Role Purpose:
The Senior Dog Welfare Assistant supports the Centre Manager and Deputy Centre Manager to ensure the effective day to day operation of the centre, delivering high standards of dog welfare, customer care, and team coordination. The role provides leadership within the Dog Welfare team, ensures the delivery of welfare policies and procedures, supports rehoming and intake functions, and contributes to the centre meeting its operational objectives. The post holder acts as a role model, mentor, and duty manager when required.
Key Relationships:
Internal Contacts
• Centre Manager
• Deputy Centre Manager
• Centre Trainer
• Dog Welfare Assistants
• Volunteers
• Fundraising, Comms, and Enterprise teams
• Other JGDR Centres
External contacts
• Adopters and potential adopters
• Members of the public
• Local vets and behaviour partners
• Local authorities and agencies
• Media (where appropriate)
Key Outputs & Tasks:
• To be an inspiring role model to the team, displaying passion and always portraying the charities values.
• Provide a physically and mentally safe workplace for staff, dogs, volunteers and visitors to the centre.
• Deliver high quality daily care for all dogs, including cleaning, feeding, enrichment, grooming, exercise, behavioural observation, and administering medication.
• Conduct intake procedures, pre assessments, and dog assessments, identifying any welfare or behavioural concerns and escalating appropriately.
• Support the development and implementation of individual dog training or behaviour plans under the guidance of the Centre Trainer or management. With the ability to work with more challenging dogs and be passionate in their training progression.
• Maintain high standards of hygiene, housekeeping, and safety across all areas of the centre.
• Support the Meet&Match® rehoming process, leading more complex journeys and providing accurate, customer friendly advice.
• Promote adoptable dogs using appropriate tools and techniques to maximise rehoming opportunities.
• Provide excellent customer care to all visitors, adopters, and stakeholders, ensuring a positive and professional experience.
• Promote centre services—shop, preloved, insurance partnership, and Enterprise services—at every suitable opportunity.
• Maintain accurate record keeping in a timely manner.
• Ensure all customer information is accurately captured and shared with relevant teams.
• Adhere to all Health & Safety and operational procedures, reporting incidents and ensuring compliance.
• Provide overnight coverer where required in provided accommodation.
• Actively welcome, support, and include volunteers, helping them feel valued and confident in their roles.
• Oversee the smooth running of daily centre operations in the absence of the Centre Manager/Deputy Manager.
• Allocate daily tasks, plan staff and volunteer break schedules, and ensure workloads are balanced.
• Provide support, problem solve issues, and know when to escalate matters to management.
• Communicate with dissatisfied customers where required and deliver key messages to staff and the public.
• Manage incidents or accidents and ensure compliance with H&S policies.
• Ensure lone working procedures are monitored and followed.
• Support other functions including fundraising & marketing, appeal information gathering, and promotional activities.
• Lead on responding to emergency boarding enquiries and coordinate support as needed.
• Represent the charity professionally, including media interactions where appropriate.
Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:
• National Diploma Level or NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) in animal care/welfare.
• Paid or voluntary experience in a dog rescue environment.
• At least 1 years’ experience working in a rescue centre setting.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain dog welfare and management needs to colleagues and the public.
• Ability to conduct intakes and dog assessments, contributing to care plans.
• Understanding of dog welfare policy, standards, and procedures, and ability to adapt approach to individual dogs.
• Physically able to carry out all duties required of the role.
• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional out of hours cover.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and follow H&S procedures.
• Experience working within a team, including volunteers.
• Able to support fundraising and communications activities.
• Full UK manual driving licence (held for at least 1 year) and over the age of 21 due to insurance restrictions.
How you’ll work in line with our Values:
Jerry Green Dog Rescue upholds the organisational Values of Kindness, Compassion, Honesty & Purposefulness in all our work.
You understand what our customers are looking for. You are a great communicator – warm, honest, and helpful – and you leave people feeling supported and valued. You are able to create an amazing shop that is both commercially successful and a hub of kindness.
Kindness – Create a welcoming and kind customer-focused atmosphere where everyone is treated with respect and kindness.
Purposeful – Working and leading with a clear intent and efficiency, in alignment with the Retail Annual Plan, supporting the Retail Manager, on the deliverables of the shop and wider retail department. Leading on the planning and organising for the shop whilst acting commercially.
Compassion – Act as a compassionate ambassador, promoting the charity’s mission to support dogs through rescuing, rehabilitation and rehoming. Ensuring the shop team provides a compassionate environment – for each other, for our supporters and customers.
Honesty – Ensuring shop operations are undertaken in a transparent and ethical manner and is compliant with Charity retail standards. Encouraging an honest and psychologically-safe working environment for colleagues and volunteers alike.
Key Performance Indicators:
• High standards of welfare and accurate record keeping.
• Delivery of Meet&Match® rehoming outcomes, including complex journeys.
• Compliance with H&S and operational procedures.
• Quality of customer experience and feedback.
• Effective mentoring and support of staff and volunteers.
• Completion of duty management responsibilities to expected standard.
Date Job Description Prepared: March 2026
This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the requirements of the role. It is not a contractual document and does not form part of any contract of employment. The duties and responsibilities outlined may be subject to change at any time to meet the needs of the organisation.
To apply please go to the vacancy page on our website www.jerrygreendogs.org.uk and upload your CV and cover letter.
Interview date: Thursday 2nd April 2026
Please note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
