Job opportunities

Wildlife Veterinary Pathologist

Purpose of the role

The purpose of this role is to support the delivery of pathology by the Wildlife Health Services (WHS) team across ZSL but primarily for the Disease Risk Analysis team. Reporting directly to the Senior Wildlife Veterinary Pathologist (SWVP), the successful candidate will use anatomical pathology techniques to contribute to the health and welfare of animals within ZSL’s captive collections (London and Whipsnade Zoos) and free-living wildlife through national and international conservation programmes. This will be both practical, through gross and microscopic postmortem examinations (PMEs) and a small number of biopsies, and by contributing technical expertise to the production of high-quality reports, databases, disease risk analyses, grant applications, conservation projects and more. The role will also represent ZSL as a centre of excellence in the veterinary care of zoo and wild animals, including authoring high-quality peer reviewed publications and undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

Key responsibilities:  

• Deliver high-standard veterinary anatomic pathology (gross postmortem, histopathology and disease surveillance) at ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, and free-living wildlife across many ZSL programmes.
• Conduct gross and histological examinations on native wildlife for the purposes of disease surveillance.
• Lead, contribute to, and publish clinical research in peer-reviewed journals and other academic platforms to enhance ZSL’s profile.
• Assist with teaching and mentoring students (tracking, MSc, ECZM ZHM residents, etc.) through ZSL, the RVC, and partner institutions to build global wildlife health expertise.
• Produce timely pathological reports to enable informed decision-making and continuous care improvement.
• Oversee and help maintain postmortem facilities, archiving of samples, and maintenance of accurate and up to date databases of samples and results.

About You

• Membership in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
• Certification in veterinary anatomic pathology such as Diplomate status of the European or American Colleges of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP or ACVP), Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath), or equivalent qualifications.
• Confidence in working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to write scientific documents comprehensible to a wide range of stakeholders.
• This role requires regular work at both ZSL zoo sites (London and Whipsnade), as such a full UK driving license is essential for this role.
• Strong commitment to creating a culture that lives ZSL values and commitment to safeguarding, equality and diversity.

This role is subject to standard pre-employment checks, including the candidate's right to work in the UK.

 

We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage. We are committed to ensuring our teams can bring their authentic selves to work without fear of discrimination. ZSL has active equality networks for our staff with lived experience and those who provide active allyship in Race and Culture, Team Pride, Disability Network, and Menopause Network, complemented by our strategic EDI Steering Group.  

About Us

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.  

What do we offer?  

At ZSL, we are proud of our approach to employee benefits. Our benefits include:  

• Our vision and purpose - you’ll work alongside colleagues who are passionate about science-led conservation, knowing that you will help us to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wildlife going extinct  
• Pension scheme - we offer a generous pension scheme with up to 12% contributory pension
• Flexible working – talk to us about your flexible working requirements and we will do everything we can to make sure you work in a way that suits you  
• Holidays – 25 days annual leave allowance, plus UK bank holidays  
• Wellbeing – access to a blended programme of wellbeing initiatives, including confidential access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme  
• Life assurance – eligible employees will be enrolled in ZSL’s life assurance scheme from their first day 
• Complimentary tickets – annual allocation of Whipsnade Zoo and London Zoo tickets, with a 30% discount in online and retail shops  
• Family friendly policies – we offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages  

NB: We reserve the right to close our advertisement early or extend the advertising date until a suitable candidate has been found.

 

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