Role: Divisional Director Welfare Conservation and Science - Taronga Zoo
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Located at Sydney’s Iconic Taronga Zoo
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Ongoing Full-time Senior Executive Role
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Senior Executive Band 1 (SE1)
Taronga Zoo Sydney is looking for an experienced and motivated Divisional Director to lead our Welfare, Conservation & Science team!
As Divisional Director, Welfare, Conservation & Science, you'll drive the future of animal care, conservation, and sustainability at Taronga—shaping bold strategies and pioneering programs that unite science, welfare, and impact, while leading a passionate team dedicated to innovation, collaboration and measurable change on a global scale.
About the Role…
The Divisional Director, Welfare Conservation and Science leads Taronga’s animal population, sustainability strategy, research and conservation programs, and animal health and welfare programs to help achieve Taronga’s vision of securing a shared future for wildlife and people.
Key Accountabilities…
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Lead and oversee the highest standards of animal welfare that meet Taronga’s Animal Welfare Charter and that relevant legislation, standards and protocol requirements are achieved and maintained, including positioning Taronga as a leader in influencing legislation and stakeholder management.
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Lead and oversee Taronga’s preventative animal health care program, including leading subject matter experts in the development and implementation of proactive and reactive biosecurity protocols and responses.
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Lead the establishment of long-term sustainable populations of animals, ensuring the alignment with conservation and research activity, guest experience and learning outcomes.
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Ensure a strong integration between the animal population plan and guest experience and learning, focusing on enhancing the proportion of animals and exhibits that deliver engaging guest experiences and deliver a relevant, efficient and effective program for the care and rehabilitation of injured wildlife.
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Deliver comprehensive, timely and professional Conservation, Welfare and Life Sciences services including Animal Management, Animal Welfare, Curatorial Services, Veterinary and Pathology, Research and Conservation Programs, via collaborative and productive working relationships with external stakeholders, including senior government representatives and NGO’s, and other divisions to achieve organisational goals including revenue targets, capital program, guest experience and educational outcomes.
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Contribute to establishing Taronga as a leading conservation organisation, ensuring the integration of scientific research work that aligns with and promotes the Taronga conservation and animals’ collection strategy.
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Lead and manage Rewilding sites ensuring a safe, efficient and effective operations and that contemporary systems, policies and procedures are developed, implemented and reviewed regularly to ensure best practice and that business, operational, compliance and risk management requirements are met.
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Lead Taronga’s sustainability strategy including transition to net zero emissions, waste reduction, water use and building sustainability into operations.
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As a member of Taronga’s Executive Team provide expert advice, recommendations and services to Taronga’s Board and Chief Executive, and as required, to the Minister and the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and other government agencies.
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Provide effective Divisional leadership and management of staff and operations ensuring appropriate systems, policies, procedures, resourcing, performance management, risk mitigation, continuous improvement in a high-performance, values driven culture.
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Establish strong relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, nurturing strategic partnerships to achieve both short and long term goals; and to identify industry/business developments, opportunities and challenges.
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Ensure Taronga’s efforts have tangible and measurable conservation outcomes by establishing Taronga as a leading conservation organisation, improving the environmental sustainability of the organisation’s operations, increasing breeding, recovery and reintroduction programs for threatened species and undertaking scientific research work that aligns and promotes the Taronga conservation and animal collection strategy.
About You…
We are looking for candidates that have:
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Tertiary qualifications in a life sciences or other related discipline, or an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills and experience
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Highly developed leadership and people management experience, including the ability to coach a high functioning team while positively influencing others to achieve results.
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Senior management experience in a zoological, conservation, research or similar organisation, with a detailed understanding of contemporary zoo management issues and an operational knowledge of legislation relating to animal management, welfare, acquisition, exhibition and transport.
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Demonstrated conceptual and analytical skills, strategic thinking and sound judgement.
Benefits…
Our employees enjoy generous employment conditions including some of the following:
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Flexible Hybrid work model - Taronga supports a blend of in-office, remote, and on-the-go workers!
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Complimentary family and friends passes across both Taronga’s Sydney & Dubbo Zoo’s
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Free onsite car parking, outside of peak periods
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A wide range of discounts on our award winning accommodation across both sites
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Discounted food and beverage purchases across the sites
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Discounted Fitness Passport
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We’re a social team - there’s always lots going on around the zoo that we get involved with!
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+ more!
We Value Diversity…
Taronga is an equal opportunity employer, where we recognise the diversity of our workforce and community – be it on the basis of gender, age, culture, religion, language or personal circumstances.
Taronga is also committed to building on the perspectives, experience, knowledge and skills that this diversity brings to our organisation.
About Applying…
Please submit your resume and a cover letter of one page. You are also required to complete the two target questions as part of your application.
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How have you previously aligned conservation and research programs with public engagement and education outcomes? Describe how you ensured that animal population planning supported both scientific goals and meaningful guest experiences.
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As a senior executive, how have you built and maintained strategic partnerships with government, NGOs, and internal divisions to deliver complex, multi-disciplinary programs? What governance or leadership practices did you use to ensure alignment with organisational goals?
Applications Close: 11:59pm, Tuesday 12 August 2025