Deputy Team Leader - Mixed taxa section, tigers

Deputy Team Leader – Mixed taxa section, including tigers

Apply for the Deputy Team Leader – Mixed taxa section, including tigers role at Colchester Zoological Society (CZS).

Location:

Colchester, East Anglia. Closing date for applications: 13th February 2026.

Contact:
Liz Butcher, Living Collections Manager – vacancies. Salary: £32,032. Position type:
Full‑time, paid contract.

CZS houses over 150 species and supports conservation projects worldwide. With more than 1 million visitors annually, our staff are dedicated to creating memorable experiences for guests.

The Deputy Team Leader will work within the Animal Department in the tiger section – a mixed‑taxa area that includes Amur tigers, grey wolves, bush dogs, Barbary macaques, gelada baboons, Philippine spotted deer, smooth‑coated otters, Chilean flamingos, African vulture species and various reptiles and fish.

• Oversee husbandry duties and maintain high welfare standards for all species.
• Develop and implement strategies for animal husbandry, breeding management, and enclosure design.
• Supervise junior staff, student keepers, and work‑experience participants, ensuring safe working protocols and proper risk assessment.
• Manage the section in the absence of the Team Leader.

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in a zoological collection.
• Diploma in the Management of Zoo Animals and Aquaria or equivalent qualification.
• Full, valid driving licence.
• Excellent customer service, communication, and animal husbandry skills.
• Proven experience supervising staff and managing risk in a zoo environment.

Please send your CV, the application form (PDF link: ) and a covering letter addressed to Mrs Liz Butcher, Living Collections Manager, by email to vacancies.