Animal Care Technician/Instructor

Abingdon and Witney College; Witney; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A college in the UK is seeking an Animal Care Technician/Instructor to join their Animal Management department. The role involves daily care of various animals, delivering practical lessons to students aged 16+, and maintaining high standards of welfare and safety. Candidates should have a Level 3 qualification in Animal Management and experience with animals and young learners. The position offers excellent benefits, including professional development and flexible working options.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Holiday schemes

Continued professional development

Corporate gym membership

Cycle/tech scheme

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 3 qualification in Animal Management or a related subject.
• Experience working with or instructing young people in an educational or training setting.
• Teaching or assessor qualifications are desirable but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Support and deliver practical instruction to students during lessons and workshops.
• Maintain high standards of animal welfare and health & safety.
• Work collaboratively with teaching staff to ensure effective sessions.

Skills

Hands-on experience with a wide range of animal species

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Proactive, organised, and flexible approach to work

Education

Level 3 qualification in Animal Management or related subject

Job description

Salary: £27,166 - £27,820 per annum

Hours per week: 37

Weeks per Annum: 52

Working pattern: Wednesday - Saturday 7.5 hours per day, Sunday 7 hours per day

Location: Common Leys Campus

Contract type: Permanent

We are looking for a dedicated Animal Care Technician/Instructor to join our vibrant team at Abingdon & Whitney College, supporting our growing Animal Management department in Common Leys.

About the Role

As an Animal Care Technician/Instructor, you will play a key role in the daily care and welfare of our diverse collection of animals, while also supporting and delivering practical learning experiences for our students. You'll work closely with learners aged 16+ to help develop their practical animal handling and husbandry skills in a supportive, educational environment.

Species You May Work With

From small mammals and reptiles to farm livestock and exotic species, you'll be responsible for the health and welfare of a varied animal collection that supports high quality, hands‑on teaching.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and deliver practical instruction to students during lessons and workshops
• Maintain high standards of animal welfare and health & safety across the unit
• Work collaboratively with teaching staff to ensure engaging, safe, and effective sessions
• Provide guidance and mentoring to students working on the unit

Essential criteria

• A minimum Level 3 qualification in Animal Management or a related subject
• Hands‑on experience with a wide range of animal species
• Experience working with or instructing young people in an educational or training setting
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• A proactive, organised, and flexible approach to work
• Teaching or assessor qualifications are desirable but not essential – training can be provided

We’re looking for someone who is committed to learner success, passionate about their subject, and ready to contribute positively to our teaching team. If this is you then we want to hear from you.

Why Work with Us

Excellent benefits for our employees including generous pension and holiday schemes (with potential Christmas closure days), continued professional development, flexible working options, corporate gym membership, cycle/tech scheme and much more.

Abingdon and Witney College reserve the right to close all applications before posted closing date.

Abingdon and Witney College are committed to safer recruitment practices. In addition to our pre‑employment checks, we will conduct an online search. This includes checking Google main results feed as well as the ‘News’ and ‘Images’ tab. We will be checking for any publicly available information that suggests the applicant may not be suitable to work with children or young/vulnerable people or content that could potentially damage Abingdon and Witney College’s reputation. This may include inappropriate posts, comments or images displaying evidence of offensive or inappropriate behaviour, jokes or language, discriminatory comments, inappropriate photos, drug or alcohol misuse.

AWC values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all appointments are subject to satisfactory clearances including enhanced DBS checks.