Jobs for the Animal sector

Contract Legal Specialist

Home Based with regular travel to locations across the UK

Up to £50,000 per annum (or pro-rata for 0.8 FTE)
Permanent, Full Time (35 hours per week) (0.8 FTE could be considered).

This role is predominantly home-based with regular travel to locations across the UK. Office facilities are available at our Newark office (Tuesdays to Thursdays) for those within easy travelling distance.

Closing date for applications: 14th June 2026

First interview: 30th June / 1st July (Online Interview)

Second interview: 6th July (Online Interview)

About Us

The Wildlife Trusts are a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. We have more than 945,000 members, over 33,000 volunteers, 4,100 staff and 600 trustees. There are 46 individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which is a place-based independent charity with its own legal identity, formed by groups of people getting together and working with others to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work.

Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts.

The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We recognise that this will require big, bold changes in the way The Wildlife Trusts work, not least in how we mobilise others and support them to organise within their own communities.

About You

If you are an experienced and self-motivated contracts lawyer ready to apply your commercial and legal expertise with real purpose, we’d love to hear from you. This is a great opportunity to help safeguard the work and future impact of one of the UK’s best-loved conservation charities.

In this newly created role of contracts legal specialist, you’ll lead on all contractual legal matters across The Wildlife Trusts Federation, acting as the first point of contact, providing high quality legal advice for contract-related queries. Reporting to our Legal Director, you’ll build successful working relationships across the organisation supporting colleagues to identify, manage and mitigate legal risk while enabling the Charity’s work to thrive. You’ll play a key role in promoting legal compliance, contributing to the development of policies and guidance, and staying up to date with legislative changes and relevant case law. While your focus will be on contract law, you’ll also bring a broad awareness of related areas such as charity and employment law.

Using your legal expertise and excellent communication skills, you will design, organise and deliver training to colleagues, embedding best practice, building capacity and confidence, improving consistency and ensuring value for money on contracting activities. You’ll be organised, adaptable and comfortable juggling multiple priorities in an ever-changing environment.

As a pragmatic and commercially astute professional, you’ll balance risk awareness with opportunity, using your initiative to take on new challenges and quickly develop knowledge in unfamiliar areas to support the wider work of the legal team.

While there is currently no line management responsibility, our ambition is to grow the legal function over time — creating future opportunities to gain line management experience and play a part in shaping the team.

The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. We are passionate in promoting our aims, and we pride ourselves on being inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.

RSWT take our Safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level.

RSWT are committed to increasing the diversity of its staff through its Levelling the Field recruitment pledge and, as a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming recruitment experience for all applicants. Applicants with disabilities and from ethnic minority backgrounds, will be considered for the next stage of the selection process should they meet all the minimum criteria for the role outlined in the person specification detailed as essential criteria in the recruitment pack.

As part of our Disability Confident Scheme, RSWT offers an interview to a fair and proportionate number of applicants with disabilities and therefore not all applicants with disabilities would be entitled to an interview as they must still satisfy the minimum requirements for the job. This commitment is designed to help reduce barriers and promote equal opportunity. We actively work to remove barriers throughout the recruitment journey and are dedicated to creating an accessible and supportive recruitment experience by offering reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process, as well as within the workplace. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you during your application or interview process, please let us know and we will be pleased to put the appropriate support in place.

At RSWT, we are committed to creating a safe environment where discrimination, bullying, and harassment are not tolerated. We expect everyone to uphold, respect, and support our zero-tolerance policy. Please be aware we may not accept applications if we have reason to believe they have been wholly produced using generative AI tools.

You will support the delivery of the People & Culture plan, ensuring the organisation has the capability, culture and capacity to achieve its strategic objectives.

You will act as a trusted partner to SMT, translating organisational priorities into people solutions and driving a high-performance, values-led culture.

Based: Hybrid (ideally 2 days in office) The Grange, Saunderton, Princes Risborough.

Contract: Fixed term until 31 December 2026.

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week (part-time applications considered, min. 3 days per week).

