Closing date: Friday 27th February 2026
Salary: £10.18 - £12.21 Per Hour, Plus Desirable Benefits
Seasonal, Flexible Hour Positions Available
Are you wild about creating memorable experiences?
Do you want to work in a place where you can hear calls from troops of monkeys, or the roar of a pride of lions?
At Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, near Hythe, and Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury, we have an exciting opportunity for Admissions & Sales Assistants to join our Retail Team on a seasonal basis until the 6 November 2026.
The successful candidates will work in our unique gift shops across both Parks, ensuring that our customers receive an outstanding first impression of the Parks. You will help to welcome and admit visitors, answer queries, and manage safari and short breaks enquires. You will also assist in operating till and membership sales, as well as ensuring that our giftshop is stocked and kept clean and tidy. If you have a passion for excellent customer service and thrive in a busy environment, then this could be the perfect job for you.
Who are we looking for:
We are looking for motivated individuals who understand the importance of excellent customer service. You should be a confident communicator; able to stay calm under pressure and remain courteous when dealing with difficult situations. It is also important that you are a team player who can also work on their own initiative. The ideal candidate will have previous customer service experience, gained in a fast-paced retail environment. A valid driving licence is essential due to our remote location and the need to work across both parks.
Contract details:
Seasonal contracts will run through to the 6 November 2026. Rate of pay is £10.18 for under 21-year-olds and £12.21 for over 21-year-olds. Rate of pay will increase in line with National Minimum Wage requirements in April 2026. The role is variable hours worked on a flexible rota basis, including weekends, bank holidays and school holidays. A reliable form of transport is recommended due to the remote location of Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve. All applicants must have right to work in the UK.
The location:
Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is a world-renowned wild animal park set within 600 acres of Kentish savannah. The Reserve is home to some of the world’s most rare and endangered animals and offers luxury short breaks accommodation, free roaming animal safaris, once-in-a-lifetime animal encounters and exquisite dining experiences. Our sister park, Howletts Wild Animal Park is located near Canterbury and set within 90 acres of land. Howletts is home to over 300 rare and endangered species, including Kents only giant anteaters, the largest herd of African elephants in the UK, and more gorillas, leopards, and monkeys than any zoo in the county!
Most importantly, every one of our employees is part of real conservation in action and their efforts have contributed to animals such as black rhino and western lowland gorillas being returned to their natural habitats in collaboration with our partners at The Aspinall Foundation.
Why you should join us:
We’re on a mission to create memorable experiences that matter, and our Core Values ‘One Team’, Customer’ and ‘Pride’ are what drive us each day to become part of something extraordinary. As well as walking to work surrounded by the calls of Howler monkeys and the roars from our pride of Lions, you will join a supportive team who are passionate about their place of work.
Be part of the Port Lympne and Howletts family and join our pride.
You can also expect a host of other roarsome benefits including:
- Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including workshops and e-learning.
- Enhanced Sickness, Maternity and Paternity Policies.
- Unlimited free entry for you and a person of your choice into both of our parks as well as friends and family tickets.
- Exceptional discounts on food, retail and accommodation at our parks.
- Numerous retail discounts and access to a 24-hour counselling line through our Healthy Extras Scheme.
- Company Pension
- And many more length or service-related rewards and Benefits.
Interviews are currently due to take place on the below Recruitment Day at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve – alternative dates may be available:
- Recruitment Day: Saturday 28th February (10:30 – 16:00)
Your adventure awaits
#joinourpride
To apply: Submit your CV below. Your submitted application will be reviewed, and if successful, you will be invited to an interview during the recruitment days.
Submit your CV
