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.
Registered Charity 
501 - 1000
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.
About the role
We’re looking for a Fundraising Engagement Manager with great personality and team ethic to join our Regional Fundraising team.
This is a role of variety, opportunity and innovation, and we are looking for someone who embraces change and constantly strives to achieve more.
You will maximise income for Young Live vs Cancer by coaching our supporters to reach their goals, whilst seeking out new fundraising opportunities for your geographical area. This role sits within the ‘Regional Engagement’ team and we need someone with natural customer service skills who wants to deliver a legendary experience to all of their supporters. Your team of supporters will range from volunteers and individuals, to groups and local corporates.
Bristol and Somerset is an area filled with some of our most committed supporters but there is still so much opportunity to grow corporate support across the counties. Our Social Workers support families from Bristol hospitals, so building relationships with these teams are a must.
Candidates should live within Bristol & Somerset, in one of the following Postcodes: Bristol BS1-19, North Somerset BS20-29, BS41-49, Somerset BA4-11, BA16-22, TA.
Candidates who live outside of these areas should highlight an intention to relocate to the area in their covering letter for their application to be considered. If you don’t live in one of these postcodes and don’t have plans to relocate, your application will not be taken forward.
This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application a basic record check will be completed.
What will I be doing?
No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in our Role Details document.
- To plan, monitor and report on your budgeted income with a constant eye on contingency planning to ensure annual targets are achieved
- To steward our most committed supporters and deliver legendary supporter experience
- To be a key, valued member of your regional team and UK wide team.
- To identify, cultivate and secure partnerships and donations within your area
- To work with your local service team/s to build and maintain strong and effective working relationships
- To be the first point of contact for service user families, to offer opportunities to them and their networks to engage with the wider charity as they would like I.e. fundraising, volunteering, sharing their story
What do I need?
- A proven track record of delivering amazing customer experiences
- Experience of relationship management in either a charity or corporate setting
- Ability to work within a financial target-based setting, and experience of reaching/exceeding set targets
- Demonstrable experience of winning new business
- Experience of managing own workload
- Proven ability to manage/complete projects
- Able to ‘make the ask’ for support and to influence/negotiate
- Have a full UK driving licence and access to a car (including business insurance)
- Have a sufficient Broadband connection
Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.
The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:
- Natural storyteller
- Strong prioritisation skills
- Great communicator
- Great at spotting opportunities
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Compassion
- Integrity
- Team player
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Wellbeing days: four days a year to do what works for you – from catching up on training to going for a walk
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
To arrange an informal chat, please contact Cerys Sadler.
#ShowTheSalary #NonGraduatesWelcome
- Phone interviews: Tuesday 7th October 2025
- Panel interviews: Tuesday 21st and Thursday 23rd October
