ZooTown Team Leader

Zoological Society of London; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading conservation charity is seeking an enthusiastic ZooTown Team Leader to launch an exciting new role-play adventure at London Zoo. You will lead a team, ensuring safety and exceptional visitor experiences for our youngest conservationists. This unique opportunity allows you to inspire children aged 3-8 while fostering a passion for wildlife and conservation.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Access to wellbeing initiatives

Complimentary zoo tickets

Enhanced family policies

Qualifications

• Experience in a supervisory or Team Leader role with children.
• Ability to engage families effectively.
• Flexibility to work during weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of Play Assistants for ZooTown.
• Conduct safety and operational checks.
• Ensure a positive visitor experience.

Skills

Communication

Team Leadership

Proactivity

Education

Experience working with children

Job description

Purpose of the role

Be part of something brand new at the iconic London Zoo!

Launching in autumn 2025, ZooTown is an exciting new role-play adventure for our youngest conservationists, aged 3–8. Children will step into the shoes of zookeepers, vets, scientists, posties, presenters, and more. Exploring the many roles that keep the zooniverse running and make our global conservation work possible.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and proactive ZooTown Team Leader to help bring this immersive experience to life. In this unique and rewarding role, you will lead a small team of Play Assistants and take ownership of the day-to-day running of ZooTown. Ensuring high standards of safety, presentation, and visitor engagement, while also delivering joyful, memorable moments for every child who walks through the door.

This is your chance to help launch one of London Zoo’s most exciting new experiences, where every day is an adventure, and where your leadership helps bring conservation and creativity to life.

Key responsibilities:

• Safety & Compliance: Conduct required safety and operational checks to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Team Leadership: Supervise and lead a team of approximately 3–4 staff members, providing guidance, support, and day-to-day direction.
• Visitor Experience: Monitor the ZooTown visitor experience and address any issues or concerns promptly and professionally to ensure a positive visit.
• Cross-Department Coordination: Work closely with other departments to ensure smooth operations and deliver excellent visitor service.
• Ticketing & Transactions: Ensure accuracy in admission transactions and assist with the setup of ticketed ZooTown events.
• Environment & Presentation: Maintain a clean, organised, and engaging space within ZooTown to create a welcoming environment for all visitors.

About You

• Warm, approachable, and confident. With a passion for engaging children and families.
• Proven experience working with children in a play-based or educational setting, ideally in a supervisory or Team Leader role.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to motivate and support colleagues.
• Proactive, enthusiastic, and committed to delivering exceptional visitor experiences.
• Flexibility to work weekends, school holidays, and during peak visitor periods as required.
• An enhanced DBS check is required as part of this role.

This role is subject to standard pre-employment checks, including the candidate's right to work in the UK.

We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage. We are committed to ensuring our teams can bring their authentic selves to work without fear of discrimination. ZSL has active equality networks for our staff with lived experience and those who provide active allyship in Race and Culture, Team Pride, Disability Network, and Menopause Network, complemented by our strategic EDI Steering Group.

About Us

About Us:

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.

What do we offer?

At ZSL, we are proud of our approach to employee benefits. Our benefits include:

• Our vision and purpose - you’ll work alongside colleagues who are passionate about science-led conservation, knowing that you will help us to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wildlife going extinct
• Pension scheme -we offer a generous pension scheme with up to 12% contributory pension
• Flexible working – talk to us about your flexible working requirements and we will do everything we can to make sure you work in a way that suits you
• Holidays – 25 days annual leave allowance, plus UK bank holidays
• Wellbeing – access to a blended programme of wellbeing initiatives, including confidential access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Life assurance – eligible employees will be enrolled in ZSL’s life assurance scheme from their first day
• Complimentary tickets – annual allocation of Whipsnade Zoo and London Zoo tickets, with a 30% discount in online and retail shops
• Family friendly policies – we offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages

NB: We reserve the right to close our advertisement early or extend the advertising date until a suitable candidate has been found.

It’s important to personalise your application to highlight your unique skills, experience, and knowledge. Over-reliance on AI-generated content may miss key criteria outlined in the job description and reduce the effectiveness of your application.