Head of Canine Activities Development and Engagement

Job Description

Job Title: Head of Canine Activities ​Development & Engagement
Location: London & Hybrid (2 days a week in our London office)
Team: Canine ​Wellbeing & Engagement
Reports to: Chief Canine Wellbeing ​& Engagement Officer
Salary: Competitive
Closing date: 6 July 2026
*Please not we are unable to provide work sponsorships

The Head of Activities Development and Engagement has overall accountability for the external engagement and trust building within the dog community. Also responsible for operational delivery, performance and continuous improvement of activities across all canine disciplines.

What you'll bring:

Essential

• Senior operational leadership experience with direct line management of managers.
• Programme development and delivery.
• Knowledge of canine activities or comparable regulated environments.
• Volunteer development and outreach, working within volunteer-led environments.
• Management of multi-disciplinary SMEs within programme development and delivery.
• Proven ability to hold senior managers to account for delivery and performance.
• Experience overseeing complex, stakeholder-facing operational delivery.
• Strong judgement, prioritisation and decision-making skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a high-scrutiny, reputationally sensitive environment.
• Leadership experience in customer service, customer-focused environment.

Desirable

• Experience of overseeing stakeholder engagement and relationship management.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams in a hybrid environment.
• Given the seniority and profile of this role within the dog community the candidate will need to accept that participation in canine events will be restricted.

 

What you'll be doing:

• Building strong relationships with stakeholders across all activities and disciplines and building an ethos of standards and trust within communities that reflect the RKC brand. 
• Building strong relationship internally with revenue and brand team to ensure appropriate communications plans to support activities strategy updates, changes and the introduction of new activities.
• Building strong relationship internally with PMO & Product to offer SME support to wider RKC organisational priorities and ensuring products are best fit for canine customers across all interests and disciplines.
• Develop volunteers and ensure plan to continue to encourage and recruit volunteers for canine activities. 
• Work closely with the RKC Governance team and committees to drive development and innovation across activities that addresses standards, trust, participation and commercial sustainability with an effective regulatory framework. 
• Ensure our judging framework is transparent, easy to follow and sets standards for excellence. 
• Build engaging programme for canine professionals and participants in activities across training and judging. 
• Leading the team to be more customer-focused and higher performing.
• Developing the regional support network to ensure greater local impact, greater understanding of regulations, standards, education and reduce escalation of conduct related cases to G&L. 
• Work closely with Exec and ‘heads of’ to ensure the dog world community remains and feels an important part of the RKC.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, increasing up to 30 days, in addition to bank holidays. Staff may also receive additional days for any approved business closure days over the festive period in December
• Option to buy up to five days of annual leave per year
• Employer pension contributions double the percentage of your plan earnings, up to 8%
• Life assurance equivalent to three times your basic salary (two times your basic salary for non-pension scheme members)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Lifestyle discounts via our EAP and healthcare cashback programme
• Discounts on Royal Kennel Club products and services
• 4X Complimentary staff tickets to Crufts
• Healthcare cashback programme with a fixed contribution paid for by the Royal Kennel Club
• Free eye tests with a voucher towards the cost of your spectacles
• Financial support for professional and vocational qualifications, with five days' study leave provided
• Free access to The Royal Kennel Club Library and Art Gallery