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- Tasks: Lead and streamline home-based pet operations, ensuring top-quality care for pets and clients.
- Company: Join a compassionate team at Blue Cross, dedicated to making a difference for pets.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days annual leave, health cash plan, and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on pet welfare while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in team management and animal care is essential.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for professional growth and a focus on teamwork.
The predicted salary is between 25787 - 27047 £ per year.
Contract: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week)
Salary: £25,787 to £27,047 per annum
Location: Southampton SO30 2HL
Closing date: Sunday 18th January 2026
Interview date: Monday 26th January 2026
We're recruiting an Assistant Manager – Offsite Services to lead and streamline our home-based pet operations. 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 beautiful centre opened in 1988 and occupies approximately three acres of land in a discrete location surrounded by fields where we can walk our dogs, providing some wonderful enrichment in a quiet environment. The centre has facilities to care for dogs and cats, as well as a specialised area for kittens. In this role, you’ll play a key part in ensuring exceptional care for both pets and clients while identifying efficiencies and making decisions that prioritise offsite pet welfare. As the leader of our home-based pet operations, you’ll oversee the smooth running of our foster and home direct services, placing pets directly from one home to another, with experience 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 and current owners.
You’ll also be responsible for achieving pet-related targets, ensuring your team of Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Coordinators maintain the highest standards of animal care and adheres to national processes in case management. Teamwork is 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. At our Southampton rehousing centre, we provide onsite accommodation for pets in our care 24/7. Overnight shifts are usually undertaken by team members who live on site. Occasionally you will be expected to carry out night checks when the resident team members are either not working or away for a period of time. 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 extensive knowledge of pet welfare and care. As a dynamic and innovative leader, you know how to inspire and motivate your team, driving continuous improvement, 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. Rather than resting on your laurels, you’ll have a genuine desire to enhance offsite pet care services, actively engaging your team in the process. Having worked in emotionally charged environments, you understand the importance of resilience. 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.
- Expertise and application of pet welfare and handling of domestic animals.
- High standard of verbal and written communication.
- Current full driving license.
- 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.
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Sunday 18th January. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.
Blue Cross 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:
- Enhanced annual leave entitlement: 30 days plus bank holidays.
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution.
- Health cash plan.
- Life assurance.
- Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme.
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support.
- Free access to GP via MetLife.
- Recognition scheme.
- Annual volunteer days.
- Claim for professional fees.
Assistant Manager Offsite Services in Southampton employer: Blue Cross
Contact Detail:
Blue Cross Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Manager Offsite Services in Southampton
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company! Research their values and mission, especially around pet welfare. This will help you tailor your approach during interviews and show that you're genuinely interested in making a difference.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend local events related to animal care. Building relationships can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for behavioural questions! Think of examples from your past experiences where you've demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. This is your chance to shine and show how you can handle the pressures of the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After your interview, send a thank-you email expressing your appreciation for the opportunity. It keeps you fresh in their minds and shows your enthusiasm for the position.
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Manager Offsite Services in Southampton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Pets: When writing your application, let your love for animals shine through! Share any relevant experiences you have with pets, whether it's volunteering, fostering, or just being a pet parent. We want to see that you genuinely care about pet welfare.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the role of Assistant Manager - Offsite Services. Use keywords from the job description to show us you understand what we're looking for!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and long-winded explanations. Make it easy for us to see why you're the perfect fit for the team!
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It's the best way to ensure we receive your details directly. Plus, it helps us keep everything organised as we review applications. We can't wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Blue Cross
✨Know Your Stuff About Pet Welfare
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of pet welfare and handling. The role is all about ensuring the best care for pets, so be ready to discuss your experience and understanding of animal care practices during the interview.
✨Show Off Your People Skills
As an Assistant Manager, you'll need to inspire and motivate your team. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed a team in the past, especially in high-pressure situations. Highlight your communication skills and how you adapt your approach for different audiences.
✨Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills
Think of specific instances where you've identified inefficiencies or made improvements in your previous roles. Be ready to share these examples, as the interviewers will want to see how you can drive continuous improvement in their operations.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that put you in real-life scenarios related to pet care and team management. Practice responding to these types of questions, focusing on your decision-making process and how you would handle various challenges in the role.