Assistant Manager – Offsite Services – Lead and streamline our home-based pet operations in Devon, ensuring every pet finds the perfect match with their new family quickly and maintaining top-quality care for pets and clients throughout the adoption journey.
Key Facts
- Salary: £26,042 - £30,281 per annum
- Location: Exeter, EX2 8ED / Devon
- Contract: Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)
- Work schedule: 1 in 3 weekends required
- Application deadline: 6 August 2026
Responsibilities
- Lead and streamline home-based pet operations, ensuring efficient decisions that prioritize pet welfare.
- Oversee daily activities, including pet assessments, behavior management, and training, acting as the subject matter expert in practical animal handling and assessment.
- Support foster carers and ensure timely pet assessments.
- Achieve pet-related targets and maintain the highest standards of animal care in line with national processes in case management.
- Motivate, steer, and manage a team of Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Coordinators, enabling professional development.
- Adapt to high‑pressure situations while maintaining calm, organization, and confident decision‑making.
Qualifications
- Significant experience managing a team.
- Significant experience delivering high‑level customer service in a fast‑paced environment.
- Strong subject‑matter expertise in pet welfare and handling of domestic animals.
- High standard of verbal and written communication.
- Current full driving licence.
- Demonstrated understanding and application of Blue Cross values.
Additional skills (desirable)
- Performance management and improvement experience.
- Experience working with volunteers.
- Understanding of safeguarding issues.
About you
You are a people manager with a keen understanding of pet welfare and care, capable of inspiring and motivating your team while driving continuous improvement. You possess excellent communication skills, strong analytical ability, and resilience in emotionally charged environments, combined with empathy and emotional intelligence.
Benefits
- Full‑time equivalent of 38 days holiday, rising to 43 days with service (including Bank Holidays)
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
- Free access to GP via MetLife – 24/7 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
How to apply
Apply online before the closing date on Thursday 6th August 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.
Assistant Manager - Off-site Services in Exeter employer: Blue Cross UK
Blue Cross UK is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and development. With generous holiday entitlements and comprehensive health support programs, our Burford site fosters a hands-on environment where Maintenance Stewards can thrive and grow in their roles while ensuring the safety and cleanliness of our facilities.
