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Field Programmes - Ecology & Conservation Voluntary Work Placement

Field Programmes – Ecology & Conservation Placement – Full-time 12 month voluntary industrial placement commencing September 2024

Are you excited by the prospect of gaining invaluable work experience with one of Europe’s leading Zoological collections?  

This one year Voluntary Work Placement provides experience within our Field Programme Department at Chester Zoo, which facilitates, coordinates and develops field conservation projects, including significant UK native species based fieldwork within the Zoo Estate.

What you’ll be doing… 

The placement will work alongside the wider Field Programme Team, but predominantly with the team who deliver our UK field projects and ecology activities. The Ecology & Conservation placement will include: 

•    Opportunity to focus on at least one specific projects in relation to the current work in our conservation field programmers, often aligned with the data collected through our UK species surveys and recording within the Zoo, Nature Reserve and surrounding land.
•    Assist with bat surveys, great crested newt and other surveys on the Zoo Estate
•    Assist with the day-to-day coordination of field project activities
•    Learn how to report project outcomes, write summary articles and documents for a range of stakeholders, potentially including the opportunity to be part of peer-reviewed publications
•  Involvement in partnership activities, including collaboration with Record – The Local Environmental Record Centre for the Cheshire Region.

The Work Placement 

•    Voluntary Work Placement for 12 months commencing in September 2024
•    Full Training with the Conservation & Science Teams
•    Full uniform provided, along with lunch vouchers for the days you attend 
•    Monthly stipends of up to £120 per month may be payable based on appropriate expenses
•    Full Time Hours - 40 hours per week

Our Requirements 

•  A passion for in situ biodiversity conservation and its connection to ex situ work, demonstrated through previous work experience and related study
•    Experience and interest in UK species conservation
•    Highly organised, proactive in your approach to work and able to work independently as well as in a team, in the field and in the office.
•    Ability to write and deliver both written and oral presentations in a clear, concise and engaging manner 
•    A desire to learn how science can be used to help support and inform best practice in field conservation projects 
•    Experience of using Microsoft Office software such as Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, and ideally statistical and GIS software. 

This opportunity is only available to those studying at a UK university on a degree programme with an industrial year. 

All industrial placements are full-time voluntary positions for 12 months, commencing September 2024. Although no direct animal contact takes place in this role, you will attend monthly workshops to gain wider knowledge of modern zoo management. 

This role is based entirely at Chester Zoo with no overseas travel.

We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse organisation and encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Interviews are anticipated to take place in January 2024