Assistant jobs in Winchester, hampshire

Contract: 8-month fixed term maternity cover, full time - 37.5 hours per week 

Salary:£25,787 - £27,886 per annum 

Location: Southampton, SO30 2HL 

Closing date: Sunday 18th January 2026 

Interview date: Tuesday 27th January 2026 

We’re looking for a passionate and driven Assistant Manager – Client Services to join our team at the Southampton rehoming centre and help lead our work supporting people and pets. If you have a talent for delivering outstanding customer service, strong people management skills, and a genuine love for animal welfare, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact. This is a fixed term role until 30th September 2026. 

More about the role 

Our Southampton rehoming centre plays a vital role in supporting animals and their people, with on-site kennels and a cattery providing direct care and rehoming services. As part of a compassionate and dedicated team, you’ll help oversee day-to-day operations, support our clients, and ensure we’re making a positive difference in the lives of pets and their owners every day. 

As Assistant Manager – Client Services, you’ll be at the forefront of this work. You’ll: 

• Lead and line manage the client services team to deliver exceptional care from first enquiry through to adoption or other support 

• Work closely with the team to assess and admit pets, match them with the right adopters, and guide clients through every step of their journey 

• Use data and insights to shape services and continuously improve client experience 

• Collaborate with the local leadership team to meet targets and drive pet welfare outcomes 

• Be hands-on with day-to-day operations including managing enquiries, prioritising admissions and promoting pets in our care 

This is an 8-month maternity cover position until 30th September, working full time at 37.5 hours per week on a rota that includes 1 in 3 weekends and bank holidays. The working day is from 8.30am to 5.00pm. 

At our Southampton rehoming 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. 

About you 

You understand what it takes to match pets with new homes and are passionate about delivering an outstanding client experience. With a sharp eye for detail and a drive for improvement, you know how to assess what’s working – and what’s not. 

As a people manager, you're confident in leading by example, setting expectations, and ensuring your team has the support they need to succeed. 

A natural leader, you bring out the best in your team, supporting and coaching them to grow. You're calm under pressure, thrive in busy environments, and communicate clearly with people from all walks of life. 

Your resilience and empathy shine through in emotional situations, helping you build trust, handle challenges with care, and create a compassionate, high-performing team. 

Knowledge, skills, and experience   

• Significant experience of managing a team. 

• Experience in delivering high level customer service. 

• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment. 

• High standard of verbal and written communication. 

• Proven decision-making ability. 

• 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.

• Understanding of safeguarding issues. 

• Experience of admission and adoption processes in a rescue environment. 

Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached the job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.  

How to apply  

Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date Sunday 18th January 2026. 

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  

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 rehoming 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. 

Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached the job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.   

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  

Administration Assistant

Hours: 25 hours worked over five days a week + ‘full time’ for events and meetings including evenings and weekends as needed.

Salary: £27k pro rata for 25 hours a week = £19,300 per annum.

Benefits: Contributory pension, flexible working, generous holiday allowance.

Location:  Fully remote plus attending on site events and meetings as required.

First Interviews - face to face in London: 22 January 2026

Second Interviews (via Zoom): Friday 30th January 2026

About The Role:

The British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) are looking to recruit an Administration Assistant.  Reporting to and working alongside the Senior Operations Manager and Conference Organiser, the responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to:

• Database and record management. 
• Committee and event support.
• Correspondence and communication.
• Attending and supporting meetings and events.
• Application and membership processing. 
• Website and social media administration.
• Financial administration.

About You:

We are looking for an organised, accurate and effective multitasker and team player who can demonstrate hands-on experience in various aspects of administration and planning to ensure the effective and efficient day to day operation of BESS.

You must also be a proactive, self motivated, team-worker with good communication skills who can work collaboratively with many stakeholders. 

About BESS:

The British Elbow & Shoulder Society, also known as BESS is a membership organisation and registered charity, that provides education and research opportunities to upper limb orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals.

How to apply:

If you are interested in this role as set out in the job description and can meet the requirements detailed above, then we would love to hear from you straight away as applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

To apply for the role, please send your CV along with a covering email that sets out how your skills and experience would help you to meet the role specification to our recruiter.

BESS is committed to equality and creating an inclusive and diverse culture.  We actively encourage applications from everyone and will help to support you to reach your full potential and to be yourself in a working environment based on dignity, respect and mutual support.  If you have any queries or need any advice or adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process please contact us.

Information about BESS and its work can be found online.

Closing date: 9 January 2026.

