Animal Keeper Apprentice

Job Description

Job Alerts Link

Apply now

Job Title: Animal Keeper Apprentice

Posting Start Date: 10/11/2025

Please complete the attached supporting statement explaining why you are a good fit for the role. If you have a CV which details relevant previous experience you may attach this in addition to the supporting statement. If you do not have a CV, please add any relevant experience under your supporting statement.

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required have also been included. Workplace role categories describe our approach to workplace attendance

Salary: £27,550 pa

Contractual Hours: 35 per week

Basis: Full Time, Fixed term contract (27 months)

Workplace category: Workplace based

Attachments: Job Information Pack

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About Us

Golders Hill Park Zoo is a small zoo based in Northwest London, managed by the City of London Corporation, and forms part of Hampstead Heath. We are home to a mix of species including Scottish Wildcats, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Red necked Wallabies, Eurasian Eagle owl, Donkeys and Deer. The Zoo team are also responsible for the management of the Children's Farm in Queen's Park, which is home to domestic stock including Ouessant Sheep, pygmy goats, waterfowl and poultry.

The City of London Corporation manages 11,000 acres (approximately 4,500 hectares) of land in and around London that is enjoyed by over 16 million visitors annually. Whilst there are small pockets of land within the Square Mile, the majority can be found elsewhere in London and the surrounding counties. The City Corporation acts as Trustee of 10 charities which, through their various objects, are responsible for the preservation in perpetuity of a large proportion of these award-winning open spaces.

The role

The role of the apprentice animal keeper is to assist the team to ensure high levels of animal welfare and husbandry are maintained at all times across Golders Hill Park Zoo & Queen's Park Farm and to help make sure both facilities are safe and welcoming places to visit.

Working as part of the team & with volunteers and work experience students the successful candidate will complete all aspects of daily animal husbandry including food prep and feeding, enrichment provision, training, cleaning and maintenance of enclosures for a range of exotic and domestic taxa.

The ideal Candidate

The successful applicant will be a dedicated, reliable, motivated and hard-working individual who has a passion for animal welfare & conservation and is driven to learn.

Please note:

• This is a physically demanding position with a lot of time spent working outside with direct exposure to the weather.

• 35-hour week, Monday-Sunday working on a roster.

• This position is part of the City of London Apprenticeship scheme and as such applicants should be 16+, should have no paid work experience within this sector and hold no qualifications of the same or higher level in an animal management subject.

This apprenticeship role is based at Golders Hill Park & Queen's Park and will last for 27 months (including time to complete your End Point Assessment).

If you are enthusiastic and committed to achieving your Level 3 Keeper and Aquarist qualification and are eligible to apply, we would love to hear from you.

To qualify for this apprenticeship, you will need to be:

• 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays

• Living in England

• Not in full-time education at the time of applying

If you are a non-UK citizen – you need to have permission from the UK government to live in the UK (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.

Selected apprenticeships require evidence of English and Maths GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent.

If we request specific qualification evidence it will be required before applications are considered, please send copies of your certificates and application reference number to .

Prior learning: If you have prior learning e.g., a similar or higher level of qualification like the apprenticeship we will be unable to consider your application as your prior learning will not meet the funding rule criteria. If you have prior experience in a similar role to the apprenticeship your experience may also exclude you from an apprenticeship.

If you have any questions on this, please contact

Selection for the apprenticeship is on the basis of suitability and commitment to the apprenticeship not qualification.

Please see the Job Information Pack for further information.

Please ensure you answer the questions included in the pack in the Supporting Information section on the application form.

Closing date: 12 noon on 8 December 2025

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To apply online, please click the Apply online button below.

Alternatively, please contact hr answerphone) quoting reference number OENV967 if you experience any problems. A minicom service for the hearing impaired is available on

Please note that this apprenticeship is not available to current City of London employees.

As part of the selection process the successful applicant will be required to undertake a prior learning check, all prior qualifications will be verified through the education system to ensure no prior learning has taken place that will impact the apprentice criteria before a successful candidate is formally offered the apprenticeship.

The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Apply now