ROLE PURPOSE
To bring Christmas at Welsh Mountain Zoo to life by portraying Santa Claus and an Elf as required, creating a magical, engaging, and memorable experience for families visiting the zoo. The postholder must be confident and comfortable taking on both characters, adapting their approach to suit each role and interacting with visitors in a warm, friendly, and engaging manner. Alongside character performance, the role will support the operational delivery of the Christmas grotto and wider seasonal activities, working part of the Guest Services team to ensure a smooth, safe, and enjoyable visitor experience.
KEY RESPONSBILITES FOR THE ROLE
Santa & Elf Character Performance
- Portray both Santa Claus and an Elf, bringing each character to life in an engaging, authentic, and family friendly manner.
- Interact with children and families, creating memorable experiences through conversations, storytelling, listening to children’s wishes, and posing for photographs.
- Adapt character portrayal to suit different ages, personalities, and needs, ensuring all visitors feel welcomed and included.
- Maintain character appearance and presentation throughout shifts, including wearing the appropriate costumes and accessories.
- Help create a warm, magical, and welcoming Christmas atmosphere throughout the Zoo’s seasonal activities.
Christmas Grotto & Event Operations
- Support the day-to-day running of the Christmas Grotto, helping ensure sessions run smoothly, safely, and to schedule.
- Assist with preparing, setting up, and resetting the grotto and other activity areas before, during, and after sessions.
- Welcome visitors, support guest flow, and help manage queues and timings to deliver a positive visitor experience.
- Work collaboratively with the Guest Services team and wider zoo teams to resolve queries and respond to operational needs.
- Follow all relevant health and safety procedures, safeguarding guidance, and operational instructions, particularly when working with children and families.
Guest Experience and Teamwork
- Deliver consistently high standards of customer service, representing Welsh Mountain Zoo positively at all times.
- Communicate clearly and appropriately with children, families, and colleagues, including in Welsh and in English.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues to endure the safe, efficient, and enjoyable Christmas activities.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while in character and follow zoo procedures for photography and visitor interactions.
- Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role to support the successful delivery of Christmas at Welsh Mountain Zoo.
- Demonstrate flexibility in responding to changing operational requirements, including portraying either Santa Claus or an Elf as needed.
KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROLE
Essential:
- Fluency in both Welsh and English.
- Confidence and willingness to portray both Santa Claus and an Elf, adapting to each character as required.
- A warm, friendly, and engaging manner, with the ability to interact naturally with children and families.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with a commitment to delivering an excellent visitor experience.
- Reliability, flexibility, and a positive attitude, particularly during busy periods.
- Ability to follow health and safety procedures and safeguarding guidance when interacting with children and families.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain character integrity and engagement for extended periods.
- Understanding of child safeguarding principles and procedures.
- Availability to work all weekends and holidays as requires throughout the festive season.
- Any offers will be subject to references and an Enhanced DBS check.
Desirable:
- Previous experience in acting, character performance, children’s entertainment, or a similar role.
- Experience working with children and families in a customer facing environment.
- Experience in visitor attractions, hospitality, events, or seasonal activities.
- Knowledge of Christmas traditions, storytelling, or interactive entertainment.
- Experience supporting the setup and day-to-day running of events or visitor activities.
- Confidence performing in costume for extended periods and in a variety of weather conditions.
Key behaviours (competencies) for the role
- Warm and welcoming: Creates a friendly, inclusive, and positive atmosphere, helping visitors of all ages feel comfortable and valued.
- Playful and imaginative: Brings Santa Claus and Elf characters to life through engaging interactions, storytelling, and a sense of fun.
- Adaptable and Flexible: Confidently switches between characters and operational duties, responding positively to changing visitor needs and priorities.
- Guest Focused: Takes pride in creating memorable experiences for children and families, demonstrating patience, empathy, and understanding.
- Reliable and Responsible: Arrives prepared, follows agreed procedures, and can be trusted to fulfil character and operational responsibilities consistently.
- Collaborative: Works positively with colleagues, communicates effectively, and supports the wider team to ensure Christmas activities run smoothly.
- Calm under pressure: Maintains a cheerful and professional approach during busy periods, managing unexpected situations with patience and common sense.
- Professional and Safety Conscious: Maintains appropriate boundaries when interacting with children, follows safeguarding, health and safety procedures, and represents Welsh Mountain Zoo positively at all times.
