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Full Time, Permanent Position Plus, Onsite Accommodation

Howletts Wild Animal Park are excited to recruit for a brand-new senior role: General Curator.

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

Working closely with the Animal Collections Manager, Veterinary Department, Animal Records team, and Section Heads, the General Curator supports the smooth operation of all animal sections. The role oversees animal record keeping, breeding programmes, collection planning, and animal movements, while working collaboratively with section heads during animal capture, transport, and veterinary interventions. You will participate in emergency procedures and help ensure preventative healthcare, hygiene, and welfare standards are consistently maintained. Acting as deputy to the Animal Collections Manager, the role provides 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.

Who we are looking for:

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 sound operational decisions, and overseeing animal welfare and collection management across a range of species, including large mammals. Experience working with elephants would be advantageous. A valid UK driving licence (manual) is essential.

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. Previous experience in a similar curator or senior animal management role and acting in a senior deputy capacity 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.

Contract details:

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 Howletts Wild Animal Park and reports directly to the Animal Collections Manager. Travel to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve may be required on occasion.

The location:

Howletts Wild Animal Park is located near Canterbury and set within 90 acres of land to explore. Howletts is home to over 300 rare and endangered species, including Kents only giant anteaters, the largest herd of African elephants in the UK, and more gorillas, leopards and monkeys than any zoo in the county! 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 collaboration with our partners at The Aspinall Foundation.

Why you should join us:

We’re on a mission to create memorable experiences that matter, and our Core Values ‘One Team’, Customer’ and ‘Pride’ are what drive us each day to become part of something extraordinary. As well as walking to work surrounded by the calls of Howler monkeys and the roars from our pride of Lions, you will join a supportive team who are passionate about their place of work.

Be part of the Port Lympne and Howletts family and join our pride.

You can also expect a host of other ‘ roarsome’ benefits including:

28 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays, rising with length of service.(Pro-rata to start date and working hours)
Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including workshops and e-learning.
Enhanced Sickness, Maternity and Paternity Policies.
Unlimited free entry for you and a person of your choice into both of our parks as well as friends and family tickets.
Exceptional discounts on food, retail and accommodation at our parks.
Numerous retail discounts and access to a 24-hour counselling line through our Healthy Extras Scheme.
Company Pension
And many more length or service-related rewards and Benefits.

A full job description is available on request.

Your adventure awaits

Closing Date: 13 th March 2026

Please note, this role may close early if we receive a high volume of applications.

To Apply: Please email your full C.V. and covering letter to – recruitment@howlettsandportlympne.com

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THE HOWLETTS WILD ANIMAL TRUST

2 roles available