Key Activities

• Lead, coach and develop the People team, line managing the People Business Partner and People Operations Manager, to deliver quality people services across the employee lifecycle
• Lead workforce planning aligned to organisational strategy and service delivery needs
• Provide expert HR advice and guidance on complex ER, risk and organisational change
• Oversee recruitment strategy and employer brand
• Ensure compliance with employment law, safeguarding and regulatory requirements
• Use people data and insights to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement
• Develop organisational approach to pay progression and employee benefits
• Lead on the development of a new EDI strategy

Customer and Service Delivery Expectations

• Leading and developing the People Experience function (made up of People Business Partnering and People Operations teams) to be high performing
• Timely, pragmatic and risk-aware HR advice
• High-quality, consistent and fair people processes
• Clear, simple and accessible guidance for managers
• Regular data reporting and people analytics support evidence-based recommendations aligned to organisational priorities
• Proactive rather than reactive support
• Compliance maintained with minimal risk exposure
• Positive feedback from SMT and other stakeholders on quality and impact of People team effectiveness

Key Deliverables

• People services and initiatives foster an inclusive, positive and high-performance culture in line with organisational values, and are delivered on time and within resource
• Improved employee engagement scores, measurable progress and clear action plan delivery
• Workforce plans aligned to service delivery needs and budget
• Achievement Development Review process is embedded with high completion rates and quality outcomes
• EDI strategy and policy developed, with implementation plan
• Pay progression framework and updated benefits package

Benefits

• Employee Assistance Programme. 
• Death in Service Payment. 
• Annual leave enhancements recognising long service 
• Day off for your birthday 
• Defined contribution group personal pension plan 
• Enhanced sick pay 
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay 
• Eye care 
• Hearing tests 
• Learning and Development opportunities 
• Discounts on merchandise at Hearing Dog gift shops 
• Pet Dog Policy

Closing date: 9th June 2026.

National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains dogs to transform the lives of deaf people and provides hearing loss services – because nobody with hearing loss should feel alone.

Greyhound Trust is looking for its first-ever Individual Giving Officer — a pivotal role in our growing Income Generation & Engagement team. This is a chance to shape, grow, and lead our individual giving programme from the ground up, helping us care for and home more greyhounds across the UK.

About the Greyhound Trust

For over 50 years, Greyhound Trust has supported greyhounds transitioning from racing into loving homes where they can thrive. Each year, with an annual income of around £4.5m, we home thousands of dogs, relying on a passionate network of staff, branches, and volunteers.

The world is changing, and so is the way people engage with causes they care about. We are now looking to grow and diversify our individual giving, building long-term relationships with supporters who share our commitment to the welfare of greyhounds. This is your chance to play a key role in shaping our strategy, delivering creative campaigns, and helping secure the financial foundation for the Trust’s future.

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Income Generation and Engagement, you will be responsible for:

• Creating, delivering, and evaluating our Individual Giving
• Building a diverse and sustainable portfolio of individual giving income streams, including regular giving, appeals, raffle, lottery, digital fundraising, mid-level giving, and legacy gifts.
• Planning and delivering multi-channel campaigns that integrate with marketing, communications, and retail initiatives.
• Using data and insight to drive performance, monitor results, and develop strong cases for support.
• Supporting branches and volunteers in delivering individual giving initiatives.
• Developing supporter journeys that encourage loyalty, growth, and long-term engagement.
• Ensuring all activities comply with fundraising legislation, best practice, and data protection law.

This is a hands-on role, that will allow you to take ownership of your programme while collaborating across the Trust to deliver impactful campaigns and initiatives.

Is this role right for you?

This role will suit you if you are an ambitious, hands-on fundraiser who thrives in a small, collaborative team where everyone is invested in the success of the whole organisation. You enjoy taking ownership, sharing ideas, and seeing things through to delivery, and you value open communication, mutual support, and a culture where colleagues are trusted to innovate and experiment.

You are likely to thrive if you enjoy balancing independent responsibility with teamwork, and if you are motivated by making a tangible difference rather than simply delivering outputs. You are curious, thoughtful, and practical, and you are happy to contribute beyond your immediate remit to help the organisation succeed.

Why join us?

• Be part of a compact, passionate, and close-knit team.
• Lead the development of the first dedicated individual giving programme in the Trust’s history.
• Work in a medium-sized, agile charity with a strong sense of purpose and financial stability.
• Play a key role in growing support and enabling more greyhounds to be cared for and rehomed across the UK.

Nature Reserves Manager
£38,532 - £40,019 depending on skills and experience + 7% pension contribution
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Permanent, Full Time (35 hours per week)

Closing date - 15th June 2026
Interviews will be held on 23rd & 26th June 2026

We are seeking a Nature Reserves Manager to oversee the day-to-day responsibility for SWT’s nature reserves and to work with the Head of Conservation and Policy to ensure that the sites play an enhanced role in achieving our strategic goals in conservation, people engagement and natural capital.

This is a key role in ensuring SWT’s nature reserves are maintained in good ecological and hydrological condition, are accessible, welcoming and well known to the widest possible audience, and that demonstration sites are managed on a commercially viable basis to deliver ecosystem services, including biodiversity net gain (BNG).

