Working at the Zoo

Entry requirements

• Good secondary school diploma, vocational baccalaureate or high school diploma.
• Good grades in math, German and biology.
• Willingness to perform hard physical work.
• Willingness to work weekends and late shifts.
• Love animals, but also be able to deal with the fact that food animals have to be killed.
• Sense of responsibility, ability to work independently.

General Information

Every year, Zoo am Meer takes on one or two people who can complete an apprenticeship. Please send your application for the following year by e-mail (info@zoo-am-meer-bremerhaven.de) by July 31st.

Please read the information for applicants according to art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (PDF). By sending us your application, you agree to this procedure.

We are unable to consider any further applications for the start of training on 1 August.

Our employees work a 39-hour week, starting at 7 am. Every five to six weeks, a trainee works the late shift, i.e. until 7 p.m. in the summer, which includes an extended lunch break. On the late shift, the trainees work Monday through Sunday, with days off made up the following week.

Once a week, the trainees travel to Brake (vocational school for the district of Wesermarsch) to attend classes. In addition, once a week there are theoretical lessons at the zoo.

At the end of the training period, a month of inter-company training takes place at Osnabrück Zoo. The costs for this are covered by the zoo.

Training allowance according to TVöD (as of March 2024)

Vacation entitlement

30 days of vacation

Duration of apprenticeship

Three years

Promotion Opportunities

• Section Leader
• Head Keeper
• Master Training