The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We are heading into our busy season and are looking for friendly and proactive team players with a strong customer service ethic to join our team at our award-winning restaurant, The Kitchen. As Front of House Assistant, you will ensure excellent customer service is delivered by giving a warm welcome to all visitors, engaging them in the charity at every opportunity and ensuring that service exceeds customers’ expectations at all times.

About you:

Experience of working front of house in a high-volume catering operation.
Excellent customer service skills, including experience of dealing with enquiries and complaints from members of the public.
Strong communication skills.
Good organisational skills.
Self-motivated.
Great interpersonal skills – able to establish, build and maintain successful relationships with staff, supporters and visitors.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

Serving food and beverages to customers, including barista coffee, to a consistently high standard.
Delivering food and beverages to tables and clearing trays.
Ensuring secure cash handling and efficient and accurate use of the till.
Keeping the front of house and counter areas clean, cleaning and maintaining equipment and keeping records as required in compliance with food hygiene regulations.
Assisting with putting away deliveries and ensuring stock rotation.
Assisting with food preparation as required.
Carrying out dishwashing duties to a high standard.

What we offer in return:

These are part-time, permanent contracts starting as soon as possible, working a guaranteed minimum of 5 or 12 hours per week across a 7-day rota. The working hours and pattern will be agreed between the line manager and post-holder, but flexibility will be required for weekend working. It is anticipated that additional hours will be available during busy periods.

The role is based on site at our Sidmouth location which is not easily accessible via public transport thus a current UK driving license would be desirable.

Please note: These roles will not include evening working or split shifts.

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life Assurance.

31 Days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.

Wellbeing Team.

Recorded Pilates classes.

Long Service Awards.

Healthshield Plan – including reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership, offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets and access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free Parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

View Apply Now

Front of House Supervisor

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

28,062 per year

Sidmouth

Full-time

Listed 3 weeks ago

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OpportunitiesJob description

Job description

Front of House Supervisor (2137)

Apply Now

Salary:£28,062 per annum
PoscitySidmouth
PoscountryUnited Kingdom
Area:Income Generation
Vacancy Type:Permanent
Full or Part Time?:Full Time

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an excellent opportunity for a proactive and professional individual with outstanding leadership and organisational skills and a strong customer service ethic to join the team at our award-winning restaurant, The Kitchen. Working closely with the Front of House Manager, as Front of House Supervisor, you will make our visitors’ restaurant experiences memorable and enjoyable, inspiring the Front of House team to ensure that food quality and service exceeds customer’s expectations and is delivered to a consistently high standard.

About you:

Experience of working front of house in a high-volume catering operation.
Strong leadership experience, including direct management of a team of staff.
Excellent customer service skills.
Strong communication skills and the ability to interact with individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
Previous cash handing and till experience.
Barista trained.
Level 2 Food Safety Certificate.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

Promoting exceptional food quality that embraces higher welfare standards, fully reflecting our core values of compassion, collaboration and creativity.

Assisting the restaurant management team with all aspects of future growth in The Kitchen, including recruiting, developing, coaching and mentoring individual team members.
Planning and assisting with The Donkey Sanctuary events and functions, in conjunction with the restaurant management team.

Accountability for Health & Safety and hygiene matters within the Front of House element of the restaurant, ensuring standards of cleaning are consistently excellent.
Ensuring that opening and closing procedures are followed, ensuring all cash handling procedures are monitored and followed.
Ensuring that there is 7 day a week operational cover with either yourself or the Front of House Manager on duty at all times.
Ensuring that customer feedback is dealt with appropriately.

What we offer in return:

Based in Sidmouth, Devon – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – this is a full-time, permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days over 7, as part of the team rota.

Please note: This role does not include split-shift working.

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long Service Awards.

Healthshield plan –

Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

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View Apply Now

Farm Worker/Groom

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

25,350 per year

Paccombe Farm, Harcombe, Sidbury, Devon, United Kingdom

Full-time

16th February 2026

Listed 2 weeks ago

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OpportunitiesJob description

Job description

Farm Worker/Groom (2151)

Apply Now

Salary:£25,350 per annum
PoscitySidbury
PoscountryUnited Kingdom
Area:Equine Operations
Vacancy Type:Permanent
Full or Part Time?:Full Time

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an excellent opportunity for a flexible and proactive individual with a passion for Donkeys to join our busy team at Paccombe Farm, near Sidmouth, East Devon. Possessing excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills, you will provide care and rehabilitation for the resident donkeys, and will support the Farm Manager in maintaining a safe working environment.

