Conservation Education Team Leader

Twycross Zoo

Sector: Education

Type: Paid

Contract type: Full-time

About Us:

Twycross Zoo is a fantastic conservation and education charity and historic organisation that has existed for 60 years. At the heart of what we do, the reason we exist, is to be an influential conservation and education charity, delivering on our commitments to be guest obsessed and provide world-class animal environments and levels of husbandry. Alongside this, we strive to be an effective charity with a commercial mindset, putting our people at the heart of the organisation.

Key Objectives:

1. To lead in the development and running of informal education activities.
2. Support the Conservation Education Department in implementing the zoo’s relevant Strategies, with a focus on education and engagement for positive change.
3. To educate visitors and drive engagement in the zoo’s ambition to actively contribute to species survival as part of the 2030 Conservation Strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Provide excellent leadership, embedding a solution focused approach to challenges.
2. Ensure line management of education staff encourages motivation, excellent communication and organisation with a drive to deliver an outstanding team performance.
3. Responsible for informal education, including resource management, departmental reporting, ensuring all zoo procedures and protocols are followed at all times, and conducting ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure that education activities contribute to TZ’s strategic conservation & education goals, adapting as necessary.
4. Lead in the delivery of walk through exhibits, animal experiences, tours and working with other departments where necessary to constantly raise standards.
5. Develop innovative learning experiences and public engagement across all areas of the zoo’s operation and work with the marketing team to develop and prepare content for Zoo Crew trails and public campaigns, ensuring that all information is current and correct.
6. Work with the Head of Conservation Education in the implementation, monitoring and adherence to health and safety systems within the department.
7. Represent the zoo on relevant external bodies, at conferences and in the media as agreed and appropriate.
8. Ensure the department leads by example by adhering to and promoting TZ’s sustainability agenda.
9. Manage and organise volunteers and their contribution to the engagement programme, ensuring they are delivering in line with the TZ values.
10. Liaise closely with the other Life Sciences managers as needed on collaborative research goals.

Key Skills and Requirements:

1. Educated to Degree level in a conservation / animal-based or education subject.
2. Experience of leading and managing a team in a zoo or education setting, with exceptional skills in programme delivery.
3. The ability and presence to inspire a team, demonstrated experience of team management is preferred.
4. Experience in and thorough understanding of planning, developing, and implementing informal educational programs in a learning outside the classroom setting would be desirable.
5. Willingness to keep up-to-date with developments in conservation, pedagogy and safeguarding by completing CPD.
6. Understanding and interest in wildlife conservation in relation to zoos is a must.
7. Ability to work well cross-departmentally, building effective relationships with all departments is a must.
8. Able to work to the highest degree of accuracy and confidentiality, with good organisational and communication skills.
9. Ability to obtain a satisfactory DBS check.
10. A full driving licence and willingness to drive zoo vehicles as required.
11. Excellent computer skills and knowledge and proficient in MS Word, Excel, and Outlook.
12. Flexibility in working times and duties is always a key requirement as the Zoo is a popular leisure attraction run by an enthusiastic team.
13. As a team, we are all responsible for delivering an outstanding guest experience so you must be willing to operational support to any department as requested.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £28,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company events
• Discounted or free food
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• Weekend availability

Additional Information:

• Why are you interested in working at Twycross Zoo?
• Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t get from your CV.
• Due to the location being fairly remote, you must have a reliable way of commuting to the zoo on a regular basis. Can you confirm that you have access to a car/reliable lift?