Animal Keeper LVI

Main Purpose of the role

The Animal Keeper is responsible for the daily care, welfare, and presentation of animals at Askham Bryan College. The role supports high standards of animal husbandry, conservation education, and visitor engagement, while ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, health and safety standards, and park policies to support outstanding student experience.

Key Tasks/Responsibilities

• Animal Care, Conservation, Research & Welfare: Carry out daily husbandry tasks including feeding, cleaning, enclosure maintenance, and enrichment. Monitor animal health, behaviour, and welfare, reporting concerns promptly using college procedures and to duty managers. Assist with veterinary procedures. Monitor animals with health checks and ensure record keeping is kept up to date. Prepare and distribute diets according to species-specific requirements. Contribute to the Animal department's mission in conservation, research or business.
• Enclosure & Site Maintenance: Maintain clean, safe, and enriching enclosures that meet welfare standards. Carry out basic repairs and maintenance of enclosures, tools, and equipment. Follow biosecurity and hygiene procedures to prevent disease transmission and ensure animal welfare and compliance.
• Animal Handling & Training: Safely handle animals where appropriate, following approved protocols. Participate in animal training and enrichment programmes to support welfare and education.
• Visitor Engagement & Education: Interact positively with visitors, answering questions and promoting conservation messages. Deliver talks, demonstrations, or educational activities when required and support the Conservation Education Coordinator with education sessions such as school workshops.
• Health & Safety: Comply with all health and safety policies, risk assessments, and safe systems of work. Use equipment and PPE correctly and report hazards or incidents promptly.
• Administration & Teamwork: Maintain accurate records, including daily logs, feeding sheets, and welfare records. Work effectively as part of a team and support colleagues across the park and wider college. Participate in training, staff meetings, and continuous professional development.
• Education: Oversee and provide feedback for students on work placement and voluntary workers. Co-operate in the College Appraisal Scheme and subsequently agree an Action Plan and implementation deadlines. Actively participate in self-development activities to facilitate continuous improvement. Act as a positive role model, demonstrating best practice in animal husbandry, safety, and professionalism. Provide guidance, instruction, and supervision to staff teaching, students during practical activities and work placements. Contribute to assessments, demonstrations, and skills development activities as required.

Additional information: This role may involve early starts, weekend working, and occasional emergency callouts. All staff are expected to uphold the values, conservation mission, and professional standards of Askham Bryan Wildlife Park. We are looking for a highly motivated individual who can work with others and is responsible, passionate and knowledgeable about the overall animal management sector and has an enthusiastic approach to animal husbandry and welfare. The candidate will be responsible for the daily care, welfare, and presentation of the Wildlife Park LVI facilities at Askham Bryan College. This role supports high standards of animal husbandry, conservation and education. Reporting to the Animal Sciences and Conservation Manager, Deputy Manager and LVI Teaching Lead Keeper, responsibilities include the day-to-day care and management of the LVI animal section, general cleaning, feeding, maintenance and record keeping. We are especially interested in someone with a focus on Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates and Fish.

Benefits of working with Askham Bryan College:

• On-site facilities including a fully functional farm, equine centre, wildlife park and VR suite.
• Beautiful grounds for outdoor learning, meetings and well-being walks.
• Generous pension scheme with generous employer contributions.
• 35 days annual leave, plus 8 days bank holiday, plus Christmas shut down.
• Options for flexible working arrangements (role dependent).
• On-site catering including a canteen and shop.
• Highly discounted gym membership at the on-site gym.
• Free car parking and cycle to work scheme.
• Continuous support from our Recruitment and Employee Lifecycle Partner.
• Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave scheme.
• Enhanced maternity/adoption pay.

Safeguarding Statement: The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, volunteers and partners to share this commitment. The Governors and Staff at Askham Bryan College regard each learner as a unique individual and therefore seek to support learner development in ways, which will foster security, confidence and independence. We recognise that high self-esteem, peer support, a secure College environment and clear lines of communication with trusted adults helps all young people and adults particularly those at risk or suffering abuse. These are regarded as central to the wellbeing of the individual and are therefore seen to be an intrinsic part of all aspects of the curriculum and ethos.

Specific measures relating to pre-employment checks: We may undertake online searches on internet activity as part of our pre-recruitment checks. We ask applicants for details of any convictions and cautions, regardless of whether these have been deemed as “spent”. It is a condition of employment that applicants provide these details. We undertake Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks for prospective employees. Please note that it is an offence to apply for a regulated role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity involving children or vulnerable adults.

Note on “regulated activity”: You are engaging in a regulated activity if you: Will be responsible, on a regular basis in a school or college, for teaching, training instructing, caring for or supervising children or vulnerable adults; Will be working on a regular basis in a specified establishment, such as a school, or in connection with the purposes of the establishment, where the work gives opportunity for contact with children or vulnerable adults; or Engage in intimate or personal care or healthcare or any overnight activity, even if this happens only once.