Centre Manager in Shoreham-by-Sea

Ready to lead a busy rehoming centre where your leadership can make a lasting difference to the welfare of dogs? We are looking for a Centre Manager to join Shoreham by Sea Rehoming Centre. As Centre Manager you will lead and develop a passionate team dedicated to rehabilitating and rehoming dogs, ensuring every dog in our care has the best chance at a happy, forever home.

Using your management skills you'll take charge of the many moving parts in an effective centre and drive a culture with rehoming at its heart, minimising the time dogs spend in our care by championing case progression through effective veterinary and behaviour rehabilitation, marketing and promotion of dogs and sector-leading customer experience. This opportunity also has the option to be a live-in role where on-site accommodation would be provided.

What does this role do?

• Lead, manage and develop the centre management team and, through them, the wider team (staff and volunteers) in line with Dogs Trust policies and practices.
• Be responsible for the site, including any veterinary facilities, ensuring its security, upkeep and maintenance.
• Responsible for the health and safety of centre, staff, volunteers, dogs and visitors.
• Maximise rehoming opportunities using the centre’s facilities and Dogs Trust website and take responsibility for the implementation of strategic initiatives to promote the homing of individual dogs, types of dogs (such as long stay dogs) or Dogs Trust as the first choice for dog rescue.
• Ensure that all Dogs Trust operational and administrative procedures are implemented effectively and in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Ensure the highest welfare standards are maintained in accordance with Dogs Trust policies and procedures for the intake, rehabilitation and rehoming of dogs within the centre and in home environments.
• Responsible for the development and management of the centre budget, including the preparation of budgets and forecasts, and ensuring the centre operates within agreed limits.
• Use data generated for the site to make recommendations and decisions that will improve all aspects of the centre’s operation and be responsive to the needs of the local community.
• Work closely with national and local fundraising teams to develop and implement fundraising campaigns in local communities.
• Work closely with central and local volunteering teams to ensure that volunteers have a positive experience in centres.
• Develop strong working relationships with the leadership network across Dogs Trust including working with the Regional Head of Rehoming Operations and the wider Rehoming network to ensure that the centre acts as part of a collaborative and cohesive network.

Please refer to the job description to see the full list of responsibilities.

Could this be you?

To be successful in this role, you'll be a motivated manager who has experience leading large diverse teams including performance management. You'll be used to delivering targets and working with different teams to achieve organisational objectives. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and will be able to work with a wide range of stakeholders, motivating colleagues and handling sensitive and difficult conversations with members of the public. You'll be very comfortable around dogs and used to handling a wide variety of breeds including those with a variety of behavioural issues, with knowledge and understanding of welfare needs. You will have worked within budget management and be comfortable setting budgets and controlling expenditure within agreed budgets and accounting for cash. You will have experience of developing and implementing volunteering strategies in consultation with central teams to maximise the potential of volunteering. You will have strong time management and organisation skills with the ability to manage a varied workload.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled for 30th July at Shoreham by Sea Rehoming Centre.