Are you an experienced operational manager, who relishes a challenge, with a passion for pets and people?
We’re recruiting a Centre Manager with strong leadership, organisational and communication skills to lead our Manchester Rehoming Advice and behaviour unit.
This is an exciting time for the Manchester Centre with many changes happening and the chance for a dynamic leader to bring their own experience and help shape the future of the centre, for the pets and clients we help through our site, as well as the Manchester team.
More about the role
Based in our high street location since 2018, we are perfectly placed to support our local community and surrounding areas. Our Foster-based care and Home Direct scheme ensures animals find new loving homes without the stress of kennels. This means that we do not usually have pets staying onsite overnight and our roles may not include daily pet care, but no two days are ever the same.
As Centre Manager, you’ll be responsible for all aspects of the Centre – pets, people, facilities, compliance and finances. Working closely with your Assistant Managers, you’ll inspire and empower your team, embed a culture of continuous improvement and ensure the highest welfare standards.
This role is about leading people, bringing teams together and driving performance. We have a skilled, passionate team with great ideas – we now need someone who can take those forward, make things happen, and bring colleagues with them on the journey. There’s also real opportunity to shape the culture of the centre, including rethinking how we can best meet our goals for helping pets.
The standard hours for this role are 37.5 hours per week on a locally agreed rota to include weekends and bank holidays. The standard hours are 8:30 – 5 Monday – Friday, working 1 in 3 weekends (Sat and Sun), with flexibility where there is a business need.
Want to know more detail? Great! Please visit our website for a candidate pack and job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.
About you
You will be an inspirational leader with a proven track record of motivating, developing and supporting people in a fast-paced environment. You’ll bring strong people management skills – able to set direction, take action and empower others to deliver improvements.
Alongside your leadership strengths, you’ll bring sound knowledge of animal welfare and operational excellence from a similar environment. Confident and decisive, you’ll balance the needs of pets, people and resources to achieve outstanding results.
Resilient, empathetic and emotionally intelligent, you’ll thrive on challenge and approach every situation with a positive, problem-solving mindset.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
– Significant experience of successfully motivating, leading, and developing high performance teams, including setting clearly defined objectives, and managing performance in an animal welfare setting.
– Strong knowledge of animal welfare/care, ensuring operational excellence in a similar animal welfare environment.
– Experience of positively embracing and adapting to change by identifying, leading, and managing change in line with organisational objectives.
– Financially aware and numerate.
– Proven experience of working constructively and collaboratively with colleagues from different teams.
– Interpersonal and consultative skills, including the ability to communicate, present, negotiate, influence, and build credibility with colleagues and external parties.
– Experience of working in a commercial environment where the need to control costs and deliver high levels of service are important.
– Current full driving licence.
The process will include:
First stage interview and site tour – Monday 26th January 2026
Online Discovery Session – Monday 2nd February 2026. This will include scenario-based exercises and group discussions, giving you the chance to demonstrate your leadership style and approach to change while meeting colleagues.
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Sunday 18th January 2026.
