Contract: 12 month fixed term contract, full time
Salary: £21,569 - £24,000 per annum
Location: Southampton SO30 2HL
Closing date: Sunday 7 April 2024
Interview date: Friday 19 April 2024
We are recruiting an Adoptions Coordinator for our Rehoming & Fostering team at our Rehoming centre in Southampton This is an important and critical role at Blue Cross ensuring pets in our care are suitably matched with their new owners and rehomed as quickly as possible, so that they spend as little time with us, and we can help more pets.
We’ve just launched a new and exciting national Rehoming & Fostering team structure to support our aim of ensuring every pet enjoys a healthy life in a happy home. You’ll be joining a team who strive to be the best versions of themselves, so that they can do the best for the pets who need our help.
More about the role
Our beautiful centre opened in 1988 and occupies approximately three acres of land in a discrete location surrounded by fields where we can walk our dogs, providing some wonderful enrichment in a quiet environment. The centre has facilities to care for dogs and cats, as well as a specialised area for puppies and kittens. We also operate a pet food bank for those that might need our support within the local area.
As an Adoptions Coordinator, you will ensure the adoption process is thorough, efficient and follows internal guidelines, moving assessed pets to new homes as quickly as possible.
Working closely with Pet Welfare Assistants at the Centre and other Adoptions and Admissions Coordinators across the Rehoming and Fostering network, you will be making key decisions proactively managing our pool of homes, matching each pet with the perfect adopter, and providing post adoption support when required.
This is a full-time role working 37.5 hours per week on a rota which includes weekends and bank holidays.
At our Southampton rehoming centre, we provide onsite accommodation for pets in our care 24/7. Overnight shifts are usually undertaken by team members who live on site. Occasionally, you will be expected to carry out night checks or stay in on site accommodation overnight when the resident team members are either not working or away for a period of time. These duties are organised on a local rota and shared between all members of the team.
If you excel in an environment where you can see the difference you make every day, then this is the role for you. Interested? Then apply and let’s work together to see if this is the role for you.
If you excel in an environment where you can see the difference you make every day, then this is the role for you. Interested? Then apply and let’s work together to see if this is the role for you.
About you
You will be an excellent communicator and have experience of working in a client facing role in a similar, animal related environment. You will have good knowledge of pet welfare as this is required to ensure the adoption process is successful. In addition, you will be able to quickly assimilate information, be competent at accurately recording information while also conducting conversations with clients and stakeholders.
With a client focused approach, you will be able to make decisions when under pressure and possibly, at times, without input from others. You will have a problem-solving mindset which allows you to pragmatically look for solutions to issues. In addition, you need to prioritise, especially when it comes to making decisions on the adoption of pets and ensure you adopt a high attention to detail.
You will know what it is like to work in an emotionally charged environment and have excellent ‘bounce back ability’ and resilience. In addition, you will be emotionally intelligent, showing empathy and knowing how to support clients and colleagues.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
- Demonstrable understanding and experience of matching considerations for pets and homes.
- Experience working or volunteering in a pet welfare role.
- Working knowledge of cat, dog, and small animal behaviour.
- Significant experience in delivering high level customer service in a fast paced and often emotional environment.
- Good questioning skills with the ability to gather information and distil the important points.
- Experience of building relationships and rapport with customers.
- High standard of verbal and written communication.
- Good literacy and numerical skills.
- Proven decision-making ability.
- Strong administration skills, including the use of computerised.
- Current full driving licence.
It would be great (but not essential) if you also had:
- Experience working with volunteers.
- Client relationship management experience.
- An understanding of safeguarding issues
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 on Sunday 7 April 2024.
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 that we do today.
In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
Our generous benefits package includes:
- Enhanced annual leave entitlement: 30 days plus bank holidays
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
- Health cash plan
- 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