Assistant Manager - Client Services (Fixed Term)

Contract: Full time, fixed term until June 2026

Salary: £25,787 - £27,886

Location: Southampton SO30 2HL

Closing date: Tuesday 16th September 2025

Interview date: w/c 22nd September 2025

We re looking for a passionate and driven Assistant Manager Client Services to join our team at the Southampton rehoming centre and help lead our work supporting people and pets. If you have a talent for delivering outstanding customer care, strong people management skills, and a genuine love for animal welfare, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact. This is a fixed term position until June 2026.

More about the role

As Assistant Manager Client Services, you ll be at the forefront of this work. You ll:

• Lead and line manage the client services team to deliver exceptional care from first enquiry through to adoption or other support
• Work closely with the team to assess and admit pets, match them with the right adopters, and guide clients through every step of their journey
• Use data and insights to shape services and continuously improve client experience
• Collaborate with the local leadership team to meet targets and drive pet welfare outcomes
• Be hands-on with day-to-day operations including managing enquiries, prioritising admissions and promoting pets in our care

This is a 9-month maternity cover position, working full time at 37.5 hours per week on a rota that includes 1 in 3 weekends and bank holidays. The working day is from 8.30am to 5.00pm.

About you:

You understand what it takes to match pets with new homes and are passionate about delivering an outstanding client experience. With a sharp eye for detail and a drive for improvement, you know how to assess what s working and what s not.

As a people manager, you're confident in leading by example, setting expectations, and ensuring your team has the support they need to succeed.

A natural leader, you bring out the best in your team, supporting and coaching them to grow. You're calm under pressure, thrive in busy environments, and communicate clearly with people from all walks of life.

Your resilience and empathy shine through in emotional situations, helping you build trust, handle challenges with care, and create a compassionate, high-performing team.

Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Understanding of animal welfare.
• Significant experience of managing a team.
• Experience in delivering high level client service.
• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment.
• High standard of verbal and written communication.
• Proven decision-making ability.
• Current full driving licence.
• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross Values

Desirable Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Performance management and improvement experience.
• Understanding of safeguarding issues.
• Experience of admission and adoption processes in a rescue environment.

Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached the job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.

How to apply

Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date Tuesday 16th September 2025.

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 weren t for their amazing efforts and commitment, we wouldn t be able to make the difference that we do today. In return, we want to provide you with the best working environment we can.

With a wide range of perks aimed at enhancing your life both inside and outside of work, you'll
thrive in a supportive and rewarding environment.

Our generous benefits package includes:

• 38 days per year, increasing to 43 with service (including bank holidays). For part-time roles, holiday entitlement is calculated pro-rata.
• 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.

We want you to feel valued and supported throughout your career with us. For more details on our benefits and to see how we invest in our team, visit the 'Why Work for Us' page on our website.

To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.