Entry level jobs for the Animal sector
About Open Cages
Open Cages is a UK-registered charity fighting animal suffering. We are part of an international organisation, Anima International. To achieve our goal we use scientific evidence, careful reasoning, and draw upon decades of collective experience. Just in the last few years, we have successfully helped improve the lives of hundreds of millions of farmed animals in the UK.
We are impact-oriented and use a wide array of tools to make the world a better place. Our current toolkit includes:
- Investigations which reveal the reality hidden behind the walls of factory farms
- Negotiations with companies to encourage them to eliminate cruel practices from their policies
- Advocacy to secure legal milestones for animals
At Open Cages we won’t stop until we end animal suffering. We would like to invite you to join us and help us achieve this goal.
What do you gain by working at Open Cages?
- Meaningful work – you will help build a world free from animal suffering
- Time – you will be able to focus full-time on helping animals
- High degree of flexibility – the work is almost totally remote and you will organise your working hours and workflow yourself
- Trust – we expect you to make mistakes as a given and learn from them
- Autonomy – you will experience freedom and independence in your decision-making
- Transparency – you will have access to the work and decisions of others
- Honest work culture – you will know what your colleagues are doing and what they really think
- Knowledge – you will learn and receive support from people who have been fighting for animals for many years
- Opportunity to grow – you will learn every day and be encouraged to experiment beyond your skill set
- Ability to influence the organisation – we encourage our people to openly speak their mind and thus you will be able to impact what kind of organisation we are
- A laugh – animal advocacy can be dark at times, we think that having a fun atmosphere is key to balance this
- Transparently set compensation – Our salaries are not negotiable and are based on a transparent algorithm that is the same for each role
Following a 3-month probation period, you will transition to a fixed-term contract. Upon successful completion of this term, you will be offered a permanent employment contract. A minimum salary of £39,695.24 gross (our salary base for people resident in the UK) will apply from the beginning of the probationary period. The salary base may change due to your previous experience related to the position, or your experience in animal advocacy (+3% for each year). In addition, the salary increases with your seniority in Open Cages according to the following model:
+ 7% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the first 5 years of work
+ 5% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work
+ 3% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work
+ 2% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next years of work
About your role
We are a small and ambitious early-stage organisation with two full-time team members. Our current objective: to help the 1 billion chickens raised annually in the UK. By joining us as a campaigner who focuses on communications, you will work on the frontlines by shining a light on the hidden suffering of animals trapped on factory farms, and mobilising the public to take action. Your first task will be to help us convince the UK’s largest food businesses to improve their chicken welfare policies, primarily through crafting media stories and marketing campaigns that capture the hearts and minds of the public.
While this may sound challenging, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a historic change for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Someone has to pick up the fight, and we hope it will be You.
We can accommodate to you
Due to the broad scope of our work, there is no simple description of the perfect campaigner. There may also be certain areas where you are stronger than others, and we are open to fitting the role around you. We are looking for a generalist rather than a specialist. However, you do need to have some particular strengths such as resilience, persistence, creativity, and critical thinking. Ideally, some day, you will be able to lead a big team and transfer your knowledge to them.
No previous experience is required for this role. While experience will be valued (and reflected in the salary), we welcome applications from both seasoned professionals and passionate newcomers who align with our organisational culture.
What do we require from you?
- Strong belief in the mission of our organisation. Working for us should not be thought of as a ‘career step’. We want people who are motivated by our mission above all.
- Flexible availability. We think of ourselves as a small startup. The fate of the organisation rests on a handful of highly motivated advocates who want to do something ambitious with their lives. We want to maintain the intensity of our current operating culture, so you should expect to work the occasional weekends and late evenings.
- Not being an asshole. We expect you to treat others with respect, decency and compassion – even the occasional adversaries.
- A preference for hard work. Activism is our passion and one of the main motivations in life. To fit our culture, you have to be a person that is proactive and enjoys work.
- Growth mindset. Nobody knows how to fix the world, so we need you to keep learning. We constantly strive to be better at our activism, but also as people.
- Strong interest in a high-feedback culture. We have a culture of honest and direct communication. We talk openly about our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis because we want to be the best. You will know what your colleagues really think of you and be encouraged to speak your mind.
- Ability to reason and communicate your thinking, especially in written form. In order to thrive in our organisation you must be able to think carefully, try to back up your ideas with reasonable evidence, and above all be open to being proven wrong and changing your mind.
