Job opportunities

BIAZA Bear Focus Group Member

Bear Focus Group Member 

Context: This is a voluntary post for which you must have institutional support and your collection must be a BIAZA member. The post is within the Bear Focus Group (BFG) which is part of the British & Irish Association of Zoos & Aquariums (BIAZA) Species Advisory Committee (SAC). As a BFG member you will report to the BFG Chair, the Carnivore Subgroup Chair and the Mammal Working Group Chair.

Role Summary: The purpose of this role is to support BFG in driving forward development and awareness of best practice in bear husbandry, research, conservation and education and engagement opportunities. This role will provide expertise of any bear species but a focus on sun bears would be an advantage.

Responsibilities:
• To support the BFG Chair in producing ideas and plans for the future direction & development of the BFG.
• To aim to attend and contribute to BFG meetings wherever possible (3-4 meetings per year, usually online).
• To aim to attend an annual BFG 2-day conference in person wherever possible, assisting in its organization and actively participating in agenda development, workshops, presentation delivery etc.
• To keep up to date with developments in good practice in respect of bear care and conservation and share news and updates with the group where relevant, with a particular focus on polar bears.
• To contribute to BFG activities and discussions, including data collection and compilation, identifying and initiating research, sharing information, producing care sheets and other husbandry documents.
• To be a point of contact for the BIAZA Office and take an active role in answering enquiries about bear care and welfare whenever necessary.
• To be a good ambassador for BIAZA and the BFG.
• To assist in the aims of the broader BIAZA strategy and the Species Advisory committee