Lifeline clinical lead jobs

Chief Executive Officer

The Opportunity

Many Tears Animal Rescue is at an exciting stage in its development. We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome thousands of animals each year, and are now seeking an experienced, practical leader to guide our next chapter. You will build on our legacy, strengthening our foundations and securing our long-term sustainability. This role is for someone who can help us grow our reputation while giving our staff and volunteers the support they need to continue providing the best possible care for our animals. 

What will you be doing?

You will guide the charity's strategy and drive a period of transformation, ensuring our operations are effective, fully compliant, and set up for long-term sustainability. Your leadership is about ensuring that our strategy, finances, and operations all serve to give our animals the best possible chance of recovery and a loving, forever home. 

To achieve this, the role is structured around three key areas of focus:

Strategy, Governance and Compliance

• Work with the Board of Trustees to develop and deliver a strategic vision with animal welfare at its heart.

• Provide the Board of Trustees with accurate, timely, and insightful reports on risk management and performance. These updates will ensure the Board has the clear visibility they need for effective oversight and strategic planning.

• Champion a culture of transparency, accountability, and excellence in governance. Build strong, positive relationships with our regulators and key partners, including contributing to our statutory and regulatory filings to ensure we maintain full compliance with all external obligations.

• Lead the development of our internal policies and processes, ensuring every policy and process is fit-for-purpose, compliant with regulatory expectations and the highest standards of animal welfare, and are regularly reviewed to help the team work safely and effectively.

• Ensure strict adherence to all animal welfare legislation, Charity Commission standards, and sector best practices, maintaining the reliable framework our team needs to focus on the animals in our care.

• Proactively monitor and adapt to evolving Welsh animal rescue licensing regulations, ensuring our practices always reflect the highest welfare standards in Wales.

• Oversee the integrity of our operational and governance records, maintaining full transparency and auditability across the charity.

Financial Strategy and Sustainability

• Work with the Board of Trustees to develop and implement a financial strategy that puts the controls and oversight in place to secure our future and direct resources to where our animals need them most.

• Lead a long-term income generation strategy, focusing on sustainable, diverse streams including legacy giving, grant-making trusts, and community fundraising, to support our rising operational costs.

• Implement and monitor strict internal financial controls to ensure all charity resources are used exclusively for approved charitable purposes.

• Oversee data governance and digital integrity, ensuring robust data protection compliance.

Operational Delivery and Team Development 

• Take responsibility for the charity’s safeguarding culture, ensuring that all policies are embedded, staff and volunteers are trained, and that all incidents are investigated and reported with transparency, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our people.

• Foster an inclusive and supportive culture while providing strategic oversight of the modernisation of our HR practices, digital systems, and infrastructure. Ensure we are positioned to support our team’s wellbeing, growth, and development - including our volunteers and fosterers - through structured engagement and retention strategies.

• Act as the charity’s lead ambassador, building relationships with the press, local authorities, other neighbouring and notable charities, and animal welfare professionals to enhance our external reputation. 

• Oversee our operational planning, including the day-to-day management of staffing rotas and fleet resources. Provide direct line management to the senior leadership team, making sure everyone has the support they need to work effectively.

• Monitor the rescue, and report to the Board of Trustees on core operational performance, including intake-to-rehoming metrics, fostering network capacity, and clinical standards to provide clear visibility on the welfare outcomes we achieve.

• Lead the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across operational activity, ensuring consistent service levels and adherence to regulatory and best practice standards, to ensure our animals receive the highest standards of care.

• Direct all physical site operations, planned maintenance, and infrastructure improvements, ensuring all premises are safe, efficient, and fit for purpose.

• Manage charity risk, including contributing to the risk register, site-wide health and safety audits, staff and volunteer training, and carrying out robust assessment and management of operational risks.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a dedicated leader who is passionate about our work and ready to use their skills to help Many Tears Animal Rescue grow and develop. You will operate at a strategic level while maintaining a firm grasp of day-to-day operations.

Key Requirements

Values and Personal Alignment

• A genuine commitment to animal welfare. You aren't just looking for a leadership role; you are here for the right reasons, with a clear understanding that every strategic decision you make serves a single purpose: improving the lives of the animals in our care.

Essential Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience, ideally within a regulated charity or an animal welfare organisation.

• A strong track record of leading organisations through periods of transition, using resilience and clarity to guide teams through change.

• Extensive people management experience, with a proven ability to lead, and support teams comprising paid staff, volunteers, and fosterers.

• Significant experience reporting to and working directly with a Board of Trustees, providing strategic advice and managing governance relationships with openness and integrity.

• A practical approach to managing organisational risk, ensuring compliance and safety standards are understood and met across all areas of the charity.

• Proven success in setting up and maintaining clear policies and processes that ensure everyone knows how to work safely, consistently, and compliantly.

• Extensive experience in financial management, including budget oversight and the practical controls needed to ensure charitable funds are used effectively.

• Proven success in developing and delivering income generation strategies, including fundraising, grant applications, or legacy giving to support long-term financial sustainability.

• A clear, demonstrable commitment to safeguarding, with experience in fostering a culture that prioritises the safety and well-being of all staff and volunteers.

• Experience in managing site operations and facilities, including the oversight of health and safety and ensuring premises remain safe and fit for purpose.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

• A deep understanding of charity governance and regulatory requirements, specifically with the Charity Commission and Companies House.

• A comprehensive working knowledge of animal welfare legislation, specifically the Animal Welfare (Wales) Act 2006 and the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021.

• Exceptional communication and diplomatic skills, with the ability to build trust among diverse stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, local authorities, and the public.

• A full, clean UK driving licence and the ability to travel as required.

Desirable

• Experience in clinical or animal welfare operations, including familiarity with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) standards.

• A formal management or leadership qualification.

• Experience of managing a diverse and geographically disparate team

Time Commitment

• Hours: This is a full-time role. It requires flexibility to meet the needs of the charity, including occasional evening and weekend work.

• Location: This is primarily an on-site role, based at the rescue centre in Carmarthenshire, Wales to provide visible leadership. There is some ability to work from home for some tasks, and permanent on-site accommodation may be available if required.

• Nature of the Role: As the lead for both strategic direction and operational stability, the role requires availability to respond to urgent operational matters.

• Salary Range: £50,000

What difference will you make?

Your leadership will be the heart of our next chapter. As we build on our legacy, your focus on operational excellence will help Many Tears Animal Rescue stay a trusted lifeline for the animals who need us most. You’ll bring the stability and strategic vision we need to support our team, strengthen our impact, and keep our essential work going for years to come.

Application Process

To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter outlining how your experience aligns with our mission and the requirements of this role to Dr Emma Sargeant by 15th August 2026.

We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments for the interview process.