- Fluency in English. You will be working in a UK-based organisation which will require constant communication with English speakers.
- Ability to work in the UK. This offer is open to candidates who are either currently UK-based, or are willing to move to the UK for the job. We are happy to do whatever we can to help you in relocating, depending on your needs and our ability. If you have any questions about what we can help with, don’t hesitate to write to us!
You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian. While all of our events provide only plant-based meals, we are open to anyone who wants to fight for a world that is free from animal suffering. We won’t turn down any help.
What will you do?
- Build culture – you will help build and reinforce our culture, so we never lose what makes up the strength of Open Cages.
- Embrace reality – you will make it your mission to understand the world as it is rather than as you would like it to be.
- Manage activists – you will manage and work with teams of both employed and voluntary activists.
- Experience frustration – you will feel frustrated about things you could do better or things that are not working in the organisation or your team, and use this frustration as an opportunity to refine and elevate our organisation.
- Question ideas – you will question common knowledge, especially your own ideas, so that our results are always as good as they can be.
- Optimise your performance – you will continuously deepen your knowledge – both about particular areas of animal advocacy and about how the world works – and enjoy this process.
- Prioritise action – you will act even when there is not sufficient data.
- Abandon projects – you will change your objectives when it makes sense, no matter the time already invested.
- Respect and trust others – you will be there for others and trust their intentions. You will support them when they succeed and when they fail.
- Seek information independently – you will be responsible for acting very independently which will require you to obtain and verify data.
- Make mistakes – you will embrace your mistakes without being ashamed with the desire to learn from them.
- Strategise – it is not easy to change the world. As a campaigner you will ask yourself endless questions. You will be responsible for campaign strategy which requires careful planning and the ability to think ahead.
- Try again and again and again – the decision makers we want to convince often don’t want to improve animal welfare, others may simply not have time for you. You will need extreme persistence in order to gain traction with companies.
- Take risks – negotiating in a high stakes meeting, attending a farming conference, organising a protest, taking hundreds of videos of a retailer’s chicken products for a BBC story (yes, we did this!) – in this role you will need to be comfortable with stepping out of your comfort zone.
- Conduct research – you will spend many hours online gathering information, working with investigators and lawyers, or delivering chicken products to a lab in Germany (we did this too).
- Create marketing content – you will produce graphics and videos for social media, and utilise marketing tools to reach millions of people.
- Work with the media – you will engage with journalists, write press releases, pitch stories and be animals’ voice on the radio and TV.
- Mobilise advocates – you will write emails to our supporters and motivate them to take action with us. You will also organise and run street actions like protests and stunts.
- Connect with diverse audiences – you will need to talk about the suffering of animals to very different groups of people that compose our society. To do that effectively, you will need to understand their perspective and be a good, empathetic communicator.
- Ask for support – you will help us fundraise to increase our impact.
Do you think this role is too challenging and you're not fit for it?
You may be thinking that this role would be interesting for you, but you won’t make the cut.
We encourage you not to worry and fill out the application nonetheless, especially if you meet our requirements (even on a basic level) and you think this position could bring you a lot of joy. Leave the judgment about your competence to us. You may even learn something useful along the way.
We prepared support materials to help you through the application process. We'll also be hosting informational webinars about this role and our recruitment process – click ‘Redirect to recruiter’ to see the website for more details.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Contract: Permanent, part time
Location: London Victoria animal hospital
Salary: £26,063 - £30,306 plus £3,027 London Weighting Allowance per annum
Rota: 7 on 14 off: Work 7 consecutive nights followed by 14 nights off
Closing date: Monday 5th May 2025
Interviews: W/C 12th May 2025
We're seeking dedicated Night Veterinary Nurses to join our team at London Victoria Animal Hospital. Working 7 consecutive nights followed by 14 nights off; by joining our team, you'll play a crucial role in ensuring our hospital provides a 24/7 service, catering to the needs of our furry friends around the clock.
More about the role
Our Victoria animal hospital provides care to thousands of animals annually. From routine procedures to intricate surgeries, we offer a wide range of treatments to ensure the well-being of every patient. We are a first opinion practice providing essential emergency and first aid treatment to eligible pet owners. This means our business as usual is highly critical cases and surgical procedures, emergency triage over the phone and face to face, and inpatient care to a high nursing standard.
