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Contract: Permanent, full time
Salary: £28,481 to £33,118 per annum
Location: Radcliffe, M26 1NQ
Closing date: Sunday 18th January 2026
Interview dates: TBC
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 Manchester Rehoming Advice and behaviour unit.
This is an exciting time for the Manchester Centre with many changes happening and the chance for a dynamic leader to bring their own experience and help shape the future of the centre, for the pets and clients we help through our site, as well as the Manchester team.
More about the role
Based in our high street location since 2018, we are perfectly placed to support our local community and surrounding areas. Our Foster-based care and Home Direct scheme ensures animals find new loving homes without the stress of kennels. This means that we do not usually have pets staying onsite overnight and our roles may not include daily pet care, but no two days are ever the same.
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, bringing teams together and driving performance. 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 to shape the culture of the centre, including rethinking how we can best meet our goals for helping pets.
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 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday, working 1 in 3 weekends (Sat and Sun), with flexibility where there is a business need.
Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached a 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 people 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 Sunday 18th January 2026.
The process will include:
- First stage interview and site tour
- Online Discovery Session. 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.
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:
- Pro rata 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
- 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
We believe in a world where all pets enjoy a healthy and happy life with people who love them



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Contract: Full time, fixed term until 16th February 2027
Salary: £28,481 to £33,118 per annum
Location: Exeter, EX2 8ED
Closing date: Sunday 18th January 2026
Interview dates: To be confirmed
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 Devon rehoming advice and behaviour unit in all pets, people, financial and compliance matters!
This is a great time to join the Devon Centre, with the chance for a dynamic leader who can quickly adapt and bring their own experience to the role. This is a fixed term contract role until 16th February 2027.
More about the role
At our rehoming, advice & behaviour unit in Devon, our foster-based care and Home Direct Scheme ensures animals find loving homes without the stress of kennels. This means that we do not usually have pets staying onsite overnight and our roles may not include daily pet care, but no two days are ever the same.
As Centre Manager, you’ll be responsible for all aspects of the Centre – pets, people, 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 delivering the strategy for the Devon centre. We have a skilled, passionate team, we need someone who can build great relationships and continue to meet the objectives of the centre.
For many, the Centre will be the “public face” of Blue Cross so you will need to ensure that customer service is at the heart of every interaction. At Blue Cross we are ambitious, and the work carried out by our Centres is key in achieving our strategy and ensuring that ultimately, we help more pets.
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, working 1 in 3 weekends (Sat and Sun), with flexibility where there is a business need.
Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached a 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 operational and people management skills – able to set direction, take action and empower others to deliver improvements.
Alongside your leadership strengths, you’ll also possess indepth 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.
- Significant experience of working in an emotionally charged environment, showing empathy, and demonstrating resilience under pressure and dealing with distressed people and animals.
- 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 Sunday 18th January 2026.
The process will include:
- First stage interview and site tour.
- Online Discovery Session. 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.
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:
- Pro rata 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
- 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
We believe in a world where all pets enjoy a healthy and happy life with people who love them



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Centre Manager – Youlbury Scout Adventures
Location: Youlbury, Oxfordshire (Live-in role – accommodation provided)
Salary: £37,800 per annum (Band F, Level 3)
Hours: 35 hours per week (evening and weekend work on a rota basis)
Contract: Permanent
Scout Adventures is recruiting a Centre Manager to lead Youlbury Scout Adventures, a thriving outdoor activity centre set in the Oxfordshire countryside. This is a unique live-in leadership role combining operational management with meaningful, values-driven work.
About the role
Youlbury is part of Scout Adventures, a national network of outdoor activity centres that inspire thousands of young people every year. As Centre Manager, you will have overall responsibility for the safe, inclusive, and effective running of the centre.
You will lead a diverse team of staff and volunteers across outdoor activities, accommodation, catering, and customer service, ensuring every visitor receives a welcoming, high-quality experience. Living on site allows you to be fully immersed in centre life and respond quickly to operational needs.
What you’ll be doing
As Centre Manager – Youlbury, you will:
- Lead, support, and develop staff and volunteers
- Oversee day-to-day operations, including accommodation, catering, activities, and events
- Ensure safe, smooth, and memorable experiences for all visitors
- Manage budgets and contribute to financial planning and sustainability
- Build strong relationships with volunteers, Scout groups, partners, and the local community
What we’re looking for as our Centre Manager – Youlbury
We’re looking for someone who brings:
- Experience managing teams in a busy, customer-focused or operational environment
- Confidence working with budgets, health & safety, and operational planning
- A hands-on, adaptable leadership style and a calm approach to problem-solving
- A passion for outdoor learning and values-led work
- Strong organisational, communication, and decision-making skills
Why live and work at Youlbury?
This role offers more than a job — it offers a fulfilling lifestyle. You’ll live and work in a beautiful woodland setting, surrounded by nature and outdoor adventure. On-site accommodation means no commute and the opportunity to be fully involved in a supportive, purpose-driven community.
What you’ll get in return:
- 28 days holiday (rising to 32 after 2 years), plus extra days at Christmas
- Double-matched pension contributions up to 10%
- Award-winning Charity of the Year (Charity Times Awards 2022)
- Family-friendly policies and generous leave
- Access to training and development through our internal learning hub
Applications close: 23:59 on Monday, 12th January 2026
Interviews will be held in person at Youlbury week commencing Monday, 19th January 2026.
Strictly no agencies.
The Scouts is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. We offer flexible working arrangements to support diverse needs and lifestyles, ensuring that our teams can thrive both professionally and personally. We welcome and encourage applicants from all walks of life, believing that varied perspectives strengthen our innovation and community. Your unique experiences and ideas are essential to our success, and we look forward to hearing from all voices.