Animal Unit Team Lead

**Job Title**: Animal Unit Team Lead (2 positions available)

**Hours of work**: 37.5 hours per week Monday-Sunday on a rota basis

**Location of Job**: Assisi Animal Sanctuary, 1 Old Bangor Road, Conlig, BT23 7PU

**Salary**: £23,577 per annum

**Line Management**: Reporting to Animal Welfare Manager

**Purpose of the role**:
Support the delivery of an efficient and effective operation under the direction of the Animal Welfare Manager. The post holder will ensure the day-to-day welfare of the animals and will maximise rehoming opportunities by carrying out agreed procedures and routines. Provide leadership to the Animal Welfare Assistants and volunteers in delivering the highest standards of animal welfare.

Promote the Mission, Vision, Values and Core Principles of Assisi Animal Sanctuary, taking a positive and happy approach to supporting a workplace that celebrates success in a learning organisation. Demonstrate exemplary standards of performance and support the Animal Welfare Assistants and volunteers in maintaining these standards.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Responsible for daily leadership and organisation of the unit assigned with a strong regard for Assisi’s main strategic goal: To care for as many companion animals in the community as possible.
- Supervise the unit team, ensuring everyone has been adequately trained and identifying and addressing training needs where appropriate.
- Ensure appropriate and welfare friendly care of animals in Assisi’s care, organising and assigning daily tasks to staff and volunteers including (but not limited to): cleaning of enclosures, grooming, feeding, enrichment, exercise, medication, laundry, and general housekeeping such as emptying donation bins, organising food deliveries, stock rotation etc.
- Promote a high standard of health, safety and hygiene practices and practice good housekeeping across areas of the site used by the team.
- Work in accordance with Assisi policies and procedures
- Work with the Animal Welfare Manager and the unit team to organise and conduct intake of appropriate animals to ensure a good mix of animals on site for rehoming.
- Maintain accurate and up to date records on our animal management database, to include admission, adoption, behaviour, financial and veterinary information, as well as ensuring that all customer information is shared with the relevant function.
- Actively look for homes for long-term animals, using creative methods and social media.
- Be responsible for ensuring staff are completing rehoming records, logging all appointments with all relative information and outcomes noted.
- Be responsible for ensuring unit achieves key performance indicators, such as admission, rehoming and length of stay targets.
- Effectively manage waiting lists under the supervision of the Animal Welfare Manager
- Provide on the job training as required for Animal Welfare Assistants and volunteers, including induction, health and safety protocols, operational procedures to encourage a high-performance environment.
- On advice of the unit behaviourist, follow training programmes for animals in our care who require additional behavioural support. Ensure that accurate records are kept.
- Ensure all animals that are available for rehoming are positively promoted to maximise adoption and supporter opportunities across all available channels, including timely additions to the website, photos on social media same day as they go on the website, and lively, positive, and engaging bios.
- Enthusiastically provide a five-star experience to everyone who enters the sanctuary (volunteers, corporate volunteers, donors, rehomers, visitors)
- Lead unit team in high quality customer care, assisting customers to select animals through the rehoming process, appropriate to the circumstances by providing customer friendly, accurate and relevant information and advice. Ensuring team are approaching each animal and adopter as an individual and making decisions as a collective on those animals that might be suitable.
- Ensuring that adopters are fully advised to welcome their new animal home, including ensuring they have had a chance to consider all aspects of the rehoming fully.
- Oversee preparation of rehoming packs to ensure a high standard of customer service at rehoming.
- Always present a professional and friendly approach both face to face and on the telephone and encourage same from the unit team.
- Be an Ambassador for the Charity supporting other functions, such as events, talks, and education activities, as required, taking every opportunity to build supporter relationships and make lasting friendships. Gratefully receive donations of food and bedding and ensure that appreciation is shown to all Donors.
- Ensuring food and medication is used on a “last in, first out” basis and stored in a way to promote this (stock rotation is carried out) to ensure no wastage.
- Support and nurture our volunteers in the Sanctuary, ensuring they feel a valu