About you:

Excellent observation skills to identify and notice signs that would indicate ill-health in animals.

Excellent communication and customer service skills – tactful and diplomatic when handling sensitive matters.

Competent IT knowledge and skills.

Full current UK valid driving licence.

Willing to work outside in adverse weather conditions.

Effective team player who builds trust and positive relationships.

Self-motivated, with a positive and professional attitude.

Desirable:

Experience in animal husbandry or equine care.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

Routinely checking, feeding, medicating, grooming, weighing, worming and training the resident donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies.

Assisting visiting vets, farriers and dentists.

Operating machinery, and/or manually, mucking out, feeding and bedding up of barns and stables and distributing hay, haylage and bagged feedstuffs.

Maintaining the farm by sweeping, pressure washing, cleaning, field sweeping, haymaking, strimming, compost management, willow management and dirty water control.

Maintaining up to date manual records for the donkeys, farming practices, holidays and overtime.

Providing feedback on a daily basis to the Farm Manager and Supervisor on matters such as donkey health, feeding regimes and land management and liaising with other staff to facilitate smooth running of the farm.

This is a full-time, permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 37.5 hours per week, 5 days out of 7, including weekend work as part of the team rota.

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long service awards.

Healthshield plan –

Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.

Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.

Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Monday 16 February 2026.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

View Apply Now

People Team Assistant

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

21,372 per year

Sidmouth

Part-time

17th February 2026

Listed 1 week ago

Search & apply

OpportunitiesJob description

Job description

People Team Assistant (2150)

Apply Now

Salary:£21,372 per annum
PoscitySidmouth
PoscountryUnited Kingdom
Area:People and Planning
Vacancy Type:Permanent
Full or Part Time?:Part Time

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an exciting opportunity for a well‑organised, customer‑focused professional to join our busy People Team. You will provide high‑quality administrative support across all HR/People functions and act as a trusted first point of contact for employee enquiries. You will be confident using HR systems, have a keen eye for detail and demonstrate excellent communication skills.

About you:

Able to demonstrate an understanding of HR/People Team principles, processes, and HRIS systems.
Posses strong communication and interpersonal skills..
Able to demonstrate advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Outlook and calendar management.
High accuracy and attention to detail when handling data and documentation.
Demonstrate excellent organisation skills and ability to manage a varied workload in a fast-paced environment.
Able to demonstrate the ability to work confidentially, collaboratively, and on own initiative.

About the role:

As a People Team Assistant, you will play a key role in supporting the smooth running of our People Team operations. Your responsibilities will include:

Acting as the first point of contact for People Team enquiries, resolving routine queries and escalating complex matters appropriately.
Communicating professionally and confidentially with employees and stakeholders.
Managing the Applications and HR Helpdesk inboxes and all associated administrative tasks.
Preparing employment contracts and conducting Right to Work checks; completing Credit Safe checks for roles requiring financial vetting.
Compiling and importing sensitive data for system transfers and monthly payroll processing.
Instructing payroll on new starters, leavers and contractual changes.
Coordinating induction days and liaising with relevant teams to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.
Maintaining and updating absence and holiday records for variable‑hours employees.
Managing DBS renewals for employees, volunteers and trustees, as well as other safeguarding checks.
Raising purchase orders, processing invoices, and coordinating with Procurement to set up new suppliers in eBIS (UK and international).
Generating and distributing weekly and monthly reports to internal and external stakeholders.

What we offer in return:

Based in Sidmouth, Devon – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – this is a part-time permanent contract, to start as soon as possible, working 28 hours per week.

Please note, the hours could be worked 09.00 – 15.30 over 5 days, Monday – Friday or over 4 days working 08.30 – 16.30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.

The working pattern for this role will be hybrid working, which combine onsite and home working under our guiding principles for such roles, with onsite attendance currently anticipated to be 2-4 days per month. The working pattern will be agreed between the line manager and post-holder.

Please refer to the FAQs section regarding travelling to work on our Candidate Journey page:

https://jobs.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/jobs/candidate-journey/

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long service awards.

