At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and streamline home-based pet operations, ensuring exceptional care for pets and clients.
- Company: Join Blue Cross, a compassionate organisation dedicated to pet welfare.
- Benefits: Enjoy generous holiday, health support, professional development, and discounts.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of pets and their new families.
- Qualifications: Experience in team management and pet welfare is essential.
The predicted salary is between 26042 - 30281 £ per year.
We’re recruiting an Assistant Manager – Offsite Services to lead and streamline our home-based pet operations in Devon! In this role, you’ll ensure that every pet finds the perfect match with their new family as quickly as possible, while maintaining top-quality care for both our pets and clients throughout the entire adoption journey. Join us in making a difference, one pet at a time!
More about the role:
Our Devon centre has a wonderful group of dedicated people with varying skills that meld into one team with one mission: to help as many pets as possible. We help pets through our two main services, Home Direct and our fostering network of over 80 volunteer foster carers. In this role, you’ll play a key part in ensuring exceptional care for both pets and clients while making well-connected, efficient decisions that prioritise pet welfare.
As the leader of our home-based pet operations, you’ll oversee the smooth running of daily activities, acting as the subject matter expert in practical animal handling and assessment. Your goal will be to prepare pets for adoption as quickly and effectively as possible. You’ll work closely with your team to ensure timely pet assessments, behaviour management, and training, while providing full support to foster carers. You’ll also be responsible for achieving pet-related targets, ensuring your team of Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Coordinators maintains the highest standards of animal care and adheres to national processes in case management.
Since we don’t have cattery or kennel facilities, innovation and teamwork are essential to address the most urgent cases effectively. Motivating and managing your team is central to this role, enabling the centre to provide top-quality home-based pet care while helping your team develop professionally. This is a full‑time position, working 37.5 hours per week and you will be required to work 1 in 3 weekends.
About You:
You’ll be a great people manager, bringing finely honed skills from your experience in an animal-related environment, along with expert knowledge of pet welfare and care. As a dynamic and innovative leader, you know how to inspire and motivate your team, driving continuous improvement. You’ll lead a team of Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Coordinators, empowering them through effective management and coaching.
With excellent communication skills, you adapt your approach for different audiences, ensuring your message resonates. While juggling multiple tasks, you remain calm and organised, making confident decisions in high‑pressure situations. Your strong analytical skills enable you to monitor and evaluate effectively, implementing meaningful improvements. Having worked in emotionally charged environments, you understand the importance of resilience and have excellent “bounce‑back ability.” Your emotional intelligence and empathy will shine as you support your team and the public, creating a compassionate and effective workplace.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:
- Significant experience in managing a team.
- Significant experience in delivering high level Customer service in a fast‑paced environment.
- Significant subject matter expertise and application of pet welfare and handling of domestic animals.
- High standard of verbal and written communication.
- Current full driving licence.
- The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values.
It would be great (but not essential) if you also had:
- Performance management and improvement experience.
- Experience working with volunteers.
- Understanding of safeguarding issues.
Benefits:
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today. In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
Our Generous Benefits Package Includes:
- Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays).
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support.
- Free access to GP via MetLife - 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family.
- Health cash plan.
- Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme.
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution.
- Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
- Life assurance.
- 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance.
- Enhanced family friendly policies.
- Recognition scheme.
- Annual volunteer days.
- Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers.
Assistant Manager – Off-site Services in Exeter employer: Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH)
The Greyhound Trust is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to lead at the National Greyhound Centre in Horley. With a strong commitment to animal welfare, our work culture fosters collaboration and passion, while providing ample opportunities for professional growth through training and community engagement. Join us to not only advance your career but also to make a significant impact on the lives of retired racing greyhounds in a supportive and fulfilling environment.
Contact Details:
Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Manager – Off-site Services in Exeter
✨Get Involved Locally
Dive into local volunteer opportunities or social initiatives. This not only beefs up your CV but also connects you with like-minded folks in nonprofits. Plus, it shows your passion for social impact, which is key for getting noticed by Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH).
✨Tap into Professional Networks
Join networks like the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) or local charities to meet professionals in the sector. Attend events and workshops to build relationships and learn about potential openings at organisations like Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH).
✨Showcase Your Commitment
When prepping for interviews, be ready to speak about your personal connection to social issues. Dive into specific examples of how you’ve contributed to community projects – this will resonate with the mission-driven vibe at Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH).
✨Utilise Online Platforms
We’re all about making connections, so use platforms like Idealist and CharityJob to hunt for full-time roles. And of course, you should keep an eye on our website for exciting opportunities at Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH). Apply directly through us to stand out!
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Manager – Off-site Services in Exeter
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for the Cause:In the nonprofit sector, it's super important to demonstrate genuine passion for the mission of Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH). Use your cover letter to showcase any personal experiences or volunteer work that connects you to their social impact initiatives. This emotional connection can really help your application stand out.
Highlight Relevant Experience:When crafting your CV, be sure to include any relevant projects or roles that showcase your skills in social impact. Whether it's community organising, fundraising, or advocacy, highlight what you've done and the difference it's made. Don’t just list tasks; quantify your achievements and the outcomes of your efforts.
Tailor Your Documents to the Role:For a full-time role like Assistant Manager – Off-site Services, ensure your CV and cover letter specifically address the responsibilities outlined in the job description. Use their language to describe your skills and experience, making it easy for the hiring team to see how you fit into their vision.
Emphasise Teamwork and Collaboration:Nonprofits thrive on teamwork, so make sure to emphasise your collaborative experiences. Whether you've worked in a team setting, partnered with community organisations, or facilitated group projects, highlight these experiences in your application. Show them you understand the importance of working alongside diverse individuals to achieve shared goals.
How to prepare for a job interview at Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH)
✨Show Your Passion for Social Change
When we’re prepping for interviews in the nonprofit space, it's vital to demonstrate our genuine passion for social impact. Be ready to discuss not just your skills and experiences but also why you care about the mission of Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH). Sharing personal stories or insights can really make us stand out.
✨Highlight Project Experience
We should focus on specific projects we've worked on that align with the goals of social impact. Whether that’s a community initiative, volunteering, or a class project, having solid examples that showcase our role and the outcomes will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Familiarity with Relevant Tools and Practices
Let’s brush up on tools and methodologies commonly used in the nonprofit sector, like project management software or outcome measurement frameworks. Being able to speak fluently about these will show that we’re not just passionate but also knowledgeable and ready to hit the ground running.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that evaluate our problem-solving skills in real-world social issues. Think about how we’d handle challenges in the nonprofit environment and prepare stories that demonstrate our critical thinking and adaptability. Role-playing with a friend could help us feel more confident!
