Puppy Co-ordinator

Full time - 37.5 hours pw|£26,000 per annum

About Support Dogs 

Support Dogs is a national charity dedicated to transforming the lives of people living with autism, epilepsy, and physical disabilities through the training and provision of specialist assistance dogs. For over 30 years, we have been creating life-changing partnerships that increase independence, confidence, and quality of life for our beneficiaries and their families. 

This is an exciting time to join Support Dogs. As the charity continues to grow and expand its impact, we have recently moved into new premises and are actively developing the site to create a centre of excellence for assistance dog training and service delivery. These enhanced facilities will provide exciting opportunities to introduce new initiatives, strengthen our programmes, and improve the experience for our beneficiaries, volunteers, dogs, and staff. We are looking for passionate and talented individuals who want to be part of this exciting period of growth and help shape the future of the organisation.

About the Role – Puppy Coordinator 

As our Puppy Coordinator, you will play a vital role in shaping the future of our assistance dog programmes by overseeing the development and welfare of puppies during the early stages of their training journey.  Working closely with volunteer Puppy Socialisers, Foster Carers, Trainers, and Colleagues, you will provide guidance, support, and training to ensure puppies receive the best possible start. You will be responsible for coordinating placements, monitoring their progress, maintaining accurate records and helping volunteers develop the skills and confidence needed to prepare our puppies for advanced assistance dog training. This rewarding role combines relationship building, organisation and a passion for canine welfare, offering the opportunity to make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of both our dogs and the people they will go on to support. 

Previous experience of training dogs using reward-based methods and a full clean driving licence are essential for this job position.

You will be required to be able to commute to our National Centre based in Sheffield, however this role will require to mainly work in the Derbyshire / Nottinghamshire area.  The role involves working independently so you must be able to show the ability to work alone effectively, prioritise your workload and be able to respond and adapt to the demands of the job.

For further criteria please refer to requirements and criteria on our website.  Please note this post requires an enhanced DBS Check and must be submitted prior to starting your employment at Support Dogs. Should you not have an enhanced DBS Check, Support Dogs will apply for one on your behalf but all information to complete a check must be provided ahead of your employment start date.  

Occasional overnight duties and from time-to-time weekend work will be required to both fulfil the role and to assist in the promotion of the Charity or participate in fundraising events. 

Puppy Co-ordinator - Job Description

If you have any queries regarding this vacancy please contact Abigail Chung, Senior Puppy Co-Ordinator, via email Abigail.Chung@supportdogs.org.uk.

To apply

Applicants are to send a covering letter and CV to Nicola.Wood@supportdogs.org.uk or alternatively by post to Nicola Wood, Business Operations Officer, Support Dogs, Elsworth House, Herries Rd S, Sheffield S6 1QS.  

Please ensure to include the following information in your covering letter/CV – 

Explanation of why you feel you are suited to the role, using specific examples to demonstrate your suitability.   

Include any training and/or voluntary work you have undertaken/participated in that is relevant to the role’s requirements. 

Referees to cover at least the past 5 years (if applicable), one being your current/last employer, whichever is relevant to your situation.  Should you not have a current/previous employer please explain how you have been spending your time while not in employment.  Open references/character references from family or friends are not accepted. 

A chronological history of your time spent since leaving education, giving reasons for leaving a position. 

Closing date – this position will remain open until Friday 28th August 2026.

Please note, this vacancy has a two-stage interview process, an initial interview will be done online via Teams and shortlisted applicants will move onto a practical assessment which will be held at our National Centre in Sheffield.