Schools Engagement Assistant

Chester Zoo; Chester; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £23,132.38

Annual leave 33 days

Pension scheme

Healthcare plan

Staff pass

Cycle to work

Job summary

Chester Zoo is seeking a Schools Engagement Assistant to join the Conservation Education and Engagement Directorate. You will work with the Networks for Nature project team to deliver engaging, curriculum-linked activities in partner schools and support children and families to connect with UK wildlife.

The role focuses on building school links, delivering workshops, and helping evaluate project impact while ensuring safeguarding and GDPR compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering nature-based educational activities to groups.
• Working knowledge of conservation and UK native species.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and digital education tools.
• Strong organisational and planning abilities.
• Experience working with schools or education partners.

Responsibilities

• Deliver engagement activities in partner schools and support families to participate in wildlife education.
• Maintain contact with schools to support ongoing participation in projects.
• Collaborate with the Schools Engagement Officer to adapt programmes to partner needs.
• Support evaluation by collecting data from project participants.
• Ensure opportunities are risk assessed and aligned with safeguarding/GDPR policies.
• Contribute to research to maximise conservation impact and learning outcomes.

Skills

Educational activities delivery

Conservation knowledge

Excellent communication

IT skills with MS Office

Time management

Team collaboration

Education

Relevant degree

Job description

Schools Engagement Assistant

35 hours per week, temporary contract until October 2027

We are Chester Zoo

We’re not just an amazing, award-winning visitor attraction that’s home to 32,000 incredible animals inside 128 acres of stunning gardens. We’re not just the UK’s most popular zoo. We’re a major wildlife charity that’s committed to the recovery of endangered species, globally. And, as the world faces an extinction crisis, we’re making a hugely significant contribution to conservation at a time when it’s needed most. We are Chester Zoo and we prevent extinction.

The Role

We now have an exciting new role for a Schools Engagement Assistant within our Conservation Education and Engagement Directorate. This role is part of the Networks for Nature project team.

Networks for Nature spans c60 square miles from the River Dee to the River Mersey, including Chester and Ellesmere Port. This is a collaborative partnership project working with Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Land Trust, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Canal and River Trust, and Sustrans with the aim to drive nature recovery in a mixed-use landscape, creating diverse habitats for species to thrive now and for years to come. We will empower communities to have an active role in conservation action and stewardship and will focus on making nature more accessible to and inclusive for everyone to enable connection and improve wellbeing. To find out more about Networks for Nature visit Networks For Nature | Conservation at Chester Zoo.

As the Schools Engagement Assistant you will work alongside our Schools Engagement Officer to deliver engagement activities in partner schools, supporting children and families to participate in UK wildlife and conservation focused education activities, supporting their wellbeing, attainment and inspiring them to live more sustainably for nature.

The Schools Engagement Assistant will support and maintain existing relationships with schools, project partners and work cross departmentally at the Zoo, in collaboration with others on the Networks for Nature project team and wider Schools engagement team.

We’re looking for someone who can:

• Deliver a range of outcomes focused workshops, programming and events that support our NFN Schools engagement priorities, including family wildlife clubs, curriculum linked projects, school grounds improvements, teacher training and events.
• Maintain contact with schools to support their continued participation in our projects and commitment to creating habitats for UK Wildlife.
• Work with the Schools Engagement Officer to deliver project work with schools and ensure that our school programme adapts to meet the changing needs of partner schools.
• Support the Networks for Nature Project Manager and Senior Conservation Education Manager to deliver an evaluation programme for the Networks for Nature and Greener Futures project, including collection and collation of data from project participants.
• With support from the Schools Engagement officer, ensure that all opportunities and activities are risk assessed, developed in line with internal safeguarding policies and procedures, best practice guidance for working with children and young people and other legislation, including GDPR and copyright.
• Work with colleagues to maximise conservation impact, achieve learning goals and improve participant experience by contributing to research about our programmes.

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

Well, where do we start?

We’re a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.

As the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office - where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?

The Package

• Fixed Term contract until October 2027
• 35 hours per week
• The postholder will work 5 days per week, with the flexibility to work evening and weekend to meet the needs of the project. This may enable some homeworking fitting around community delivery.
• Salary £23,132.38
• 33 days annual leave plus the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (pro rota)
• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family
• Cycle to work scheme
• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions

Our Requirements

• An understanding & affinity to the organisation’s mission, vision & values, with an interest in the conservation of UK nature.
• Experience delivering nature based educational activities to groups of different ages.
• Subject knowledge: The post holder requires a working knowledge of conservation and the key issues threatening the natural world today, particularly with a focus on UK native species. This is likely to be demonstrated by a relevant degree and/or extensive experience within a conservation organisation or similar environment, ideally in a UK setting.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, demonstrated through a wide range of experience presenting to different audiences, teaching and delivering learning in different formats (workshops, presentations, talks, tours etc.).
• IT skills: Skilled in the use of all key Microsoft packages and use of digital technologies in education, using apps and devices as part of engaging sessions.
• Organisational skills: Excellent time management, administration and planning skills. Experience of working collaboratively within schools would be desirable.
• Interpersonal skills: Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to work effectively under direction and as part of a team, to work under pressure with positive attitude and also to enthuse and engage others.

Although not essential, the following would be desirable:

• Familiarity with pathways to nature connection and the ways to well-being, and how they can be used in and out of the classroom would be desirable.
• Knowledge of the national curriculum and current education sector priorities, which may be gained through teaching in a school or college or through working to those requirements in an informal setting would be desirable.

Due to the nature of the organisation and the role, this post is subject to a DBS check.

The closing date for applications is midnight 22 November 2026
Estimated date for interviews w/c 30th November 2026

Networks for Nature is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.