Welfare Manager

South West Community Chaplaincy; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Dogs Trust is seeking a Welfare Manager to lead the welfare journey for every dog in our care. You will drive compassionate, expert decisions through behavioural and veterinary rehabilitation to help dogs progress toward their forever homes.

As an accredited clinical dog behaviourist (CCAB, CAB) with extensive canine welfare experience, you will lead a small team, develop tailored behaviour modification plans, and collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure consistent support

Qualifications

• Accredited CCAB/CAB dog behaviourist with extensive canine welfare experience.
• Proven leadership of high-performing teams.
• Experience in rehabilitation and risk management for dogs.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the team to deliver veterinary care and behaviour modification for dogs.
• Advocate for behavioural and veterinary needs to achieve best outcomes.
• Oversee staff and volunteer training in behaviour and dog handling.
• Develop tailored behaviour modification plans for complex cases and monitor progress toward rehoming.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners for consistent support before, during and after rehoming.

Skills

Accredited clinical dog behaviourist

Behaviour modification

Team leadership

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

CCAB certification

Job description

Are you ready to make a lasting impact on the lives of dogs and the people who care for them?
We're looking for a Welfare Manager to take charge of the welfare journey for every dog in our centre. In this pivotal role, you will drive timely, compassionate decisions through expert behavioural and veterinary rehabilitation, ensuring each dog progresses toward their forever home.

What does this role do?

As Welfare Manager, you'll:

• lead, coach and develop a small team to deliver high-quality veterinary care and behaviour modification for dogs in our care,


• act as a balanced advocate for both behavioural and veterinary needs to achieve the best outcomes for each dog,


• oversee staff and volunteer training in behaviour and dog handling, ensuring all colleagues work within SOPs, legal, and health and safety guidelines,


• develop and implement tailored behaviour modification plans for dogs with complex needs and monitor progress towards successful rehoming,


• support professional development of Behaviour Officers, Dog Welfare Assistants, and Supervisors through mentoring, assessments, and workshops,


• collaborate with internal teams and external partners to ensure consistent, informed behavioural support before, during, and after rehoming.

Could this be you?

As an accredited clinical dog behaviourist (CCAB, CAB) with extensive experience in canine behaviour and welfare; including behaviour modification, clinical assessment, and risk management, you will have proven expertise in safely handling and rehabilitating dogs across a range of breeds and behavioural profiles. With a strong track record of leading, developing, and managing high-performing teams, you will also be a skilled communicator, who is able to influence and engage a variety of audiences. Above all, you'll be passionate about rehoming, and have a commitment to the aims and objectives of Dogs Trust.

What does this team do?

Our rehoming centres house thousands of dogs each year until they can find a loving new home and the success of our centres wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team of staff and volunteers; there is a real family-community within each of our centres. Come rain or shine, our team are out in all weathers to make sure the dogs have the best possible life. Dealing with thousands of visitors each month, our rehoming centres are the face of Dogs Trust, and we pride ourselves on our staff providing the very best in customer service.

About Dogs Trust

We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.