CAREERS AT CHESTER ZOO

Visitor Operations Assistant

Job reference:001668

Salary:£12.71 per hour

Closing date:17/04/2026

Department:Visitor Operations

Location:Chester

Employment type:Temporary

Hours Per Week:8

Job Description

Visitor Operations Assistant
We're on a mission to deliver the ultimate guest experience and need your help to keep our site and visitor facilities looking their best. As a team player, you'll take pride in ensuring every day is a success. If you love working outdoors, then join our passionate team today!

As a Visitor Operations Assistant your role unfolds across the whole zoo where no two days are the same. You will regularly walk 10,000 steps each day and the role will be physically demanding.
From clearing litter and keeping our facilities sparkling, directing traffic in our busy carparks where you'll be the first point of contact for our visitors, and ensuring everything from our seating areas to signage are always presentable. You will also be tasked with operating our activities, such as the Lazy River Boat Ride, Virtual Reality, Off-Road Adventure and Fairground. You'll play a vital role in helping to make the zoo a world class visitor experience.

The Package:
• Temporary contract starting 10 May – 6 September 2026.
• Rate of pay £12.71 per hour
• Working on a rota basis with a minimum of 8 hours per week up to a maximum of 40 hours per week. Hours will vary and can be significantly more during busy periods. This includes weekends, bank holidays and evenings.
• Annual leave which accrues based on hours of work.
• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus complimentary tickets for your friends and family.
• Free bus travel available on the X1 from Chester and Ellesmere Port train stations

Our Requirements:
• Be an ambassador for Chester Zoo delivering excellent customer service and be a strong communicator
• Be confident, approachable and flexible with a “can do” attitude
• Be able to work outdoors in all weathers
• Be used to physical activity as the role requires a lot of manual handling

Flexibility in this role is key, so the successful candidates must be able to work up to 5 days out of 7 every week. This may include early mornings from 7am and evenings until 10pm, weekends, mid-week and bank holidays as rostered.Interviews will be held on 24 & 26 April 2026. You would need to be able to attend your induction on 10 May 2026, we cannot accommodate alternative start dates for this induction.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.

More About Us
We’re not just an amazing, award-winning visitor attraction that’s home to 37,000 incredible animals inside 128 acres of stunning gardens. We’re not just the UK’s most popular zoo. We’re a major wildlife charity that’s committed to the recovery of endangered species, globally. And, as the world faces an extinction crisis, we’re making a hugely significant contribution to conservation at a time when it’s needed most. We are Chester Zoo and we prevent extinction.