Lead Animal Behaviourist

Lead Animal Behaviourist — Dunfermline / Hybrid, with travel across Scotland

Up to £52,215.80 per annum · 35 hours per week · Permanent

Behaviour leadership with welfare at its heart

The Scottish SPCA has been protecting animals and preventing cruelty since 1839. As Scotland's animal welfare charity, we care for the animals that have suffered most: those rescued by our Inspectorate from neglect, cruelty and abandonment. Our behaviour team helps those animals cope with what has happened to them and move on to a settled life.

We're looking for a Lead Animal Behaviourist to head our behaviour service across Scotland. You'll lead our Regional Behaviourists, set the standard for behaviour work in every one of our Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centres, and help shape how behaviour support is delivered across the Society.

What makes this role different

Outcomes that matter. Behaviour shapes how long an animal stays with us, how well it copes while it's here, and whether it goes on to a lasting home or back to the wild. Your work will shorten stays, reduce returns and give more animals the chance of a settled life.

Real professional leadership. You'll be the Society's professional authority on animal behaviour, working alongside the Veterinary and Behaviour Director and our veterinary teams. You'll line manage and develop our Regional Behaviourists, and build behaviour capability across centre teams, foster carers and volunteers.

A service you can shape. We want behaviour support to reach animals early, from the day they arrive, while it can still change the outcome. You'll have the scope to build that, and to show the difference it makes.

What you'll do

You'll lead an evidence-led behaviour service for animals in our care, fostered animals and those recently rehomed. You'll oversee modification and rehabilitation plans that work in the centre and carry on in the new home. You'll improve the care environment through enrichment, low-stress handling and fostering, and act as the point of escalation for the most complex cases.

You'll work with centre, adoption and fostering teams on preparing animal and adopters post-adoption support, so placements last and fewer animals come back to us. You'll set and track the measures that show what the service achieves, including length of stay, returns and welfare in care. You'll work closely with our vets, including on behavioural medication, and be a trusted source of behavioural expertise for colleagues, external partners and the public.

What we offer

• •       Hybrid working, based from Dunfermline
• •       31 days annual leave rising to 38 with length of service
• •       2 dedicated Wellbeing days a year
• •       A day off for your birthday
• •       Life assurance 4x basic salary
• •       Enhanced family leave policies
• •       Company pension contribution
• •       Professional registration fees paid
• •       Medicash benefit, including employee assistance programme services
• •       Retail and gym membership discounts
• •       The opportunity to lead meaningful work for an organisation that exists solely for animals

What we're looking for

• •       Registration with the ABTC as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist, certification as a CCAB, or MRCVS with a recognised postgraduate behaviour qualification
• •       Substantial hands-on experience with complex aggression and severe anxiety in dogs and cats, and behaviour work across a range of species
• •       A track record of improving outcomes for animals through behaviour modification and rehabilitation
• •       Experience leading people and managing performance, with a collaborative, solution-focused approach
• •       The ability to build trusted relationships inside and outside the organisation
• •       Openness to 360 feedback
• •       A genuine commitment to animal welfare and to our charitable purpose
• •       A full driving licence and willingness to travel across Scotland, including occasional overnight stays

This role is subject to a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland. Some of our roles attract a high volume of applications and may close earlier than advertised, so early application is recommended.

The Scottish SPCA is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We recognise that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to achieving our mission. Scottish Charity No. SC006467.