** Please ensure you meet the Essential Criteria and understand the seasonal shift pattern before applying **
Responsible For
Wildlife Care Assistants (including permanent and bank staff), day-to-day operational standards within the wildlife hospital, allocation and coordination of animal care activities, implementation of procedures and protocols, stock management and supporting the ongoing development and improvement of hospital practices.
Main Purpose of the Role
The Wildlife Hospital Operations Supervisor is a key role within the Trust, responsible for the effective day-to-day running of the wildlife hospital floor and providing leadership, guidance and support to the animal care team to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare, operational efficiency and teamwork are consistently achieved.
Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive of Wildlife Care & Practice, the post holder will act as the operational link between senior management and the animal care team. They will provide oversight of daily activities, identify challenges, support staff development and ensure that agreed procedures, protocols and standards are followed.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring someone who can balance practical wildlife care with confident people management. The successful candidate will be visible and approachable within the hospital environment, acting as a first point of contact for staff requiring advice, support, training or guidance, while also having the confidence to address concerns, manage difficult situations and support appropriate escalation where required.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the hospital operates effectively within available resources, supporting a positive working culture, encouraging good communication and helping the team develop the skills and confidence required to deliver excellent wildlife care.
The role will also play an important part in reviewing and improving working practices, supporting the development of new processes and ensuring agreed changes are successfully implemented across the hospital.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Team Support
- Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance and support to the Wildlife Care Assistant team, including permanent and bank staff.
- Be a visible and approachable presence within the hospital, supporting staff and promoting a positive team culture.
- Act as the first point of contact for staff requiring support, advice, guidance or additional training.
- Allocate daily duties and support staff to manage workloads effectively.
- Hold regular staff check-ins and team meetings to encourage communication and engagement.
- Identify training needs and support the development of team members.
- Lead by example, demonstrating the standards, behaviours and values expected within the Trust.
- Support people management processes, including informal discussions, feedback and addressing concerns appropriately.
- Escalate more complex employee matters, including formal grievances or significant concerns, to the Chief Executive Officer and support HR processes where required.
Hospital Operations
- Oversee the daily operation of the wildlife hospital floor, ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently and to the required standard.
- Ensure animal care activities are appropriately prioritised according to animal needs, staffing levels and operational pressures.
- Allocate tasks and responsibilities across the team and identify additional work required to maintain standards.
- Monitor compliance with hospital procedures, protocols and expected standards.
- Identify issues, inefficiencies or risks and proactively support solutions.
- Ensure essential operational tasks are completed, particularly during busy seasonal periods.
- Support the animal care team during periods of increased admissions, challenging cases or high workload.
- Act as the operational eyes and ears of senior management, providing feedback on day-to-day activity, challenges and opportunities.
Wildlife Care Responsibilities
- Maintain an active role within the wildlife care team and provide practical support where required.
- Work closely with the Chief Executive of Wildlife Care & Practice regarding animal progress, welfare decisions, movement through the hospital and ongoing care requirements.
- Support the review of animals within the hospital and assist with decisions regarding care pathways and priorities.
- Ensure animal care procedures, medication protocols, record keeping and welfare standards are consistently maintained.
- Support and encourage excellent standards of wildlife husbandry across the team
- At-home fostering
Continuous Improvement and Development
- Review current working practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Contribute ideas and solutions to improve efficiency, communication and animal care standards.
- Support the development and introduction of new procedures, forms, systems and processes.
- Assist with reviewing protocols and ensuring agreed improvements are implemented effectively.
- Use initiative and creative thinking to maximise the Trust’s resources and improve hospital operations.
- Encourage a culture of learning, improvement and problem solving within the team.
Stock and Resource Management
- Monitor hospital stock levels and ensure essential supplies are available.
- Order and manage appropriate supplies within agreed budgets.
- Identify potential improvements to stock management systems.
- Support efficient use of Trust resources and minimise unnecessary waste.
Communication and Administration
- Maintain clear and effective communication between the animal care team and senior management.
- Provide regular updates regarding operational matters, staffing issues and areas requiring attention.
- Create, maintain and improve relevant forms, records and operational documents.
- Use IT systems confidently to support effective administration and process improvements.
- Attend meetings as required and contribute to discussions regarding hospital operations and development.
Optional Additional Responsibility – Media Lead
The successful candidate will have the opportunity, should they wish, to undertake the additional responsibility of Media Lead.
This would involve supporting media enquiries, coordinating publicity opportunities and working alongside senior management to promote the work of the Trust and raise awareness of wildlife welfare.
This responsibility is optional and is not a requirement of the Wildlife Hospital Operations Supervisor role.
Hours of Work
This role operates on a seasonal basis to reflect the changing operational needs of the wildlife hospital.
April to September (Peak Season)
Monday to Friday
10am – 5.00pm
A 30-minute unpaid break will be taken during the working day.
October to March (Off-Peak Season)
Monday to Friday
12.00pm – 5.00pm
No formal break is included within this shift pattern.
This role involves bank holiday working, including a rotation over the Christmas and New Year period.
Salary & Annual Leave
£21,767.20 per annum
(Based on an hourly rate of £14.56)
The annual salary is calculated based on the total contracted hours worked throughout the year and is paid in equal monthly instalments.
Annual leave: 161 hours
Essential Criteria
The successful candidate will have:
- Experience working within wildlife care, animal care, veterinary, animal welfare or a similar environment.
- Strong knowledge and understanding of animal welfare and husbandry standards.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to build positive working relationships.
- The ability to support, motivate and guide colleagues.
- Confidence dealing with difficult situations and having appropriate conversations when required.
- The ability to organise workloads, prioritise tasks and remain calm under pressure.
- Good IT skills and confidence creating and improving digital processes, forms and systems.
- A proactive, practical and solutions-focused approach.
- The ability to work collaboratively while maintaining appropriate leadership boundaries.
Desirable Criteria
- Previous supervisory or team leadership experience.
- Experience supporting staff performance discussions or HR processes.
- Experience developing procedures, systems or operational processes.
- Experience working within a wildlife hospital, veterinary practice, charity or similar organisation.
- Experience with media, communications or public engagement.
Personal Attributes
The successful candidate will be:
- Approachable, supportive and able to build trust within a team.
- A confident communicator who can adapt their approach to different situations.
- Friendly and approachable while able to provide clear leadership.
- Creative, proactive and willing to identify improvements and solutions.
- Organised, reliable and able to manage competing priorities.
- Able to work calmly under pressure and support others during challenging periods.
- Passionate about wildlife welfare and committed to the aims and values of the Trust.
- Someone who enjoys working as part of a team but understands the responsibility of a leadership role.
Pay: £21,767.20 per year
Work Location: In person