What you will be doing:

You will oversee annual budgeting, financial monitoring, grant funding applications, environmental land management (ELM) payments and biodiversity net gain (BNG) delivery, ensuring projects are managed on a commercially viable basis and achieve full cost recovery where appropriate.

You will also be responsible for maintaining site infrastructure, ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements, overseeing grazing management, and managing reserve documentation, leases and legal records. Working closely with internal teams, you will help improve accessibility and visitor engagement across SWT sites, strengthen integration with wider SWT programmes, and maximise the contribution of volunteers.

We are looking for someone who has:

•  Strong leadership and organisational skills
• Significant experience in land management within conservation or a related field
• Strong project management experience
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Ability to build positive working relationships both internally and externally
• Sound financial planning and management skills
• A valid UK driving license is essential.

The Trust is committed to building an equal, diverse and inclusive workforce we encourage applications from a diverse range of suitably qualified candidates.  Please let us know if you require any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible.

Why work for us - benefits we offer:

• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays and Service related holiday (pro-rated for part time staff)
• Salary sacrifice benefits
• Life assurance
• Generous pension - company contribution 7%, employee contribution 3%
• Enhanced Sick Pay
• Flexible working policy
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discounts
• Employee away days
• Enhanced pay for maternity and adoption leave
• Coaching 
• Support with training and development to assist career progression
• Inclusive & supportive work atmosphere

About us:

Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) has a vision of a thriving natural world, where Shropshire's wildlife and natural habitats play a valued role in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies, and people are inspired and empowered to take action for nature. We combine projects across Shropshire (including Telford & Wrekin) with advocacy and campaigning to restore nature and to engage people. We manage over 40 nature reserves and have almost 50 staff, 300 volunteers, and over 9000 members. SWT is an autonomous charity, but we are increasingly working collectively, as part of The Wildlife Trusts (TWT), to ensure that our local actions have a national impact and help to address global issues.

Chief Executive Officer (Part-time, 3 days/week)

Veterans With Dogs (VWD) is seeking an experienced, values-driven and credible Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our charity into its next chapter. This rare and exciting opportunity offers the chance to guide a small, high-impact team at a pivotal stage in the charity’s growth.

Location: Flexible / UK-based, with regular travel to Exeter, training sites, and key meetings as required. We are flexible in how this is structured, and relocation is not required.
Salary: £45,000–£55,000 pro-rata (equivalent to £27,000 - £33,000 for 3 days/week) + 3% pension contribution
Contract: Permanent

Hours: 21 hours / 3 days per week

Holiday: 28 days per annum (FTE), plus bank holidays
Reports to: Chair of Trustees
Direct reports: 3

About Veterans With Dogs

Veterans With Dogs is a UK charity that transforms the lives of Armed Forces veterans living with mental health challenges. Through the provision of highly trained assistance dogs and trauma-informed support, we help restore purpose, independence, and dignity to those who have served.

Founded in 2012, our work addresses a vital gap for veterans living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Through our award-winning PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) programme, we support veterans to rebuild their lives, with the constant support of a trusted companion by their side.

Following a period of governance transition and renewal, we are entering a new and exciting phase. We are strengthening leadership, systems, and strategy to ensure long-term sustainability and greater reach, while maintaining the quality, care, and integrity that sit at the heart of our work.

We recognise that this is a senior leadership role within a small organisation and are committed to flexibility in how the role is delivered. We are open to conversations around working patterns and location to ensure we attract the strongest possible candidate.

We are also open to shaping aspects of the role around the strengths and location of the successful candidate.

We would particularly welcome candidates who can bring fresh perspective, while respecting and building on the strong foundations already in place.

This is an opportunity to shape the future of a respected and growing charity at a pivotal moment, with genuine scope to influence strategy, culture, and long-term impact.

The Role

The CEO will provide strategic direction, operational oversight, and cultural leadership for Veterans With Dogs. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the CEO will oversee the delivery of the charity’s mission, ensure operational excellence, develop our long-term strategy, and foster a values-led and high-performing team.

This is a hands-on, multi-dimensional leadership role, ideal for a calm, pragmatic, and inspiring individual with experience of organisational stabilisation, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable growth. You will build strong relationships with the team and stakeholders, maintaining a visible and engaged leadership presence both in person and remotely.

