Senior Animal Keeper & Team Leader

Tanqeeb; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Miral Experiences in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Animal Keeper to lead daily care, welfare, and safety of our animal collections. You will supervise keepers, coach staff, and work with veterinarians, curators, and trainers to ensure best practices and compliance with SOPs.

Join a mission-driven team at a world-class attraction portfolio, where safety, animal welfare, and professional development are at the forefront of operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in a modern zoological institution, aquarium, wildlife park, safari park, conservation center, or similar facility.
• Demonstrated experience working in animal holding facilities and complex back-of-house zoological environments.
• 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 daily husbandry, care, feeding, cleaning, enrichment, observation, training, and management of assigned animal collections.
• Ensure that all animal care activities meet or exceed modern international zoological standards.
• Monitor animal behavior, welfare indicators, medical concerns, and environmental conditions and report findings promptly.
• Participate in animal welfare assessments and support implementation of welfare improvement initiatives.
• Support breeding, reproductive management, introductions, transfers, and animal transport activities as directed.
• Promote and demonstrate a strong culture of safety at all times.
• Ensure strict compliance with all operational SOPs, risk assessments, permit-to-work systems, and emergency procedures.
• Maintain absolute adherence to dangerous animal safety protocols, lock procedures, key control systems, protected contact principles, lockout/tagout processes, and all established safety barriers.
• Conduct daily safety checks of animal holding facilities, gates, locks, equipment, barriers, shift-change procedures, and operational controls.
• Immediately identify, report, and help mitigate operational hazards and safety risks.
• Participate in emergency drills and emergency response activities.
• Maintain high standards within animal holding facilities, service areas, keeper corridors, off-display enclosures, veterinary holding, quarantine facilities, and other back-of-house infrastructure.
• Support exhibit maintenance programs and coordinate facility improvement requests.
• Ensure housekeeping, organization, cleanliness, biosecurity, and professional operating standards are maintained throughout assigned areas.
• Verify equipment remains functional, properly maintained, and safe for use.
• Provide daily guidance, supervision, and mentorship to Animal Keepers.
• Assist in the training and development of new staff members.
• Promote professional growth and continuous learning within the team.
• Help maintain high levels of engagement, accountability, teamwork, and operational discipline.
• Act as relief supervisor when delegated.
• Ensure accurate and timely completion of all animal records, daily reports, husbandry records, enrichment records, behavioral observations, training records, safety checks, and operational documentation.
• Support compliance with institutional requirements, regional regulations, accreditation standards, and professional best practices.
• Participate in audits, inspections, welfare reviews, and accreditation processes.
• Support Al Ain Zoo's conservation, sustainability, research, and education objectives.
• Act as a professional ambassador of the organization.
• Participate in professional development opportunities and knowledge sharing activities.
• Remain up to date on emerging zoological husbandry, welfare, safety, and conservation practices.

Skills

Animal care

Team leadership

Safety compliance

SOP adherence

Hazard identification

Job description

Miral Experiences in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Animal Keeper to lead daily care, welfare, and safety of our animal collections. You will supervise keepers, coach staff, and work with veterinarians, curators, and trainers to ensure best practices and compliance with SOPs.

Join a mission-driven team at a world-class attraction portfolio, where safety, animal welfare, and professional development are at the forefront of operations.