Contract: Permanent, full time (3 or 4 days considered)
Salary: £27,973 plus £3,954 London Weighting Allowance
Location: Victoria animal hospital
Closing date: Thursday 25 June 2026
Interview date: we will be inviting shortlisted applicants to interview as they apply
Do you enjoy working with people, managing busy environments, and providing support when it really matters? Are you patient, resilient, and confident handling a wide range of customer interactions? If so, this could be the role for you.
We’re looking for a Receptionist to join our team at Victoria animal hospital, where you’ll be one of the first points of contact for our clients and visitors. This is a key role supporting the smooth running of the hospital, ensuring every client receives a professional, compassionate, and efficient service.
This is a busy, front-facing role where you will balance client care with administrative responsibilities. You will manage a wide range of enquiries, both face to face and on the telephone, alongside appointments, payments, and general reception duties.
Client interactions are often varied and can be complex or emotionally challenging. This is not a purely transactional reception role, patience is key, and you will need to take time to guide conversations, manage expectations, and support clients who may be anxious or distressed.
You will work 8.5-hour shifts between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday, with 1 in 4 weekends.
What you will be doing
- Providing a warm, friendly, and non-judgemental welcome to clients and visitors
- Supporting a wide range of client enquiries, including those that may be sensitive or complex
- Managing appointments, payments, and medication dispensing
- Keeping clients informed and supported during busy periods
- Liaising with Veterinary Nurses and the wider team to support client queries
- Assessing client eligibility and maintaining accurate records
- Completing administrative tasks, including updating systems and maintaining data
- Working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure efficient and consistent processes
- Maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming reception environment
- Supporting wider hospital activity, including donations and general duties
A confident communicator who enjoys working in a fast-paced, people-facing environment, with the ability to adapt your approach to suit different individuals and situations. You’ll be comfortable handling a wide range of interactions and providing a consistently professional and supportive service.
Resilience and emotional intelligence are key in this role. You’ll remain calm and compassionate when dealing with sensitive or challenging situations, while maintaining appropriate boundaries. Patience is essential, as some conversations will require time, empathy, and careful handling.
Well organised and able to manage competing priorities, you’ll take pride in maintaining accuracy and a high standard of service. A proactive approach and willingness to learn will support your ongoing development in the role.
Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience
- Experience in a busy, high-volume face-to-face customer service environment
- Experience handling challenging or sensitive customer interactions
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
- Demonstrable resilience and ability to remain calm under pressure
- Confidence supporting people who may be anxious or distressed
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- IT literate with MS Office and web-based systems
- The ability to demonstrate, understanding and apply our Blue Cross values
Desirable Qualifications, Skills, and Experience
- Experience supporting customers through complex or non-routine enquiries
- Experience working with appointment booking systems
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
- An understanding of animal welfare
- Experience in a clinical or care-based environment
How to apply
To apply for this role, please submit your application through our careers site and answer the application questions, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications.
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:
- Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
- Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
- Health cash plan
- Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
- Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
- Life assurance
- 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
- Enhanced family friendly policies
- Recognition scheme
- Annual volunteer days
- Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
If you’d like to learn more about Blue Cross, our mission, and the work we do to support animals and people, take a look at our About Us page
