Assistant Manager - Offsite Services

The Blue Cross; Exeter; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job description

Overview

Department: Rehoming & Fostering Services

Location: Devon (Exeter centre, EX2 8ED). This is a full-time, on-site role with no hybrid working arrangements.

Contract: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week)

Salary: £25,787 - £27,047 per annum

Application deadline: 24 February 2026

Closing date: Tuesday 24th February 2026

Interview date: TBC

We are recruiting an Assistant Manager – Offsite Services to lead and streamline our home-based pet operations in Devon. In this role, you’ll ensure that every pet finds the perfect match with their new family as quickly as possible, while maintaining top-quality care for both our pets and clients throughout the entire adoption journey.

This role is based onsite at our Exeter centre and does not offer hybrid working arrangements.

About the role: Our Devon centre has a dedicated team supporting Home Direct and our fostering network of over 80 volunteer foster carers. You’ll oversee the smooth running of daily activities, act as the subject matter expert in practical animal handling and assessment, and aim to prepare pets for adoption quickly and effectively. You’ll work with your team to ensure timely pet assessments, behaviour management, and training, while providing full support to foster carers. You’ll also be responsible for achieving pet-related targets and ensuring high standards of animal care and national case-management processes.

Motivating and managing your team is central to this role, enabling the centre to provide top-quality home-based pet care while helping your team develop professionally.

Responsibilities: Lead and streamline home-based pet operations; oversee daily activities; coordinate with Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Coordinator; ensure timely pet assessments, behaviour management, and training; support foster carers; achieve pet-related targets; adhere to national processes in case management; innovate to address urgent cases where no cattery or kennel facilities exist; work 1 in 3 weekends.

Responsibilities and expectations: Ensure exceptional care for pets and clients; make well-connected, efficient decisions prioritising pet welfare; maintain high standards of animal care and welfare; develop and mentor the team; promote continuous improvement.

Knowledge, skills, and experience

• Significant experience in managing a team.
• Significant experience in delivering high level customer service in a fast-paced environment.
• Significant subject matter expertise and application of pet welfare and handling of domestic animals.
• High standard of verbal and written communication.
• Current full driving licence.
• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply Blue Cross values.

Desirable (not essential):

• Performance management and improvement experience.
• Experience working with volunteers.
• Understanding of safeguarding issues.

Want to know more detail?

We have attached the job description which hopefully provides everything you need.

How to apply

Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Tuesday 24th February 2026. 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 we do today. Our 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
• 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.