Bird Keeper

**Bird Keeper & Retail Assistant for Pet Store & Rescue Centre - Bird / Parrot Specialist - October 2023**
- **Who are we?**_

Garden Feathers is the largest independent bird-specialist retail store in the UK, open to the public 7 days a week. Based in Boldon Colliery, we cater to pet owners, hobbyists, professional breeders and zoological collections. We are proud to hold a 5* Animal Activities License and there are a wide range of birds in store, from tiny finches to large parrots. Together with feed, health products and accessories, it truly is a one-stop shop for bird keepers. Customers further afield benefit from our mail order service, placing orders online or over the phone.

Our charity, Feathers Together, also operates from the premises. We rescue, rehabilitate and rehome parrots and other pet exotic birds.
- **The role**_

An additional bird keeper / retail sales assistant is required to join the existing team. Your role will be in two parts: feeding and cleaning the birds and assisting in the retail store, serving customers in person, on the phone and dealing with internet mail order sales.

The birds require daily feeding, care, cleaning and interaction. This will be a key part of your role, allowing you to gain hands-on experience with a variety of birds. We also breed a number of birds of varying species each year, providing the opportunity to be involved in incubation, hand rearing and training young birds.

Stock is delivered to the shop on a daily basis from local and international suppliers. Stock is loaded to the shop floor and also to the attached warehouse which runs the mail order service. Orders are picked and packed in-house, and this will also form part of the job. This is a physical role which will require unpacking, moving and stacking bulk feeds of up to 25kg.

Training will be provided in all areas of the role, including product training on the many specialist ranges that we offer to bird keepers. You will have the opportunity to further your own knowledge in this area by speaking with customers about their birds and reading the relevant trade magazines that we make available in store.

The store and rescue is a fast-paced environment and flexibility is a must - moving from task to task in the store front, the warehouse and the mail order operation.
- **Who do we need?**_

You will be:

- friendly, helpful, trustworthy and reliable
- self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative
- good at communication (verbal and written) with plenty of patience
- able to work in a team
- willing to undertake further training and gain relevant qualifications
- flexible on days and shifts worked
- a confident multi-tasker

You will have:

- a minimum of 5 GCSEs at C or above, including English and Maths **(required)**:

- an animal related qualification at any level **(required)**:

- full clean driving license **(desirable)**

You will have experience:

- working in a customer facing/retail environment **(required)**:

- looking after pets / animals (including own pets) **(required)**:

- keeping or working with birds of any kind **(required)**
- **Working for us**_

As an employee of Garden Feathers you will receive
- comprehensive private health insurance covering medical, dental, optical and wellness*
- free legal and financial advice through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)*
- the opportunity to earn free cinema tickets, coffees and discount vouchers based on physical activity levels*
- staff discount on all stock lines in store
- free holiday boarding for your pet birds
- 28 days holiday
- company pension scheme
- National Minimum Wage with opportunities for progression
- the opportunity to volunteer and become involved with our charity - Feathers Together
- Following completion of a satisfactory probationary period of 3 months.

The role will be full time, 36-37.5 hours a week, working 5 days out of 7, including weekends and bank holidays. Exact shift patterns will be confirmed, and where possible we aim to keep the same shift pattern each week, with four days worked during the week and one day worked at the weekend.
- Provisional start date of 30th September 2024_

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £8.60-£11.44 per hour

Expected hours: 36 - 37.5 per week

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Private dental insurance
- Private medical insurance

Application question(s):

- Please tell us about any experience of keeping or working with birds.

**Education**:

- A-Level or equivalent (required)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 22/09/2024
Reference ID: SEP24
Expected start date: 30/09/2024