ABOUTABOUT THE KNOWSLEY KNOWSLEY SAFARI ESTATE

Knowsley Safari is situated within the grounds of the Knowsley Estate. Animals and discovery have always been at the heart of the Estate – even before the was ever created. Edward Smith Stanley, the 13th Earl of Derby, founding member of the Zoological Society of London and president for 20 years, built up a huge collection of birds, mammals and fish from around the world, many of which had never been seen in Britain before. At the time, Lord Derby’s private became the largest and most important of its type in Britain and when he died, his menagerie was as big as 28 bird species and 94 animal species – and an impressive 756 animals bred at Knowsley.

In October 1970, nearly 120 years later, the 18th Earl of Derby got permission to build a 346-acre wildlife and game reserve on part of the Estate. The first in the North of England and the first in a big city. Knowsley Safari Park opened in 1971 and quickly became one of the North West’s leading attractions, with new exhibits and the extension of the safari drive to 5 miles in 1973.

In 1994, the 19th Earl of Derby took over and increased the visitor numbers and stepped-up participation in worldwide endangered species breeding programmes. Over the past few years, discussions have been underway to change the safari park as we know it now within the ‘Master Plan’. This includes ideas around new animal habitats, a visitor hub, better facilities for guests in the winter months, with attractions and adventure which enable us to be open more days throughout the year. Our Trail opened in June 2018 and is a great example of the type and quality of exhibit that you can expect to see in Knowsley’s future.

We greet over 600,000 guests every year and were awarded the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year in the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards 2019.

We are a member of the British and Irish Association of and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). ABOUTKEY THE INFORMATION KNOWSLEY ESTATE

We are currently recruiting for Santa’s Elves to deliver a magical experience to the guests of Knowsley Safari. You will join our Shortlisting Candidates should ensure before they send in their wonderful team for our Christmas event, application, that they have read through The Role Enchanted. thoroughly and that they meet the criteria outlined.

CONTRACT TYPE Due to the high volume of application we receive, we regret that we are only be able to contact those Temporary applicants who have been shortlisted to interview. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of 11 November until 24 December 2020. the closing date, please note that we have decided not to take your application any further at this time. RATE OF PAY W h at to b r i ng National minimum wage as per your age. If you are invited to interview, you will receive an email letting you know what you should bring along with you. We ask all candidates to bring with them WORKING HOURS documentation to prove that they have the right to work in the UK. Flexibility is required on the dates below; a rota will be provided based on your availability. Weekends and dates from and including 12 December will be full days as outlined below, all other dates are half days.

Half day 9:45 – 16:15 (5.5 hours) or 16:00 – 20:15 (3.25 hours)

Full day 9:45 – 20:15 (9.5 hours)

The grotto will be running on the following dates: Wednesday 11 November for training November 21, 22, 27, 28, 29

December 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

THIS POST IS SUBJECT TO A SUCCESSFUL DBS CHECK ABOUT THETHE KNOWSLEY ROLE ESTATE

Job Title: Santa’s Elves Location: Knowsley Safari Report To: Events & Conference Executive / Head of Guest Services

Although the experience this year will not be as intimate as usual it will be something a little different for our guests to enjoy as part of their festive activities. We still want every visitor to leave with a smile on their face and a memory to last a lifetime. This year we will not be having a traditional grotto experience, instead we will provide the opportunity for our guests to meet Father Christmas in an outdoor tent which will be transformed into a winter wonderland, guests will sit in his sleigh and have a socially distanced family photo.

Santa’s Elves needs to be: • A friendly and outgoing personality. • An ability to interact with all visitors, both children and adults. • Good timekeeping to ensure the flow of people through the grotto. • A clear understanding of creating the Christmas magic – must always be in character and uniform. • A capability to keep in Elf character to create fun and magical experiences whilst always wearing a smile.

Main Duties and Responsibilities: • To meet with all guests and check them into the Grotto experience ensuring they have the correct time and date and know where they need to go. • Be a point of contact for visitors, maintaining enthusiasm and building excitement. • Excellent customer service and guest engagement • Working either in the main grotto, outside greeting guests, or on the photobooth areas. • Working with money at the photography booths, being able to process transactions and deliver a product. • Ensuring all guests leave the Christmas grotto with a smile on their face and having the best Christmas experience we can provide. • To ensure that all Health & Safety procedures are understood and adhered to. • To perform any other reasonable task or duty as directed by his or her supervisor. HOW TO APPLY

Please send your CV to [email protected]

At Knowsley Estate we support sustainable practices, to support us in this, we ask that all applications are completed electronically and sent in by email.

However, where email is unavailable, please post to: Human Resources, Knowsley Safari, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 4AN.

Role Advertised 06 October 2020

Application Closing 25 October 2020 Date Interview Date(s) 02–06 November 2020