First Interviews - face to face in London: 22 January 2026

Second Interviews (via Zoom): Friday 30th January 2026

Please note if you have not been contacted by the end of January then your application has been unsuccessful.

No agencies please.

Are you a creative marketer who is eager to gain hands-on experience across a broad range of marketing disciplines? Do you want to help champion the work of ecologists and environmental managers working to protect and enhance the natural environment? This is your chance to join a small but ambitious team with an increasingly influential voice in the sector.

As CIEEM’s Marketing Assistant, you will take responsibility for the administration of our marketing presence across our social media, email, print and website channels, and increase awareness of what we do with our target audiences.

This role is perfect for a motivated, early-career marketer who wants to make a real difference.

What you will do

• Implement CIEEM’s social media and email strategies, and produce engaging content and copy for our key audiences.
• Upload, edit and maintain website content to ensure pages are well-structured engaging, and up to date.
• Review and monitor the effectiveness of CIEEM’s digital marketing activity across social media, email, website and campaigns.
• Play an active role in promoting CIEEM products including membership, training and conferences.
• Manage marketing collateral and coordinate the production of print flyers for events.

About you

• You are a creative problem-solver with an eye for detail.
• You understand how to tailor messages to different audiences.
• You enjoy juggling multiple projects and working to deadlines.
• You’re enthusiastic, motivated and eager to learn.
• You have a good understanding of what marketing can achieve and/or some direct experience of delivering marketing campaigns.

Why join us?

The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) is the leading professional membership body for ecologists and environmental managers in the UK and Ireland.

With over 9,000 members, we are also well-known for our high-quality training courses and conferences, environmental policy work and professional standards.

We are proud that 96% of our staff say that we are a Great Place To Work.

At CIEEM, you’ll benefit from:

• Flexible working options, including hybrid working and TOIL.
• Competitive salaries that are reviewed every year.
• Investment in your training and development.
• Enhanced employer pension contributions.
• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• One paid volunteering day per year.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme and commitment to supporting your wellbeing.

Closing date: Friday 16th January 2026
We will be interviewing for the post throughout January and reserve the right to close this advert at any time.

Equity, diversity and inclusion statement

CIEEM is committed to promoting a culture of inclusion, fairness, and belonging amongst its employees, volunteers, and our members’ employers under the Championing Change agenda as part of our strategic plan.

Our EDI mission is to champion change as an actively anti-discriminatory organisation that works to remove barriers and create an inclusive environment that welcomes individuals of all races, genders, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds. In support of this mission, CIEEM aims to make all of our processes as accessible as we can and is committed to providing appropriate reasonable adjustments.

About Wikimedia UK

Wikimedia UK is the national platform for open knowledge, bringing together practical and policy expertise about Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. Delivering impact of over 1 billion views each year and engaging thousands of people through advocacy, education, outreach and partnerships, Wikimedia UK demystifies and drives engagement in open access to information.

Role Overview

This is a new and exciting role that will be critical to the organisation’s leadership and governance. The Executive & Governance Assistant will provide high-level support to the Chief Executive and ensure the smooth running of Wikimedia UK’s governance processes, including board meetings, subcommittees and the Annual General Meeting.

You’ll play a key role in supporting effective decision-making and stakeholder engagement, working closely with trustees, senior staff, and external partners. This position is ideally suited to someone with substantial experience supporting senior executives - who is highly organised, discreet, and confident managing complex schedules and governance processes.

Key Responsibilities

Governance Support

• Support the CEO and Head of Finance & Operations to ensure effective governance and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

• Schedule board and subcommittee meetings in line with the annual business cycle.

• Coordinate board and subcommittee meeting logistics, including video calls, calendar invites, and in-person arrangements.

• Book travel and accommodation for trustees as needed.

• Collate, prepare, and distribute meeting papers efficiently and accurately.

• Produce and circulate clear, concise, and timely meeting minutes.

• Lead the planning and delivery of the Annual General Meeting, working closely with staff and trustees.

Membership Administration

• Manage all aspects of Wikimedia UK’s membership programme.

• Process new member applications promptly and accurately.

• Maintain up-to-date membership records in the charity’s CRM (training provided).

• Develop and oversee systems for managing renewals and membership engagement.

• Coordinate membership communications and contribute to campaigns to grow and retain members.

Executive Support

• Provide comprehensive administrative and organisational support to the CEO.

• Manage the CEO’s calendar, prioritising effectively and scheduling meetings with internal and external stakeholders.

• Coordinate travel and accommodation for national and international commitments.

• Support expense claims and credit card reconciliations.

• Conduct desk research, prepare correspondence, and assist with presentation materials as required.