This is a genuinely part-time role with a focused and manageable scope, supported by an engaged Board of Trustees and a committed team. The role is designed to be sustainable within the allocated hours.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the development and delivery of an interim plan and longer-term organisational strategy
• Translate strategic goals into clear operational priorities and plans
• Foster a compassionate, inclusive, and mission-aligned organisational culture
• Act as a credible and inspiring ambassador for Veterans With Dogs with stakeholders, funders, partners, and the public
• Guide the charity through stabilisation and values-led, sustainable growth

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all relevant charity law, regulation, and best practice
• Work in partnership with the Board of Trustees, supporting effective governance and reporting
• Implement and embed improvements in HR, finance, safeguarding, IT, and operational systems
• Lead on organisational risk management, ensuring policies and procedures are in place and regularly reviewed

Operations & Programme Delivery

• Oversee day-to-day operations to ensure safe, ethical, and effective service delivery
• Ensure safeguarding standards are upheld for both veterans and dogs
• Drive continuous improvement in programme quality, delivery, and impact measurement
• Ensure operational systems and data processes are robust, compliant, and fit for purpose

People & Culture

• Lead, support, and nurture a small, dedicated staff team and wider network of volunteers
• Promote staff wellbeing, clear communication, and professional development
• Work with trustees to assess future staffing needs and build leadership capacity

Finance & Sustainability

• Work with trustees and advisors to ensure sound financial management and reporting
• Contribute to financial planning, budgeting, and development of a sustainable reserves policy
• Help diversify income streams, supporting fundraising efforts, corporate partnerships, and individual giving

Fundraising & External Relations

Build and maintain relationships with funders, donors, corporate partners, and sector allies

• Collaborate with the fundraising trustee to develop new funding opportunities
• Represent the charity externally with credibility, transparency, and professionalism
• Strengthen partnerships with ADUK, ADI, Cobseo, and other key membership bodies

Person Specification

Essential

• Senior leadership experience within a charity, social enterprise, or values-led organisation
• Strong knowledge of charity governance, regulation, and trustee relationships
• Experience leading teams through organisational change or stabilisation
• Financial literacy with experience of budgeting, reporting, and planning
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across diverse stakeholders
• A calm, values-based, and ethical leadership approach

Desirable

• Experience in health, mental health, veterans’ services, or trauma-informed work
• Experience working with boards during periods of strategic or leadership transition
• Fundraising and/or income generation experience
• Understanding of safeguarding best practice (for people and/or animals)
• Lived experience of the military or charity sectors (not essential)

Our Commitment

Veterans With Dogs is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to create a supportive, respectful, and empowering workplace. We recognise the value of lived experience and are committed to continuous learning as an organisation.

How to Apply

Please apply via Charity Jobs.

If you would like a confidential conversation before applying, we would be happy to speak with you.

Closing date to apply: 5pm on Thursday 11 June 2026

• First interviews (online): week commencing 22 June 2026
• Second interviews (in our Exeter office): TBC

Previous applicants need not reapply, thank you.

Veterans With Dogs is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1161554).

We are looking for a Head of Income Generation & Engagement to lead the creation and delivery of a new, integrated Income Generation and Engagement Strategy, with scope to innovate across individual and major giving, retail, digital engagement and emerging approaches.

The Charity
An incredible animal welfare charity based in Surrey looking for full time office working.

The Role
Working with the Chief Executive and others, to design, recruit and develop a multi-disciplinary team covering income generation, marketing, communications and engagement.

Review income generation, marketing and communications trends, approaches and evaluation frameworks. Conduct further research and evaluation as required and set against sector comparators.

Conduct initial, then regular, analysis of the charitys audiences, both existing and potential, with a view to maximising opportunities for engagement, influence, giving, volunteering and homing.

Create an integrated brand, marketing and income generation strategy, with clear delivery plans and evaluation frameworks.

Review and lead development of the individual giving programme, both traditional and digital, including membership and friends schemes.

The Candidate
Track record at senior level with demonstrable experience across income generation, marketing and communications disciplines.

Demonstrable experience of building, implementing and evaluating income generation and engagement strategies.

Demonstrable experience of integrating brand, marketing and income generation strategies and the teams delivering them to achieve both financial and wider organisational targets.

Budgetary understanding and experience; able to understand corporate budgets and management accounts, build and manage annual budgets and accurately forecast both income and expenditure.

Significant experience of line management and team development, setting objectives and goals and holding regular supervision and one to-one meetings.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Our aim is to respond to all successful applications within 5 days. If you havent been contacted within 5 days your application has been unsuccessful, but we positively encourage you to apply for any other positions that you may see in the future.

We apologise that we cannot contact everybody in person but thank you in advance for your interest.

Third Solutions encourages applications from individuals of all ages & backgrounds. Appointment will be made on merit alone but candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to work in the UK. Third Solutions acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment & an employment business for temporary recruitment as defined by the Conduct of Employment Agencies & Employment Business Regulations 2003.