We have well equipped veterinary facilities, the hospital spans six floors, with six consultation rooms, two theatres, four minor procedure rooms and a laboratory.
While our primary focus is on dogs and cats, our compassionate team is equipped to care for a variety of pets. You'll be helping to deliver excellent veterinary care for a wide range of small animals, providing both routine healthcare and attending a large number of emergencies, which provides our team excellent opportunities to develop their skills.
With this 7 on, 14 off rota, you'll have a unique work pattern that offers an excellent balance between work and personal time. Please note that holidays will need to be taken within the 14 nights off. By joining our team, you'll play a crucial role in ensuring our hospital provides a 24/7 service, catering to the needs of our furry friends around the clock.
Due to the nature of the work of Blue Cross, and this post, it may be necessary to exceed these hours when the workload demands.
About you
You will be a fully qualified Veterinary Nurse registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Excellent communication skills are a must-have in this role. You'll be interacting with pet owners, veterinary colleagues, and other members of our team on a daily basis. Strong customer service skills are also essential for ensuring a positive experience for our clients.
Veterinary care can be unpredictable, so it's important to be adaptable and able to handle whatever comes your way. We're looking for candidates who are reliable and can be counted on to deliver consistently high-quality care, regardless of the circumstances.
While you'll need to be able to work independently, you'll also be part of a dedicated team of veterinary professionals. Collaboration and teamwork are key to ensuring the smooth operation of our clinic and the well-being of our patients.
Above all, you will be passionate about animal welfare and share our commitment to providing compassionate care. A caring attitude and a dedication to our values are essential qualities that we look for in all our team members.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
- Fully qualified Veterinary Nurse or final year students
- Registered with RCVS or pending registration for students
- Experience of emergency service and critical care nursing
- Experience in nursing duties
- Experience of working nights in a veterinary practice
Although not essential, it would be great if you also had experience of:
- Radiography
- Use of computerised vet records
- Triage
- Critical care nursing
- Surgical and medical nursing
- Emergency and critical care nursing certificate
How to apply
CVs will be reviewed as we receive them. Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date. 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:
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
- 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
- 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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role Overview:
The Talent Set is thrilled to be working with a fantastic charity as they search for a part-time Supporter Data Officer to support them for an initial 3-month role.
This role supports the effective management of supporter and membership data, playing a crucial role in the smooth operation of membership systems and processes. The post-holder will ensure that data is handled compliantly, processes run efficiently, and supporter engagement is maintained at a high standard—particularly in relation to donations and membership payments.
Key Responsibilities:
- Maintain accurate and legally compliant supporter and membership data in the CRM system.
- Develop, implement, and review CRM data processes to improve the supporter journey.
- Coordinate the membership lifecycle including new joiners, renewals, reactivations, and cancellations.
- Foster strong working relationships with third-party service providers (e.g. mailing houses, call centres, recruitment partners).
- Handle all member enquiries professionally and promptly, aiming to enhance retention and increase member lifetime value.
- Manage payment processes including Direct Debits and alternative methods such as Standing Orders.
- Ensure the accurate recording and reconciliation of donations and membership fees.
Person Specification:
- Experience working with CRM systems to manage supporter or customer data.
- Understanding of data protection and legal compliance regarding data handling.
- Strong organisational and interpersonal skills with attention to detail.
- Excellent communication skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality customer service.
- Experience in managing financial transactions and payment processes.
- Previous experience within a fundraising or membership-based organisation.
- Familiarity with Direct Debit administration and working with BACS or Payfile systems.
- Ability to liaise with external service providers and support cross-functional teams.
What’s on Offer:
- This is a hybrid role, with just 1-2 days per-week in their Central Bristol office.
- A day rate of £98.81 to £118.58 per-day plus daily holiday for the successful candidate.
- A rare part-time opportunity of 29.5 hours per-week and an immediate start.
How to Apply:
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the “apply now” button.
We aim to get back to all successful candidate within 48 working hours.
Commitment to Diversity:
The Talent Set and our partner organisation are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, age, or gender. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Major Donor Fundraising Manager
These are ambitious times for the Charity after recently launching a new strategy that sees growing impact across the world exponentially.
We have now have an exciting opportunity for a proactive and professional individual with outstanding relationship building and influencing skills to join the dedicated Fundraising Department.
