Job Description
Contract: Permanent, full time
Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 per annum
Accommodation: there is the option to live in or out with this role
Location: West End, Southampton, SO30 2HL
Closing date: Thursday 18 September 2025
Interview dates:
- 1st stage interview Thursday 25 September 2025
- 2nd stage discovery session Thursday 2 October 2025
Are you an experienced operational manager, who relishes a challenge, with a passion for pets and people?
We re recruiting a Centre Manager with strong leadership, organisational and communication skills to lead our Southampton Rehoming Centre in all pets, people, facilities, financial and compliance matters!
This is an exciting time for the Southampton Centre with many changes happening and the chance for a dynamic leader to bring their own experience and help shape the future for the pets and people at the site.
More about the role
Blue Cross Southampton Rehoming Centre has cared for pets and supported the local community since 1988. The site provides care for dogs, cats and kittens, while our dedicated offsite team supports small pets in foster homes and through our home direct scheme.
As Centre Manager, you ll be responsible for all aspects of the Centre pets, people, facilities, compliance and finances. Working closely with your Assistant Managers, you ll inspire and empower your team, embed a culture of continuous improvement and ensure the highest welfare standards.
This role is about leading people and leading change. We have a skilled, passionate team with great ideas we now need someone who can take those forward, make things happen, and bring colleagues with them on the journey. There s also real opportunity shape the future of the centre, including rethinking how we use our space for the most effective working environment.
The standard hours for this role are 37.5 hours per week on a locally agreed rota to include weekends and bank holidays. The standard hours are 8:30 5 Monday Friday with flexibility where there is a business need.
Accommodation this role comes with the option of on-site accommodation by way of a two-bedroom bungalow which includes a study/third bedroom and an extensive private garden!
Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached candidate pack and job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.
About you
You will be an inspirational leader with a proven track record of motivating, developing and supporting people in a fast-paced environment. You ll bring strong change management skills able to set direction, take action and empower others to deliver improvements.
Alongside your leadership strengths, you ll bring sound knowledge of animal welfare and operational excellence from a similar environment. Confident and decisive, you ll balance the needs of pets, people, and resources to achieve outstanding results.
Resilient, empathetic and emotionally intelligent, you ll thrive on challenge and approach every situation with a positive, problem-solving mindset.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
- Significant experience of successfully motivating, leading, and developing high performance teams, including setting clearly defined objectives, and managing performance in an animal welfare setting.
- Strong knowledge of animal welfare/care, ensuring operational excellence in a similar animal welfare environment.
- Experience of positively embracing and adapting to change by identifying, leading, and managing change in line with organisational objectives.
- Financially aware and numerate.
- Proven experience of working constructively and collaboratively with colleagues from different teams.
- Interpersonal and consultative skills, including the ability to communicate, present, negotiate, influence, and build credibility with colleagues and external parties.
- Experience of working in a commercial environment where the need to control costs and deliver high levels of service are important.
- The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values
- Current full driving licence.
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Thursday 18 September 2025.
The process will include:
- First stage interview and site tour Thursday 25 September 2025
- Discovery Session Thursday 2 October 2025. This will include scenario-based exercises and group discussions, giving you the chance to demonstrate your leadership style and approach to change while meeting colleagues at the Centre.
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:
- 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
- Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention
- 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
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
