CAREERS AT CHESTER ZOO

Bookings & Admin Assistant

Job reference:001650

Salary:13,218.50 (inc April 2026 Pay Award)

Closing date:17/04/2026

Department:Conservation Education & Engagement

Location:Chester

Employment type:Permanent

Hours Per Week:20

Job Description

Bookings and Admin Assistant
This is a key role working as part of our professional Conservation Education and Engagement team. Taking responsibility for delivering a consistent booking service for our educational programmes with schools, colleges and universities and our junior programme bookings.

As a Bookings & Admin Assistant you will:
• Deliver a high-quality bookings service for our education programmes via email and phone.

• Review and maintain the information available to stakeholders about our education programmes, ensuring that information is accurate.

• Complete pre and post visit administration tasks, including sharing booking confirmations, contacting schools to confirm final visit information, issuing tickets and ensure required information is passed onto internal and external stakeholders.

• Provide support to the Education Admin Coordinator, carrying out delegated admin tasks to support the wider Conservation Education directorate.

The Package
• 20 hours per week, preferably spread out between 9:30am - 1:30pm Monday-Friday. (There is an element of flexibility within core activity hours between 10am and 3pm, so slightly earlier/later start times may be accommodate).

• Salary of £12,698.40 per annum (increasing to £13,218.50 from 1st April 2026) based on 20 hours per week.

• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme.

• Discounted gym membership.

• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks.

• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9%.

Our Requirements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, which will be necessary for email and telephone correspondence, demonstrated by experience of working within a customer-focused environment.

• Computer literate with extensive working knowledge of EPOS and IT systems, particularly Excel and Microsoft Office products.

• Previous experience working with Gateway Galaxy, or similar Visitor Attraction Booking Platform would be a bonus.

• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and able to work well under pressure in a busy environment.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively under own initiative and as part of a team.

• Experience working in a similar role/undertaking related tasks will be an advantage

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?
Well, where do we start? Here goes…
Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office – where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll next to rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?
We’re a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.
As the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close our vacancies earlier than the listed date if we have received a high level of applications. We recommend that if you do wish to be considered that you submit your application as promptly as possible as shortlisting and interviews may be taking place whilst the advert is live.