Position: 1934 Major Gifts Manager
Location: This role is nominally based at our site based in Sidmouth, Devon – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and we offer hybrid working. We are keen to make the role work for you, and will consider fully remote/home working and flexible working patterns, where required.
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week, 08.30-16.30, Monday-Friday
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Monday 26 May 2025. However, we reserve the right to close this role early if a suitable candidate is found. Interviews will be held in Sidmouth, during the week commencing 16 June 2025.
About the Role
As Major Gifts Manager, you will provide expertise in Major Gifts, successfully developing the programme in line with agreed annual targets and our Fundraising Strategy. You will work closely with the Head of Major Gifts to evolve and continuously improve the major gift activity, bringing an integrated approach across the charity to deliver the most donor-centric activity, whilst continuously evaluating performance.
Your principal duties and responsibilities will include:
• Inputting into and delivering the Major Gifts Strategy and improving the Major Gift portfolio and performance.
• Delivering and reporting on agreed projects, fundraising targets and KPIs.
• Proactively identifying and delivering new fundraising donors and income growth opportunities within Major Gifts.
• Leading on selected donor cultivation and stewardship projects to support sustainable income growth in Major Gifts, including events and other opportunities;
• Personally securing, managing and stewarding a portfolio of active Mid-Value, Major Donors and Charitable Trusts, forging and maintaining strong and enduring relationships.
• Supporting and growing the Major Gifts cultivation programme and pipeline to grow funders’ understanding of the diversity of the charity’s work.
• Being agile to changing market conditions and trends and working with the Head of Major Gifts to relay this into cultivation and stewardship.
About You
With experience of managing, cultivating, and delivering major gifts, and of planning future major gifts pipeline, you will have a proven track record of meeting and exceeding personal fundraising targets.
You will also have:
• A demonstrable record of building excellent stewardship and successful relationships with supporters at all levels including high net worth supporters, charitable trusts and other major donors.
• Well-developed knowledge of monitoring, evaluation, and interpretation of programme performance.
• Demonstrable experience of project budget management/reporting.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• The ability to multi-task and work with several conflicting demands and timescales.
Benefits include
• Competitive pension.
• Life assurance – 2 x annual salary.
• Healthshield.
• 31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.
• Wellbeing team.
• Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.
• Long service awards.
• Healthshield plan
• Free parking.
• Subsidised restaurant and shop.
About the Organisation
The Donkey Sanctuary is one of the UK’s largest international animal welfare charities, currently supporting projects in over 35 countries worldwide, working for a world where donkeys and mules live free from suffering and their contribution to humanity is fully valued.
The Charity is a Disability Confident Employer, committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults) and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.
You may also have experience in areas such as Major Donor, Major Gifts, Major Donor Fundraising, Major Gifts Fundraising, Major Donor Fundraising Manager, Major Gifts Fundraising Manager, Major Donor Fundraising Officer, Major Gifts Fundraising Officer, Major Donor Fundraiser, Major Gifts Fundraiser.
PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation
Thank you!
Canine Partners' mission is to change the lives of disabled people using expertly trained dogs to improve physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
To help us create amazing partnerships, we need amazing people. Canine Partners has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Community Fundraiser to join our dedicated Community Fundraising team.
This is an incredible role at a prominent assistance dog charity where you role will be a part of our essential work that transforms lives every day.
What you will do:
This is a vital role in our Fundraising team, where you will be working with individuals, organisations, schools and small businesses in the local areas across Scotland to raise income and awareness for Canine Partners. You will recruit, manage and inspire fundraising volunteers to support us to raise much-needed funds. You will be passionate about stewarding existing relationships and cultivating news ones, ensuring an outstanding donor experience. Taking a proactive approach will be key to showcasing our work and charitable goals.
It is an exciting time to join us, as the charity marks its 35th anniversary this year year and we will be doing lots to celebrate! Including lots of ambitious projects such as setting up the community fundraising hub in Scotland, which you will play a pivotal part in.
What we are looking for:
- Demonstrable experience in community fundraising and events management.
- A successful track record of securing and maintaining income and support from community-based organisations.
- Proven experience of effectively manging relationships volunteers, supporters, and or external stakeholders/audiences.
- Ability to manage a varied workload and take initiative to prioritise.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and public speaking skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- Experience of creating, forecasting, and monitoring budgets to deliver against income and expenditure targets.
