animal interactions, handling, and interpretation. As well as this, the animal team are responsible for overseeing our volunteers, ensuring that daily tasks are divided up according to ability and that tasks have been completed to an acceptable standard.

What we’re looking for:

The ideal candidate will have experience in a customer-facing role and be able to think of new and exciting ways to engage visitors. You will have a natural curiosity to identify ways to make improvements, an ability to learn new skills, and to know where to find information when needed.
The ability to learn new tasks through extensive research, then to cascade information to colleagues and work with the Senior Farm Ranger to practically implement improvements will be important.
The right candidate for the role would ideally have undertaken recent animal care experience either with zoo or farm animals. While this role will appeal to someone who wishes to develop their learning and experience around animals, only candidates with previous handling experience can be considered.

Hampshire County Council is recognised nationally as one of the highest performing local authorities in the UK. A modern, forward-looking local authority, it offers a pleasant, supportive, and collaborative working environment.
Hampshire County Council is also a flexible employer interested in making the most of your skills and offers a great work life balance. We invest in you through our internal development programmes and training and offer a competitive salary and benefits package.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.
In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.
We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.