Animal Care & Activity Team Member

Animal Barn; Poole; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A family-friendly animal care facility in Poole is looking for an Animal Care & Team Activity Member. In this active role, you will assist with animal husbandry while delivering exceptional customer service to visitors. Ideal candidates have animal care experience and qualifications, excellent communication skills, and a can-do attitude. You will engage with guests, manage animal welfare tasks, and participate in public interactions, making memorable experiences for families. This position offers flexible hours, including weekends, with compensation to be discussed.

Qualifications

• Previous practical animal care experience is essential.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment will be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Assist with animal husbandry and welfare duties.
• Deliver exceptional customer service experiences.
• Perform practical animal care and husbandry tasks.

Skills

Customer service experience

Teamwork

Good communication skills

Physical fitness

Education

Animal Care – Level 2 Diploma

GCSE Maths and English

Job description

Animal Care & Team Activity Member

In 1998, Farmer Palmer’s was born. From the beginning, we have been driven by a passion for creating a family-friendly environment where children can learn, play, and get close to the countryside animals.

Read all about our story of Farmer Palmer’s team Mission, culture, vision and values here: https://www.farmerpalmers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Farmer-Palmers-Team-Play-Book-24-FINAL-VERSION.pdf

Purpose of the role:

This is an active role, whereby, as well as assisting with animal husbandry and welfare, you will also be responsible for customer interactions and public safety.

We are seeking a self-motivated person with a keen eye for detail that possess impeccable working standards, both practically with animals and the general public.

Tractor driving experience advantageous.

Personal Specification

• Be polite, helpful, presentable, and confident in talking to the general public with a can-do attitude.
• Be responsible and punctual.
• Ability to work as a team and alone, working on your own initiative.
• Practical judgement & the ability to see the next job that needs doing.
• Good time management.

Essential Skills:

• Customer service experience. You must be confident in talking to both our younger and adult visitors with a bubbly & cheery disposition.
• Teamwork is essential.
• Good communication skills
• Previous experience working in a fast paced environment.
• You will require a good level of physical fitness as you will spend much of the day on your feet & there is manual handling involved.

Qualifications:

• Current practical animal care experience and a minimum of Animal Care Qualification, Animal Care – Level 2 Diploma
• GCSE Maths and English

Desirable Experience:

• Full clean driving licence for a minimum of 3-4 years (insurance requirements)
• Tractor Driving experience.
• Hands on, practical experience with a variety of different animals.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Customer Service Skills

• Exciting opportunity to deliver a magical customer experience, in line with our mission statement, vision and company goals.
• Giving real hands-on experiences to brand new, and loyal customers alike. Helping to educate children and visitors who are making lifetime family memories.
• Work from and completing daily checklists for animal welfare and husbandry.
• Punctual timekeeping in line with our daily timetable events for the public.
• To be responsible to undertake training to conduct our tractor trailer ride for customers.
• Opportunity to assist with our annual entertainments schedule to include dressing up including Christmas, Halloween and Easter.

Animal Care

• You will need to be confident to deliver practical animal care, high standards of welfare and husbandry with both small and larger animals, including hoof stock, across a wide range of species.
• Duties will include essential and routine husbandry/mucking out/feeding duties/assisting with hoof trimming and worming routines where necessary.
• Maintaining functional operations of the animal department.
• Delivering interactive demonstrations for a variety of livestock including customer-focused guinea pig handling sessions, goat feeding, cow milking demonstration, pony patting & trotter time with pigs.

Health & Safety

• Supporting the Supervisor in maintaining exceptional levels of Health and Safety including cleanliness, maintenance, and management of systems, in keeping with legislation and the NFAN code of practice.

Hours of work:

Approximately 6 - 9 hours per day, depending on our opening hours, approximately 1-2 days per week. There is an 8am start time and it will include a weekend day every week. Additional hours during school holidays and staff holiday cover available.

Interviews held early January 2026

Compensation: To be discussed