Healthshield plan –

Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Tuesday 17 February 2026.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

View Apply Now

Project and Change Officer

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

40,389 per year

Sidmouth

Full-time

26th February 2026

Listed 1 week ago

Search & apply

OpportunitiesJob description

Job description

Project and Change Officer (2125)

Apply Now

Salary:£40,389 per annum
PoscitySidmouth
PoscountryUK
Area:People and Planning
Vacancy Type:Permanent
Full or Part Time?:Full Time

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an excellent opportunity for an Project and Change Officer to join our Team. As a Project and Change Officer you will support all aspects of the successful delivery of organisational transformational projects of change and to also be wholly responsible for managing the delivery of specific, smaller-scale projects, working with and influencing key stakeholders to deliver the required change capability.

About you:

Experience in managing small projects of change or supporting complex, cross-organisational projects of change to cost, quality and time. Experience of monitoring and evaluation of projects.
A foundation knowledge of and/or training in project management methodology.
A working knowledge of change management principles and best practice.
Excellent organisation and planning skills, able to meet changing priorities and time frames.
Able to demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, including a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Competent IT skills (proficient in Microsoft Office software).
Demonstrable experience of partnership working with excellent interpersonal skills to successfully build strong working relationships and influence key stakeholders to achieve goals;
Excellent time management skills and composure under pressure, with the ability to effectively determine priorities, ensuring delivery to agreed timelines, with flexibility to meet changing priorities and variable workloads.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

Responsible for supporting all aspects of successful delivery of complex cross-organisational improvement or transformation projects, or other time specific work assignments as required, to defined time, cost and quality. Including:
- project and change planning and management;
- resource planning;
- communications planning;
- stakeholder engagement;
- proactive risk analysis, management and resolution;
- benefits realisation;
Work as part of a Project team, taking direction as required from Project and Change Managers but is expected to work on own initiative to undertake key activities which are critical to the delivery of these projects within expected timescales, budget and at the level of quality expected of the charity;
Support and encourage the establishment and management of appropriate governance arrangements, including production and maintenance of key project and change management documentation and tools, undertaking stakeholder engagement with senior managers and other staff as required to secure approval;
Assist the Project and/or Change Manager or assignment lead to develop realistic and achievable implementation plans, identifying, capturing and maintaining risks, issues and actions throughout the project or change initiative lifecycle;
Establish, review, develop and manage smaller-scale projects of change, which involves working closely with key stakeholders across disciplines and organisational boundaries across the charity to secure buy-in to the successful delivery of the project outputs.
Propose agendas for project governance, seeking agreement from the project sponsor, ensures follow up of actions and carries out interventions as and when required to ensure project delivery is not compromised.
Support Project and Change Managers in planning, documenting and reporting on their project delivery, with specific responsibility for the development and sequencing of detailed plans from high-level milestones and updating documentation at agreed intervals, liaising with members of the project team and other key stakeholders as necessary;

What we offer in return:

Based in Sidmouth, Devon – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – this is a full-time, permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 35 hours per week, 08.30-16.30, Monday-Friday.

The working pattern for this role will combine onsite and home working under our guiding principles for such roles. The working pattern will be agreed between the line manager and post holder, but the requirement for onsite attendance is currently anticipated to be the equivalent of 2 days per month.

Please refer to the FAQs section regarding travelling to work on our Candidate Journey page:

https://jobs.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/jobs/candidate-journey/

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long service awards.

Healthshield plan –

Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Thursday 26 February 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised date and therefore encourage early applications.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

View Apply Now

Farm Worker/Groom

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

15,210 per year

Sidmouth

Part-time

19th February 2026

Listed 1 week ago

Search & apply

OpportunitiesJob description

Job description

Farm Worker/Groom (2154)

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Salary:£15,210 per annum
PoscitySidmouth
PoscountryUnited Kingdom
Area:Equine Operations
Vacancy Type:Fixed Term Contract
Full or Part Time?:Part Time

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an excellent opportunity for a flexible and proactive team player with a passion for Donkeys to join our busy team at Trow and Hurford farms, Sidmouth, Devon. Possessing substantial equine and animal husbandry experience, you will provide care and rehabilitation for the resident donkeys, mules and hinnies, and support the Farm Manager in maintaining a safe working environment.

