Mō mātou: About us
At Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo we are guided by our kaupapa “Me tiaki, kia ora!” – we must look after our environment so all life will flourish.  We punch above our weight in leading the way through connecting people with animals, saving animals in the wild and ensuring we’re a voice to be heard.  

Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo wants a diverse workforce that reflects Aotearoa New Zealand. We have our Rainbow Tick certification, and are committed to accepting, valuing, and embracing the diversity of all people.  

Mō te tūranga: About the role
We have a permanent full-time position available for an experienced Keeper.  The successful applicant will find themselves working in the Ectotherms and Birds team; Mammals team (a mixed Carnivores and Ungulates team) or the Primates team; or across all three teams.

Our Keepers have responsibilities for daily husbandry, welfare, and care of a variety of species.  This includes habitat maintenance and management, specialised diet preparations, enrichment programmes, and animal training.  And, observing animal behaviour and lots of thorough record keeping. We use the Five Domains Model to continually assess animal welfare.  

There’s also good amount of interaction and engagement with Zoo visitors and other staff too.  

He kōrero mōu: About you 

• A minimum of five years’ professional experience in the best-practice husbandry of a range of zoo taxa.  
• Relevant bachelor’s degree and/or Certificate in Zoo Animal Management and/or relevant equivalent experience.  
• Proven ability to carry out and supervise daily keeping duties to a high standard ensuring all husbandry and welfare needs are met.  
• Experience in operational training/conditioning and behavioural enrichment.  
• Effective communication skills and able to perform close encounters and keeper talks.  
• Experience providing supervision, guidance, and support to junior members of the team and the ability to effectively train colleagues in specialist skills  
• Strong organisational skills, aptitude for creative problem-solving and ‘can-do’ attitude.  
• Commitment to and understanding of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums strategies for Animal Welfare and Conservation.  
• Prior ZIMS record keeping experience would be useful.  
• A good level of fitness due to the nature and requirements of the role (and our terrain – we are on a hill).  
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a broad range of people  

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer 

• Inclusive and supportive colleagues and managers.  
• Rotating roster (Monday to Sunday). Repeating roster does not exceed four working days in a row.  
• Uniform provided including boots. 
• Five days Conservation Volunteering Leave per year of employment to work on a conservation project. 
• Sick leave entitlement of 15 days from the start of employment. 
• An extra accrued week of annual leave after 5 years continuous service. 
• Zoo product discounts.  
• Annual flu vaccinations.  
• Free parking. 

Applications close: NZT 5:00pm Sunday 25 May 2025 submitted through our career website.

Please contact people&culture@wellingtonzoo.com if you have any questions and someone will contact you.  

Please note:   

• Applicants for this position should already have NZ residency or a valid NZ work permit. 
• If successful you will be required to undergo a police background check, a police vetting check, and a pre-employment drug and alcohol test (all of which we will arrange). 

If you have support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process. 

Tūhono mai! Come join us!