Sydney Zoo now recruiting 250 staff for 2019 opening

Sydney Zoo is looking to fill hundreds of jobs ahead of its highly-anticipated opening this year.

Sydney Zoo is looking to fill hundreds of jobs ahead of its highly-anticipated opening later this year. Picture: Sydney Zoo

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The highly-anticipated Sydney Zoo is gearing up for a roaring opening this year, with construction now in its final stages.

Managing director Jake Burgess said the attraction was now “90 per cent complete”, with recruitment for up to 250 jobs now underway.

The Zoo is now accepting applications for hundreds of positions in the food and beverage crew, as well as retail and customer service, including ticketing, admissions and at information desks.

The mass recruitment marks a significant step for the zoo and follows a series of jobs fairs held earlier this year.

Construction is coming along on the zoo’s exhibits, including the cheetah enclosure. Picture: Facebook

“We had the jobs fairs to announce what our expectations were and what it is going to be like to work at Sydney Zoo and they were really well-received,” Mr Burgess said.

“Now we’re out there soliciting positions and applications.

“We’ve got a strong stream of applications coming through and want to make sure if people are interested, they put their hat in the ring.

He said the zoo was recruiting full-time, part-time and casual staff across a mixture of entry-level and skilled roles.

“We have a number of entry-level roles, which are flexibly rostered around weekends and public holidays, which are our peak visitation times, so people who are studying or looking to have a job as a stepping stone to a broader career, it will work really well for them,” he said.

An artist’s impression of the front entrance to the new Sydney Zoo, expected to open this year. Picture: Sydney Zoo

Mr Burgess said construction was in its final stages and 55 full-time staff were already on board ahead of the zoo’s anticipated opening this year.

“We are not at a point yet where we can announce our official opening date, but we are getting closer,” he said.

“We’ve got a handful of exhibits which are waiting to be completed, then we’re going to roll out finishing all the public spaces and picnic areas. We’re well on the way to completion.

“We’ve got our full complement of zookeepers on board. They’re assisting with requirements on exhibit design, construction and making sure our operational processes are gold standard before the animals start arriving in the not-too-distant future.”

Sydney Zoo has partnered with Singapore Zoo in sourcing many of the attraction’s animals. which will be housed in exhibits like the one pictured. Picture: Facebook

With an opening date now in sight, Mr Burgess said plans to bring in the animals were in full swing.

“We’re in the process of booking flights and getting all our quarantine commissions ready,” he said.

“The major institution we’ve worked most closely with is Singapore Zoo. We’ve taken three or four species from Singapore Zoo.

“There are another six institutions internationally we’re sourcing our animals from and the remainder are coming from Australian zoos.”

Mr Burgess said the zoo was looking forward to strengthening its ties with its Singapore partner into the future through staff and animal exchanges.

To apply and find out more about working at Sydney Zoo, visit the website here.

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