Closing date: 24th April 2025
Salary: Up to £12.21 Per Hour, Plus Desirable Benefits
Full Time, Permanent Position
Are you wild about creating memorable experiences?
Do you want to work in a place where you can hear trumpets from a herd of elephants, or the roars from a pride of Lions?
The Animal Section at Howletts Wild Animal Park has an exciting opportunity for a Grounds Operative to work within our Animal Sections.
Working closely with the Animal Teams, this is a hands-on and varied role that involves maintaining and improving the grounds within animal enclosures - particularly in the Carnivore section - ensuring the environment is safe, tidy, and presentable for both animals and visitors.
As a Grounds Operative, your work will involve a wide range of tasks including strimming, brush cutting, mowing (using both push and ride-on mowers), leaf blowing, and general vegetation control such as cutting back bramble, ivy, and vines on enclosure fences. You’ll be responsible for weeding, raking, sweeping, planting, and painting, as well as supporting basic fencing tasks, maintenance, and general groundworks. Your role will be essential in helping to maintain the presentation and functionality of the animal enclosures across the park. Future training opportunities may include Knapsack weed spraying certification, Chainsaw crosscutting training, Telehandler operation & Harness training.
Who We Are Looking For
The ideal candidate will have previous experience in a similar role and be confident carrying out the duties outlined above. You’ll be proactive, physically fit, and comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions. A valid driving licence is essential, as you will be required to operate company vehicles.
Contract Details
This is a full-time permanent position working 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Working hours are normally 7:30am – 4:00pm. Based near Canterbury. This role will be predominantly based on the Carnivore Section, reporting to the Head of Carnivores.
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, pro-rata to start date, rising with length of service.
* 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.
Your adventure awaits.
#joinourpride
To apply: If you want to work in an exciting and unique environment where no two days are the same, email your C.V. and covering letter to richardb@portlympne.com #J-18808-Ljbffr