Hours: 37.5 hours per week on a 6 week rolling rota, including weekends and bank holidays
Closing date: Friday 10th October 2025
Please note: Applicants who have previously applied need not reapply.
If you would like to apply, please send a CV and covering letter to the HR email address shown on our website
Purpose: Join our passionate team and help make a real difference in the lives of dogs in our care and to their future families
Responsibilities:
· Be a team player – Support the Centre Management team with a variety of tasks, depending on your training and experience.
· Care for our dogs – Provide loving, welfare-focused care including feeding, grooming, cleaning, enrichment, exercise, & medication.
· Keep things spotless – Help maintain high standards of hygiene & cleanliness across the site and vehicles.
· Support adoptions – Guide potential adopters through our Meet & Match process, offering friendly, tailored advice for each dog & person.
· Help dogs thrive – Deliver training plans to dogs who need a little extra support, as directed by the Centre Trainer & management team
· Stay organised – Keep accurate records of dog care, behaviour, vet visits, medication & other important details.
· Pitch in at reception – Assist with admin tasks and customer service for both the rescue & enterprise services such as boarding and facilities hire.
· A friendly face – Provide a warm, professional service to visitors & callers.
· Champion our cause – Promote fundraising opportunities & encourage donations, volunteering, and support.
· Handle tough moments with care – Support colleagues & maintain professionalism during sensitive situations across the organisation.
· Add value to the experience – Promote our shop, insurance partnerships, and enterprise services to enhance customer satisfaction.
· Stay safe – Follow all Health & Safety guidelines & report any concerns promptly, including during lone working situations.
Be flexible – Take on other reasonable duties as needed to support the team & our mission.
Organisational Skills and Values
· JGDR upholds the organisational Values of Kindness, Compassion, Honesty & Purposefulness in all aspects of the work of the Charity.
· You understand what our visitors are looking for, especially when it comes to finding their perfect match through our Meet & Match process.
· You are a great communicator – warm, honest, and helpful – and you leave people feeling supported and valued.
· Proactive & Flexible – You take initiative, spot ways to improve how we work, and are happy to adapt when needed, sometimes even outside your usual hours.
· Emotionally Resilient – You are self-aware and able to manage stress in a busy, sometimes emotional environment, staying calm and focused.
· Respectful & Supportive – You work well with others, value different roles and perspectives, and handle sensitive conversations with kindness and clarity.
· Determined & Caring – You bounce back from challenges and help others do the same, offering reassurance and stability when it's needed most.
· Trustworthy & Reliable – You do what you say you'll do, and you're always ready to go the extra mile for the dogs, your team, and our visitors.
· Physically Capable – You're able to maintain the level of fitness needed to carry out the practical aspects of the role
Role -specific knowledge and skills
Qualifications & Experience
Essential:
· Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to discuss dog welfare confidently with colleagues and the public.
· Qualified to National Diploma Level or NVQ 2 or equivalent in animal care and/or experience (paid or voluntary) in a dog rescue or animal welfare environment.
· Understanding of dog welfare standards, with a person-centred approach to individual care.
· Ability to contribute to dog assessments and care plans.
· Physically fit to meet the demands of the role.
· Willingness to work flexibly, including outside contracted hours when needed.
· Accurate record-keeping and adherence to Health & Safety procedures.
· Full, clean UK driving licence held for at least one year (minimum age 21 due to insurance).
Desirable:
· Customer care qualification or experience.
Experience working within a team environment, including volunteers.
Performance Measure and Relationships
1. Dog Welfare & Care Consistently delivers high standards of care and enrichment, ensuring dogs' safety, physical & emotional needs are met follows individual care plans & contributes to their development through accurate observations & assessments.
2. Customer Experience Provides friendly, informative, & compassionate support to visitors, supporters and adopters.
3. Teamwork & Collaboration Works effectively with colleagues & volunteers, contributing to a supportive & respectful team culture whilst communicating clearly & professionally across all levels. Supporting during challenging situations with empathy and resilience. Supports our live-in management employees to have uninterrupted time away from work, such as annual leave and days off.
4. Administration & Compliance Maintains accurate & timely records on dog welfare, behaviour, and health. Adheres to Health & Safety procedures & reports concerns promptly. Completes tasks reliably & in line with organisational policies.
5. Flexibility & Initiative Demonstrates adaptability in response to changing needs & priorities. Takes initiative to improve processes & enhance dog welfare or customer experience. Be prepared to cover additional duties for the needs of the business
6. Professional Conduct Maintains emotional resilience & professionalism, especially during sensitive situations such as intakes & euthanasia. Upholds the charity's values & acts as a positive ambassador at all times. Maintains appropriate fitness levels to carry out all aspects of the role.
Relationships Your role will interact with other employees at all levels & across all departments in the organisation & will be a forward-facing role dealing with members of the public, corporates & external stakeholders.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £23,809.50 per year
Benefits:
* Bereavement leave
* Company pension
* Health & wellbeing programme
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
Work Location: In person