SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s is looking for an experienced Senior Penguin Keeper with direct, hands-on expertise working with King and/or Gentoo Penguins. You’ll bring extensive knowledge of their behaviour, husbandry, and breeding, and lead the development of tailored training programs that promote voluntary participation in routine husbandry and medical care.

About the Role

As a Senior Penguin Keeper you will be responsible for the day-to-day care and management of our Gentoo and King Penguins, their exhibit and life support system.

This role requires strong skills in neonatal care - including incubation, chick management, and tube feeding, and demonstrated leadership experience in mentoring staff, driving professional growth, and upholding the highest standards of animal welfare.

Your duties will include but are not limited to:

· Providing a suitable environment for our penguins which offers excellent welfare.

· Meeting all husbandry requirements of the penguins including cleaning, animal training, enrichment, dietary, veterinary and breeding requirements.

· Observation and maintaining a high standard of record keeping.

· Conducting feeding presentations and educational talks to visitors as required.

· Maintaining a clean and safe working environment

Role Requirements

• A minimum of 2.5 years of professional full-time animal keeping experience specifically working with King or Gentoo Penguins, demonstrating in-depth species knowledge and hands-on husbandry expertise.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and providing guidance to junior staff members, with the ability to effectively train colleagues in specialized husbandry and behavioural care techniques.
• Demonstrated competence in performing and overseeing daily husbandry tasks to consistently meet high standards of animal welfare, nutrition, and enrichment.
• Relevant tertiary qualification (e.g., Zoology, Animal Science, Marine Biology) 
• Documented experience in the design, development, and implementation of species-specific training programs, utilizing positive reinforcement and operant conditioning methods.
• Proven capability to provide expert neonatal care for penguin chicks, including but not limited to tube feeding, administration of medications, and growth monitoring.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with experience delivering educational presentations, engaging in close animal encounters, and conducting keeper talks
• Familiarity with OERCA or similar record-keeping platforms is desirable.
• Strong overall fitness and confidence working in cold, wet conditions.