Grounds Site Presentation Operative (6 months FTC)

ZSL is hiring a Grounds Site Presentation Operative for a 6-month fixed-term contract in London. The role involves maintaining clean and inviting spaces at the zoo, supporting sustainability efforts, and ensuring a positive visitor experience. Responsibilities include waste management, deep cleaning, and litter picking. Candidates should have strong teamwork skills, be flexible with shift patterns, and be comfortable working outdoors. The position requires adherence to health and safety policies.
Purpose of the role

ZSL welcomes visitors from around the world to a historic and vibrant zoo, home to incredible wildlife and a legacy of ground-breaking conservation work. First impressions matter, and this role plays a key part in ensuring every guest’s experience is welcoming, positive, and immersive from the moment they step through our gates.

As a vital member of the team, you’ll support the Area Champions at Regent’s Park, helping to maintain clean, inviting, and well-presented spaces. By keeping our grounds pristine, you’ll contribute to an exceptional visitor experience while upholding our commitment to sustainability and conservation.

This seasonal role runs for six months during peak season, working 37.5 hours per week (Thursday to Monday). Occasional overtime may be required, with prior notice, and will be compensated through overtime pay or time off in lieu.

Key Responsibilities:
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and visitors.
• Assist with waste stream management, supporting ZSL’s sustainability goals.
• Use a high-pressure washer for jetting and deep cleaning of key areas.
• Maintain pathways and public spaces through weeding and sweeping with provided tools.
• Litter pick to keep the site clean and inviting for all visitors.
• Change and manage bins, ensuring waste is correctly sorted and disposed of.

About You
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills for collaborating effectively with colleagues and visitors.
• Ability to adhere to and actively promote Health and Safety policies and procedures to ensure a safe working environment.
• Thrives when working outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Flexible and able adapt to changing tasks and responsibilities in coordination with Grounds line management.
• Confident with manual handling and lifting, exposure to dirt, noise, machinery, and dust, particularly when operating equipment and maintaining vehicles.
• Available to work varying shift patterns, including early starts from 6 AM and late finishes up to 11 PM as needed.

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
• Cycle2Work – our cycle to work scheme enables you to lease a bicycle
• Season ticket loan – we offer an interest free loan for eligibly London-based employees to buy a season ticket for travel between home and work
• 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.