About you:

Previous equine or animal husbandry experience.
Good communication skills.
Excellent customer service and people skills.
Physically fitness and able to lift, for example, a bag of feed (approx. 20 kg).
Willing to work outside in adverse weather conditions.
Willing to undertake work related training as required.
Full current valid UK driving licence.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

Routinely checking, feeding, medicating, grooming, weighing, worming and training the resident donkeys.
Assisting visiting vets, farriers and dentists.
Operating machinery, and/or manually, mucking out, feeding and bedding up of barns and stables and distributing hay, haylage and bagged feedstuffs.
Maintaining the farm by sweeping, pressure washing, cleaning, field sweeping, haymaking, strimming, compost management, willow management and dirty water control.
Maintaining up to date manual records for the donkeys, farming practices, holidays and overtime.
Providing feedback on a daily basis to the Farm Manager and Supervisor on matters such as donkey health, feeding regimes and land management and liaising with other staff to facilitate smooth running of the farm.

What we offer in return:

This is a part-time, fixed term contract starting as soon as possible until 5 February 2027, working 22.5 hours per week, Wednesday-Friday. Flexibility will be required for weekend work and occasional evening attendance as part of the team rota.

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life Assurance.

31 Days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.

Wellbeing Team.

Recorded Pilates classes.

Long Service Awards.

Healthshield Plan –

Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free Parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop at The Donkey Sanctuary main site.

Closing date for applications: Thursday 19 February 2026.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

View Apply Now

Practice Manager

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

44,046 per year

Honiton

Full-time

8th March 2026

Listed 1 week ago

Search & apply

OpportunitiesJob description

Job description

Practice Manager (2156)

Apply Now

Salary:£44,046 per annum
PoscityHoniton
PoscountryUnited Kingdom
Area:Equine Operations
Vacancy Type:Permanent
Full or Part Time?:Full Time

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

We have an excellent opportunity for a self-motivated, flexible and professional individual with outstanding leadership, organisational and relationship-building skills to join our dedicated Veterinary Team. As Practice Manager, you will be responsible for the effective day-to-day management of the Veterinary Department, ensuring that people, processes, and resources work seamlessly to support the delivery of high-quality clinical services to donkeys, mules and horses within our care.

About you:

Demonstrable working knowledge of veterinary clinical service provision.
Experience of using legislation, governance and professional standards relevant to the provision of veterinary services to equines in the UK.
Demonstrable experience of effective budget management (including preparing, monitoring and reporting) and ability to work within financial constraints.
Demonstrable experience of effectively leading a team.
Able to work calmly under pressure and manage competing priorities.
Excellent communication, report writing and interpersonal skills.
Proven computer literacy including database utilisation, email, PowerPoint and Excel.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

Acting as the point of contact with regards to staff, estates and facilities, fleet, security and budgetary matters and working collaboratively across the veterinary department to ensure the delivery of cost effective and high-quality veterinary services.
Triaging veterinary service calls and laboratory results to ensure urgent cases are addressed promptly while maintaining the flow of routine procedures.
Managing the duty and out of hours rota to ensure fair and consistent 24/7 cover for veterinary services.
Coordinating mandatory Veterinary Medicines Directorate/RCVS veterinary medicines inspections and voluntary RCVS Tier 2 Practice Standards to ensure procedures, documentation and protocols are in place. Supporting audits and governance reviews as required.
Directing and managing the veterinary administration team to uphold excellence in veterinary service provision, ensuring informed advice and consistent communication with external stakeholders, veterinary professionals, and paraprofessionals.
Effectively managing the department budget alongside Head of Clinical Services (Clinical Director) and the financial business partner to ensure appropriate use of charitable spends, reporting and investigating any variances.
Handling and approving purchase orders (including capital and overseas payments), processing invoices through procurement/EBIS, and managing stock levels and ordering for farriery supplies.
Acting as the main point of contact for professional and security contractors including carrying out regular audits of care and standards and reporting concerns to Head of Clinical Services (Clinical Director).

What we offer in return:

Based at our fully equipped veterinary hospital at Brookfield Farm, near Honiton – this is a full-time, permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 37.5 hours per week, 08.00-16.30, Monday-Friday.

Benefits:

Competitive pension.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 will each full year of service.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long service awards.

Healthshield plan –

Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop at our main site at Sidmouth.

Closing date for completed applications: Sunday 8 March 2026.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised date and therefore encourage early applications .

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

12 roles available

Job description

Volunteer Role - Wildlife and Conservation Volunteer (2000)

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Engagement Officer

Farm Worker/Groom

TDS Ireland - Trustee with Fundraising Experience

TDS Ireland - Trustee with Legal Experience

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Engagement Officer

Farm Worker/Groom

TDS Ireland - Trustee with Fundraising Experience

TDS Ireland - Trustee with Legal Experience

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