Senior Animal Care Lead

Miral; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Miral Experiences is hiring a Senior Animal Keeper to support the safe and professional operation of animal collections and facilities in Abu Dhabi. You will lead a team of Animal Keepers, ensure welfare, biosecurity, and SOP adherence, and collaborate with Curators, Veterinarians, Nutritionists, and Training staff to support the organization’s objectives.

The role emphasizes safety, incident prevention, and hands-on management of daily husbandry, welfare assessments, and regulatory compliance

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in a modern zoological institution, aquarium, wildlife park, safari park, conservation center, or similar facility.
• Experience handling and managing potentially dangerous animal species under strict safety protocols.
• Experience implementing and following formal SOPs, risk assessments, and emergency procedures.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and training junior animal care staff.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and oversee daily husbandry, care, feeding, cleaning, enrichment, observation, training, and management of assigned animal collections.
• Ensure animal care activities meet modern international zoological standards.
• Monitor animal welfare indicators, medical concerns, and environmental conditions; report findings.
• Support welfare assessments and welfare improvement initiatives.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, coaching, and mentorship to Animal Keepers; coordinate with Curators, Veterinarians, Nutritionists, and Training staff.
• Maintain high standards in animal holding facilities, back-of-house areas, and exhibit support spaces.
• Assist in training and development of new staff; promote growth and accountability.
• Ensure accurate animal records and compliance with regulations; participate in audits and inspections.

Skills

Animal care expertise

Safety culture

SOP compliance

Staff supervision

Training junior staff

Record keeping

Emergency response

Tools

ZIMS software

Job description

Miral Experiences is hiring a Senior Animal Keeper to support the safe and professional operation of animal collections and facilities in Abu Dhabi. You will lead a team of Animal Keepers, ensure welfare, biosecurity, and SOP adherence, and collaborate with Curators, Veterinarians, Nutritionists, and Training staff to support the organization’s objectives.

The role emphasizes safety, incident prevention, and hands-on management of daily husbandry, welfare assessments, and regulatory compliance