General Curator

Zoo

South East Closing date for applications is: 20th Feb 2026

Contact:
Laura Jenkins (recruitm)
Sector:
Management
Type:
Paid
Contract type:
Full-time
Salary:
Up to £38,500 Per Annum DOE, Plus Desirable Benefits

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve are excited to recruit for a brand-new senior role:
General Curator.

This key leadership position within the Animal Department is responsible for the strategic and day-to-day management of the animal collection, ensuring the highest standards of welfare, husbandry, and compliance, while supporting the organisation’s conservation objectives.

Working closely with the Animal Collections Manager, Veterinary Department, Animal Records team, and Section Heads, the General Curator oversees animal movements, quarantine procedures, record keeping, breeding programmes, and surplus placements. The role also directs animal capture, transport, and veterinary interventions, supports preventative healthcare, and leads emergency responses. Acting as deputy to the Animal Collections Manager, the role ensures leadership continuity across teams.

As a senior people leader, the General Curator develops and manages Section Heads and animal teams, fostering a professional, welfare-focused culture. Responsibilities include recruitment, training, mentoring, performance management, rota planning, and supporting staff wellbeing, while leading organisational change. The role contributes to the planning, design, and delivery of new enclosures and refurbishments, managing projects from proposal to completion. It also supports visitor experience and education through talks, tours, VIP experiences, and external representation.

Financial and administrative duties include budget support, strategic planning, correspondence, and acting as Person Responsible when required.

We are seeking a highly experienced and motivated senior animal professional with at least five years in a leadership role within a zoological or wildlife collection, such as deputy curator, head of section, or equivalent. You will have a strong track record of managing and developing teams, making strategic decisions, and overseeing animal welfare and collection management across a range of species, including large mammals.

It is essential to have a valid UK driving licence (manual).

You will also have experience managing departmental or operational budgets, working within financial constraints, and broad management experience including logistics, problem‑solving, team development, and delivering initiatives. Experience acting in a senior deputy capacity, such as deputising for an Animal Collections Manager or equivalent, is essential.

You will hold a degree or equivalent experience in a zoological, conservation, or animal‑related discipline, with excellent knowledge of global conservation issues, welfare standards, and regulatory requirements. The successful candidate will be adaptable, collaborative, and passionate about wildlife conservation, visitor engagement, and education, leading with professionalism and integrity.

The position is full time, working 40 hours per week, worked five days out of seven and will include weekends and bank holidays. Hours of work will be 8.00am to 5:00pm with a 60‑minute unpaid lunch break. A flexible approach to working hours is essential in any animal job. All applicants must have the right to work in the UK. This position is based at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve and reports directly to the Animal Collections Manager.

Travel to Howletts Wild Animal Park may be required on occasion.

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is a world‑renowned wild animal park set within 600 acres of Kentish savannah. The Reserve is home to some of the world’s most rare and endangered animals and offers luxury short breaks accommodation, free roaming animal safaris, once‑in‑a‑lifetime animal encounters and exquisite dining experiences. Most importantly, every one of our employees is part of real conservation in action and their efforts have contributed to animals such as black rhino and western lowland gorillas being returned to their natural habitats in…