Casual Keeper and Guest Services

Role: Casual Keeper and Guest Services

Collection: Sea Life Adventure Wild

Location: Southend on Sea, Essex

Type: Paid, Permanent

Salary: £10.93 per hour (includes Holiday Pay) for keeper role – Guest services role, national minimum wage

Sea Life Adventure Wild is a family owned establishment looking to employ two part time Casual Keepers and guest services team members to join our aquarium team. These candidates are expected to fit in with the company mission statement “SEALIFE ADVENTURE AIMS TO CREATE A FUN, EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF EXCELLENT VALUE FOR FAMILIES OF ALL AGES”

The Keeper Role:

The successful candidates will (after full training) be expected to work across the five sections of the aquarium and assist in all areas relating to animal husbandry. This will give the successful candidates the opportunity to work with a wide range of taxonomic groups creating a varied and exciting work balance. Furthermore, they will be expected to attend and contribute to all morning meetings, making suggestions to develop sections and improve practices.

The candidate will be expected to provide the highest standards of animal welfare and to ensure all BIAZA guidelines are adhered to. They should also have a good understanding of the secretary of state modern zoo licence practice. Furthermore, they will need to be able to collate and record detailed and accurate animal records via the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) and Microsoft Excel. As well as complying with department policies in relation to administration and health & safety to ensure they are appropriately followed.

This role is largely public facing and will require the candidates to engage with the guests at multiple times of the day. This includes educating guests and answering questions while moving through the aquarium, giving public experiences (currently restricted to our meerkat experience, however plans to expand this are underway), and manning our tropical house during the first hour of opening while on this section.

This role is largely to act as both holiday and maternity cover, this does mean that hours will vary. However, hours will be topped by the guest services role.

The Guest services Role:

This role is largely public facing and has two main focuses. The public service role and the educational role. Therefore, the candidates must have good customer facing and communication skills.

The customer service role includes but is not restricted to selling tickets and our amazing annual passes, working in our gift shop, tidying the aquarium and cleaning the glass of our amazing exhibits.

The educational role is largely made up of customer engagement. The tropical house is an area that is manned primarily by our Guests service team. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity to engage with our guests about our butterfly house, crocodile exhibit, leaf cutter ant colony and more. Furthermore, public talks are a large part of this role, you will be expected to give educational, engaging, energetic and fun talks to our guests. This is all to be carried out in both a fun and professional manner.

Essential:

● Enthusiastic and motivated team player

● Positive attitude and excellent work ethic

● Ability to problem solve and improvise to diverse situations

● Reasonable level of fitness

● Experienced in providing high levels of animals husbandry to a wide range of taxonomic groups (preferably at a BIAZA or EAZA accredited site), (one year minimum)

● A good understanding of aquarium water chemistry and basic life support systems

● Competent with computers and are able to use Microsoft office

● Must have a good level of education at standard grade or equivalent qualifications (including English, Maths and Science)

Desirable:

● Qualified up to Rescue Diver (PADI)

● Experience handling crocodilians

● Experience with primates

● Experience working with large aquarium life support systems

● Ability to carry out basic maintenance and construction tasks

● Experience using the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS)

● Educated to degree level in relevant field (Zoology, Marine biology, Animal Welfare and Management)

● Completed DMZAA zoological course

● Full UK driving licence

The interview process

Applicants should send their C.V., application form and covering letter (detailing relevant experience and skills and why they are applying for this position and details of availability).

Closing date: 19th of February

Email applications to jake.redfearn @ stockvale.co.uk

Collection website: Sealife Adventure - Zooquarium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Job Type: Permanent

Salary: £10.93 per hour

Benefits:

• Company events
• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount

Schedule:

• 12 hour shift
• Holidays
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Southend-on-Sea: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 19/02/2023