- The ability to travel in line with the requirements of the role.
Most importantly, you will be passionate about the transformative impact that our assistance dogs provide to our beneficiaries.
We can offer you:
- 33 days annual leave allowance (inclusive of bank holidays)
- Salary exchange pension scheme (matched up to 5%)
- Charity (occupational) sick pay
- Life assurance
- Employee assistance programme
- Wellbeing portal
- Flexible working hours
- Mileage expenses (45p per mile)
This role benefits from homebased working with regular travel across Scotland. This is essential to meet with our donor, beneficiaries, colleagues and other stakeholders. You must have the ability to travel in line with the requirements of the role (claimable expenses for business travel will be agreed as required). We will provide a laptop and mobile phone for us in the role.
If this sounds like the perfect role for your, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please apply online with a comprehensive CV and supporting statement explaining how you believe you match the requirements of the role.
Please note we may choose to close this advertisement early should we find a suitable candidate or if we receive a high volume of applications. Please be assured that we contact all candidates regarding the outcome of their application, this may take longer if we receive high volumes of applications.
All interviews will take place online (via MS Teams).
First interviews are scheduled to take place on 7th May 2025.
Second interviews are scheduled to take place on 12th May 2025.
*subject to changes
We recognise the benefit of diverse experience and welcome and encourage applications from all sections of the community. We are a disability confident committed employer.
REF-220
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We will change the lives of disabled people using expertly trained dogs to improve physical, emotional and social wellbeing.
Thank you!
Canine Partners’ mission is to change the lives of disabled people using expertly trained dogs to improve physical, emotional and social wellbeing.
To help us create amazing partnerships, we need amazing people. Canine Partners has an exciting opportunity for a talented Volunteering and Administration Officer to join our dedicated Volunteering team for a temporary fixed term period (minimum 6 months).
This is an incredible role at a prominent assistance dog charity where your role will be a part of our essential work that transforms lives every day.
What you will do:
As part of the Volunteering team, you will play a key role in delivering a range of Volunteering related processes alongside the site-based administration. Working with the Volunteering Coordinator, you will provide an efficient, professional, and effective administration service, supporting the volunteering lifecycle, including recruitment and onboarding, volunteer activities and general support. Alongside the reception and office volunteers you will provide support with office based administration tasks and provide basic IT support to staff and volunteers.
This is a varied role that gives you a fantastic opportunity to interact and work collaboratively with lots of areas of the charity both internally and externally.
What we’re looking for:
- Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills.
- Strong organisational and administrative skills.
- Methodical approach, with keen attention to detail and accuracy.
- Approachable with excellent customer service skills.
- High level of computer literacy and proficiency with Microsoft based packages or similar.
- Ability to provide basic IT troubleshooting skills.
- Experience working in a customer facing role.
- Experience of using a customer relationship management or information system.
- Experience using work-related databases.
You will take pride in delivering excellent customer service; working as a team player, whilst having the ability to self-motivate and work on your own initiative.
It may be advantageous, though not essential, for you to have experience working in the voluntary sector or with volunteers. Most importantly, you will be passionate about the transformative impact that our assistance dogs provide to our beneficiaries.
We can offer you:
- 33 days annual leave allowance (inclusive of bank holidays)
- Salary exchange pension scheme (matched up to 5%)
- Charity (occupational) sick pay
- Life assurance
- Wellbeing portal
- Employee assistance programme
- Free on-site parking
- Dog friendly offices
- Flexible working hours
- Mileage expenses (45p per mile)
This role benefits from working at our purpose-built training centre in the rural countryside of Osgathorpe, Leicestershire.
If this sounds like the perfect role for you, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please apply online with a comprehensive CV and supporting statement explaining how you believe you match the requirements of the role.
Please note we may choose to close this advertisement early should we find a suitable candidate or if we receive a high volume of applications. Please be assured that we contact all candidates regarding the outcome of their application, this may take longer if we receive high volumes of applications.
First interviews are scheduled to take place online (via MS Teams) on 14th May 2025.
Second interviews are scheduled to take place at our National Training Centre, Osgathorpe, Leicestershire on 21st May 2025.
*Subject to changes.
We recognise the benefit of diverse experience and welcome and encourage applications from all sections of the community. We are a disability confident committed employer.
REF-220
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We will change the lives of disabled people using expertly trained dogs to improve physical, emotional and social wellbeing.