Project Manager

BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums); Wales; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading conservation charity is seeking a Project Manager at the Welsh Mountain Zoo. The candidate will oversee significant estate upgrades and manage multi-million-pound projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and stakeholder engagement. This role combines a passion for animal welfare with strong project management skills, offering a unique opportunity to impact conservation efforts directly.

Benefits

Free family admission to the zoo

Free staff parking

Employee Assistance Wellbeing Programme

Discounts in the restaurant and gift shop

Holiday scheme up to 33 days

Company sick pay

Pension scheme (after qualifying service)

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Project Manager in non-profit or conservation.
• Experience in large-scale capital investment projects.
• Ability to manage multiple teams and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate estate development projects ensuring alignment with conservation principles.
• Prepare project briefs and manage budgets.
• Provide regular updates to the CEO and Board of Trustees.

Skills

Communication

Budgeting

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Negotiation

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Welsh Mountain Zoo - National Zoological Society of Wales

Welsh Mountain Zoo - National Zoological Society of Wales

Wales Closing date for applications is: 26th Jun 2025

Are you a hands onProject Manager, with a passion for animals, and a heart for conservation? Want your work to be enjoyed not just by humans, but by lemurs, chimpanzees, and tigers too?

We have an exciting opportunity for aProject Managerto join us at the Welsh Mountain Zoo - where sweeping landscapes, rare species, and conservation-led values all come together as part ofOur Mission - To Bring Conservation to Life.

About the Role

As a well-established charity with a strong legacy in conservation and education, we are entering into an exciting period of growth, guided by a bold new strategic plan which will see us upgrade and significantly expand our zoo estate.

Our Project Manager will need to be an experienced, commercially minded and results driven professional who will deliver the first phase our zoo upgrade and expansion plans on time, within budget, and aligned with Our Mission

What You'll Do

• Coordinate the planning and preparation of our forthcoming estate development projects (ensuring they align with our animal welfare, conservation, and environment principles)
• Prepare and manage pre-construction project briefs, scope, schedule/programme, resource requirements, risks, and opportunities ready to move into remodelling and construction phases
• Collaborate with our external architects, surveyors, and public relations contacts to act as the zoo’s principal contact for all building design activities, site surveys, submission of local authority planning applications, and stakeholder consultation activities
• Work with our internal Partnership and Fundraising Manager and external Financiers to develop fully costed business cases which secure project grants, loans, and capital funding
• Collaborate with our Senior Team, Trustees and Accountants to prepare, manage and monitor project budgets
• Deliver timely, accurate, and appropriate internal and external communications
• Prepare and complete tendering exercises to source contractors and suppliers for major building works, ready for a smooth transition into the site remodelling and construction phases
• Provide regular project updates to our CEO and Board of Trustees

What You'll Bring

• Proven experience as a Project Manager ideally in a non-profit or conservation setting
• Proven experience in preparing for the delivery of large-scale, multi-million pound capital investment construction projects
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and communication exercises
• A strong background in preparing business cases for grants, loans, and capital funding applications
• Experience of organising and managing procurement exercises to appoint major work construction firms and material suppliers
• Experience in preparing pre-construction project briefs, scope, schedules/programme, resource requirements, risk management
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Excellent budgeting, financial forecasting, and cost management skills
• Skilled in preparing project management briefs, scopes, schedules, and resource requirements
• Able to work independently while coordinating multiple teams and partners
• Proficient in Microsoft Office packages (Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook)
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Able to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
• Knowledgeable in Local Authority planning legislation and policies
• An understanding of construction building development process

Perks and Benefits

As well as working with our wonderful animals and amazing team in one of the most beautiful visitor attractions in North Wales, we also provide access to:

• free family admission to our zoo
• free staff parking
• our Employee Assistance Wellbeing Programme
• discounts in our restaurant, gift shop, and sweet shop
• holiday scheme which increases with service up to 33 days*
• company sick pay*
• our pension scheme* *After qualifying service

If you are passionate about wildlife and conservation and have the skills to lead impactful projects, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity at the Welsh Mountain Zoo!

Apply for this job:

How To Apply

If you are passionate about wildlife and conservation and have the skills to lead impactful projects, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity at the Welsh Mountain Zoo!

BIAZA's office hours are 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Contact outside of those times will get a response when we are next in the office.

If your enquiry is urgent and you need a response before the BIAZA office reopens, please call Jo Judge on 07593 580602. If you wish to reach one of our members, please contact them directly.

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales number 6789783.Registered Office Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY. Registered Charity Number is 1128168 and SC040783 (Scotland)