Education Assistant

Education is at the heart of our mission, and this position plays a key role in delivering on our organisational purpose, inspiring the next generation of rewilders.

This role is primarily to support the education department in the delivery of the education programme and activities, events, as well as administrative support to the operational duties of the department and excellent customer service to our visiting schools, groups and members of the public.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivering the education programme/activities and contributing new ideas to expand the offer
• Running and expanding the Junior Zookeeper programme
• Delivering animal experiences to members of the public
• Monitoring the education inbox and responding to enquiries
• Ensuring the health and safety of visitors, staff and students attending education-related activities.
• Deliver events, night tours, public engagement and activities as appropriate
• Demonstrate good safeguarding practices, setting the example for other colleagues
• Coordinating the Kent park events

The Working Week

Your working week will be varied and busy. Priorities will be the running of the Junior Zookeeper programme, delivering workshops, tours and activities to a varied audience (including primary and secondary school children, further and higher education students and members of the public and specialised/non-uniformed groups), monitoring the inbox, and administrative tasks to ensure operational duties are completed in a timely manner. This role Chairs the regular events meeting and coordinates the various internal and external events that take place throughout the year, with support from the relevant departments.

Core working hours

Core working hours are 09:00 until 17:00 with an unpaid half an hour for lunch. This post is 30 hours per week over 4 days. The job will involve regular weekend working, some evening and bank holiday working as part of your normal duties.

This job involves undertaking duties which include the following health, safety and wellbeing considerations:

• Regular use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
• Lone working
• Working with animals
• Use of company vehicle

Mandatory Training for this role includes

• DBS check (enhanced)
• Manual Handling
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
• Safeguarding Level 1
• Sexual Harassment Awareness
• Customer Engagement & Complaints
• GDPR / Data Protection Awareness
• Fire Safety Awareness
• Ladder Safety
• Cyber Security
• First Aid
• Animal Escape & Emergency Procedures

This role has a probation period of six months. A formal review will be held at the mid-point. The following measures of good performance will help to guide our assessment:

1. Within the first month complete all site and departmental induction, including reading all policies and induction content.
2. By the mid-point review, have a good working understanding of the education programme, including having successfully taken a number of bookings accurately, and delivered a workshop, experience or tour independently.
3. By the mid-point review, take on the Chair of the events group, establishing positive working relationships with those involved, and supporting the delivery of a pre-planned event.
4. Within the first six months, coordinate with the relevant departments to produce a plan for focused awareness events for the coming year.
5. Within the first six months, develop a sufficient level of knowledge to support with any educational session, and have successfully led a tour, AFT and experience.

Interviews and selection tests will be held by arrangement at Wildwood, Wealden Forest Park, Herne Common (Kent jobs), or Wildwood, Escot Estate, Ottery St Mary (Devon jobs), or via an online platform if appropriate.

The selection process will depend on the seniority of the role, but may include interviews, presentations, selection tests, informal discussion, and tours.

Appointments are subject to confirmation after a six-month probation period, followed by regular development reviews.

All Wildwood staff are passionate, committed, and resourceful. To succeed in this specific role, you will be engaging, creative, and a great team player.

Essential

• Confidence to carry out tasks independently, whilst also having the ability to work productively and successfully with a team.
• Experience of teaching a diverse range of people, ages, and audiences.
• Excellent communication and engagement skills
• Administrative experience with a good understanding of IT and Microsoft/Google packages.
• Good command of written and spoken English.
• Experience of working with young children, either within the primary school sector or similar setting.
• Ability to follow instructions and work within agreed ways of working and Health and Safety protocols.
• Demonstrate a genuine love of British wildlife and belief in Wildwood's Mission; to protect, conserve, and rewild British wildlife.

Desirable

• Experience of a similar post within the zoo / wildlife sector
• Experience in a woodland or forest school type setting
• A teaching qualification (or working towards).

Wildwood is committed to fair recruitment practices. No person shall be treated less favourably than another on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, ethic or national origin, religion, colour, age or disability. As an equal opportunities employer, applicants for staff vacancies shall be shortlisted for interview and appointed purely on the grounds of their suitability for the post as laid out in the advertised job description.

Wildwood is a native species conservation charity established in 2002 to push the boundaries of innovative conservation and rewilding. We work with nature to fight the biodiversity crisis, to halt the extinction of species and to create resilient habitats in which nature thrives. We focus on nature-based solutions to return native species and recreating truly wild spaces.

Wildwood has a proud culture of respecting and valuing all colleagues. Our people are integral to our success; their expertise enables us to achieve our ambitions, their professionalism creates strong collaborations, and their integrity upholds our organisational values.

Employment Package

• Annual salary of £19,828.00
• Annual leave allowance of 24 days a year, including statutory holidays
• Workplace pension
• Inclusive and family-friendly working policies
• Training & development opportunities
• Selection of staff benefits including discounts
• Free or reduced price entry to BIAZA accredited zoos and aquariums