• Handle sensitive and confidential matters with the utmost discretion and professionalism.

Person Specification

Essential Experience and Competencies

• Substantial experience of providing high-level administrative support to a Chief Executive, Director, or senior leader, gained within the not for profit sector.

• Proven experience of charity or public sector governance, including supporting the preparation and distribution of board papers, providing logistical support for meetings, and producing accurate, well written minutes.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.

• Highly organised, with strong time management and the ability to prioritise effectively.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a small team.

• Excellent IT skills, including confident use of digital tools and software for scheduling, document management, and communication.

Desirable Experience and Knowledge

• Experience of supporting leaders in managing stakeholder relationships

• Knowledge of Google Workspace (particularly Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides)

• Familiarity with CRM systems and/or charity membership management.

• Familiarity with the open knowledge movement

Personal Attributes

• Discreet, diplomatic, and professional at all times.

• Calm and confident when managing multiple priorities.

• A proactive and solutions-focused approach to work.

Alignment with Wikimedia UK’s open knowledge mission and its values of equity, inclusivity, collaboration, creativity, and boldness.

Role Description

The purpose of the Executive Assistant role is to provide administrative, organisational and coordination support to the Executive Team, ensuring their time and attention are aligned with organisational priorities, goals, and objectives. The role covers executive coordination, governance administration and project support.  The Executive Assistant enables effective decision making across the Leadership Team, supports the smooth delivery of priorities, and contributes to the execution of long-term strategic goals.

The Executive Team comprises the Chief Executive, Operations Director and Business Development Director.  They work together as part of the Leadership Team, comprising key leaders from across the charity.

Excellent attention to detail is crucial, as is the ability to operate with discretion and flexibility. A high standard of written and verbal communication is essential. The role requires collaboration across Finance, HR, Trustees, and external stakeholders, and an understanding of effective charity governance would be desirable.

This role requires a high level of emotional intelligence, sound judgement, and the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation. Success in this role depends on a proactive mindset, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to remain calm and resourceful under pressure. The Executive Assistant must be highly dependable, detail-oriented, and capable of managing sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Responsibilities

Executive Coordination

• Manage calendars, inboxes, travel and meeting preparation for Executive Team
• Coordinate agendas and logistics for internal and external meetings
• Liaise with stakeholders, clients and partners to ensure smooth engagement

Governance Support

• Own the established governance timetable, board meeting scheduling, and trustee communications
• Draft and distribute board packs, take minutes, and track actions
• Support governance processes in collaboration with the Operations Director
• Support trustee onboarding, training, and engagement
• Ensure timely completion of Charity Commission and Companies House submissions
• Leverage AI tools and platforms to enhance business processes

Strategic communications

• Communicate with external stakeholders on behalf of the Executive Team
• Coordinate staff events and meetings
• Work with marketing and communities & projects teams for conferences and external events

Project support

• Support ongoing transformation projects in collaboration with Head of Business Functions
• Support recruitment and onboarding for senior roles led by the Head of Business Operations
• Support strategic planning and performance tracking led by the Operations Director and Business Development Director
• Support handover and re-onboarding of Executive Assistant on her return April 2027

Role Requirements

Required:

• Minimum of four years’ experience in a similar role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders in a fast paced and changing environment, taking initiative and managing competing deadlines calmly and flexibly.
• Confident communicating with the executive and leadership team, trustees and external partners in a professional and timely way.
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and good judgment.
• Confident coordinating meetings, preparing papers and taking accurate minutes.
• Ability to research, digest, analyse and present material clearly and concisely.
• Ability to identify and apply AI-driven tools to enhance business activities and using AI to streamline workflows and personalise business engagement.
• Comfortable stepping into an established role quickly and maintaining continuity during the maternity leave period.

Desirable:

• Experience in charity governance
• Experience in project support/management

Employees are also expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties that are consistent with the grade, responsibilities, and typical scope of the role. Any additional tasks should remain appropriate to the nature of the post and not extend into unrelated functions or specialisms.

All employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s values and behavioural standards, which include being supportive, transparent, respectful, kind, honest, and collaborative. This means fostering a culture of empathy, openness, integrity, and teamwork in all interactions, and contributing positively to the organisation’s mission and strategic objectives.

We are committed to flexible working and are open to requests for different working patterns. This includes part time arrangements and four day working week requests, which we will always consider as part of the recruitment process.

To apply for this role, please share your CV with a one-page cover letter setting out why this role appeals to you and how your skills and experiences meet the key skills points in the job description.

Interviews expected to take place on week commencing the 2nd of February 2026.