Zoo Education Assistant

Reaseheath College; England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading land-based educational institution in the UK is seeking a Casual Zoo Education Assistant/Keeper. This role involves engaging with visitors through various educational sessions and providing animal husbandry across a range of species. Candidates should be flexible, available to work weekends and holidays, and possess experience with both domestic and zoo animals. The position offers competitive pay at £12.21 per hour with a zero-hour contract.

Qualifications

• Experience with domestic and zoo animals.
• Willingness to work at least 7 days per month and on weekends.
• Ability to deliver engaging educational sessions.

Responsibilities

• Work in various areas of the zoo and engage with visitors.
• Deliver fun sessions such as birthday parties and school visits.
• Provide animal husbandry across different species.

Skills

Animal husbandry

Flexibility

Ability to work with diverse groups

Job description

Job Title: Casual Zoo Education Assistant/Keeper

Status: Casual Hours, Zero Hour Contact

Closing Date: Midnight, Sunday 25th January 2026

Assessment Centre: To be confirmed

Location: Reaseheath College, Rease Heath, Nantwich CW5 6DF

Salary: £12.21 per hour

Posted: 16 Jan 2026

Overview

Reaseheath College is one of the premier land‑based colleges located in South Cheshire with an enviable reputation for quality and partnerships with industry. The College has a beautiful rural setting situated amongst 330 hectares of farms, parklands, lake, woodland and sports facilities.

About the role

Our £4 million Animal Management Centre opened in 2010 and offers world‑class facilities including rooms for reptiles, amphibians and fish, a mammal house, teaching and meeting rooms and an impressive entrance to the college's zoo. We have 50 specialist staff, over 500 students and more than 1000 animals of around 200 species.

Key responsibilities

• Work in any area across the zoo and so would need to show an excellent degree of flexibility and willingness to learn new skills.
• Deliver a variety of fun and engaging sessions in the zoo, from birthday parties to school holiday clubs and school visits.
• Animal husbandry across a range of domestic and zoo animals.

The successful candidate

• Monthly rotas will be produced and candidates must be able to work at least 7 days per month.
• Candidates must be available to work at weekends, during Easter and summer holidays, and on bank holidays as required.
• You will have wide ranging experience of animal husbandry across a range of domestic and zoo animals.

Additional details

This role constitutes "regulated activity" as defined by the Protection of Freedom Act 2012. The successful candidate will therefore be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check with barred list information prior to starting employment. You must also have the right to work in the UK and will be required to provide evidence to support this. Online checks will be carried out during the recruitment process. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Reaseheath College is committed to achieving its public sector general equality duty, which is set out in the Equality Act 2010. The College has a clear mission and clear values, which incorporate equality, diversity and inclusion. The College staff recruitment and selection process, CPD processes, policies and practice are designed to ensure that when employment decisions are made, they are based solely on the skills and qualities required for the position and comply with all relevant employment legislation and best practice standards.

Disability Support

The College is a Disability Confident Employer and will support any reasonable adjustments you require to perform your best during the recruitment process. You can contact the HR team at [emailprotected] should you require any adjustments during either your application or during the assessment centre.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised close date if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

We do not accept applications or speculative CVs through recruitment agencies.