Role Overview
The Animal Care Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, care, and management across Elysian’s Hillside and Shamley Green sites. This is a hands-on role requiring significant experience in animal husbandry, welfare, and compliance, with a focus on maintaining ethical, safe, and effective animal care practices. The role involves overseeing daily care routines, ensuring all animals are physically and emotionally well, and collaborating with education and therapy teams to support the organisation’s therapeutic and educational provisions.
Key Responsibilities
Animal Welfare & Husbandry:
- Ensure all animals on-site receive appropriate nutrition, healthcare, enrichment, and handling in accordance with best practices.
- Monitor and assess animal behaviour, implementing tailored welfare plans where required.
- Develop and maintain high-quality animal welfare protocols, ensuring the physical and psychological wellbeing of all species in Elysian’s care.
Daily Operations & Compliance:
- Oversee and manage feeding schedules, exercise routines, grooming, and enclosure maintenance.
- Ensure enclosures are safe, clean, and suitable for each species, maintaining high welfare and hygiene standards.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant animal welfare legislation, licensing, and biosecurity measures, including DEFRA and local authority regulations.
Veterinary & Healthcare Management:
- Liaise with veterinarians, farriers, behaviourists, and other specialists to manage preventative and reactive animal healthcare.
- Maintain accurate health records, ensuring all necessary vaccinations, worming, and medical treatments are up to date.
- Identify and respond to any signs of illness, injury, or distress in animals, implementing appropriate action plans.
Training, Supervision & Stakeholder Engagement:
- Train and oversee staff, volunteers, and students in safe, ethical animal handling, welfare, and behaviour management.
- Work closely with therapists and educators to ensure animals are safely integrated into therapeutic and educational programs.
- Provide training for internal teams to build understanding of animal welfare principles.
- Support in community engagement activities, events, and open days where animals are involved.
Stock, Equipment & Resource Management:
- Manage and maintain appropriate supplies of feed, bedding, medical provisions, and enrichment materials.
- Ensure all animal care equipment is well-maintained and compliant with safety standards.
- Work within allocated budgets and propose improvements to welfare provisions.
Person Specification
Essential Qualifications & Experience:
- Minimum Level 3 qualification (or higher) in Animal Welfare, Animal Management, Veterinary Nursing, Equine Science, Zoology, or a related field.
- Extensive hands-on experience (minimum 5 years) in diverse animal care settings (e.g., farm management, equine therapy, zoo/animal parks, veterinary, or welfare organisations).
- Strong knowledge of welfare legislation, licensing requirements, and animal behaviour.
- Proven experience in handling a variety of species, including small animals, livestock, and exotic species.
- Experience in managing health plans, liaising with vets, and administering medical treatments.
- Ability to train, supervise, and mentor staff, volunteers, and students in best practice animal care.
Desirable Qualifications & Experience:
- Higher education qualification (Degree or Level 4+) in Animal Welfare or Veterinary Sciences.
- Experience in an educational or therapeutic setting, integrating animals into learning and well-being programs.
- Knowledge of biosecurity measures and risk assessments for animal interactions.
Skills & Attributes:
- Passionate about animal welfare, with a strong commitment to ethical care and handling.
- Highly organised and proactive, able to manage multiple responsibilities across two sites.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills, collaborating effectively with multiple teams.
- Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions, with a hands-on, problem-solving approach.
- Confident in making welfare-led decisions and implementing necessary actions.
Working Hours & Conditions:
- Full-time role working across Hillside and Shamley Green sites.
- 5-day working week, preferably including one weekend day as part of a regular schedule (negotiable for the right candidate.
- Some flexibility required for emergency care or animal health concerns.
- Outdoor-based work in a physically active role.
- We may consider a part time candidate covering one site
Please apply directly on our website - not through Indeed
https://elysianuk.org/work-with-us/
All roles are subject to safeguarding checks and scrutiny.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £28,000.00-£31,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Education:
- Certificate of Higher Education (preferred)
Experience:
- Animal care: 3 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: On the road
Application deadline: 22/06/2025
