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 wildlife and wild places and ensuring we’re a voice to be heard.   

Mō te tūranga: About the role 
A permanent full-time position is available for an experienced Keeper in our Ectotherms and Birds Team; with an emphasis on the manu in our care. 

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

Along with the rest of Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo, the Animal Care team is dedicated to giving our animals a really good life. Animals are treated with dignity and respect, and we use the 5 domains model to continually assess animal welfare. 

He kōrero mōu: About you   

• A minimum of four 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  

• Salary $66,294 gross per annum
• Rotating roster (Monday to Sunday).  Hours: 7:30am to 5pm.  Repeating roster: does not exceed four days in a row. 
• Zoo 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: 5pm 27 Sunday October 2024 by being submitted through our careers site. 

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

Please note:   

• Applicants for this position should have or be able to attain NZ residency or a valid NZ work permit.   
• If successful you will be required to undergo a police background check and pre-employment drug and alcohol checks (which we will arrange).   
• You may be asked to complete a pre-interview screen via phone or Teams. 

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.   

If you have any questions about the role of the application process, please contact people&culture@wellingtonzoo.com