Guide Dogs Academy is a pioneering centre of learning that’s home to our world-class training programmes. In Academy, we recruit, train and develop our growing specialist workforce of Guide Dog Trainers (GDT) and Guide Dog Mobility Specialists (GDMS).
These roles are crucial to ensure Guide Dogs meets the needs of people living with sight loss and supports them in living the life they choose.
The Academy is recruiting for new Academy Guide Dog Mobility Specialists (AGDMS) to join our learning programme starting in August 2025 at our office in Nottingham. This is a permanent, full-time position and once your training is complete, you will be based at Nottingham.
What is a Guide Dog Mobility Specialist?
Our GDMSs aim to create successful, long-lasting partnerships between guide dogs and people with sight loss. This takes a huge amount of time, skill, patience and dedication. It is also one of the most rewarding jobs you could have.
This is not your normal 9 to 5 role, and no two days are the same - one day you might be in planning meetings with your team, another day out training dogs (rain or shine!) or working with a service user to resolve challenges.
In the following video Natalie tells us more about her role as a GDMS:
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What does the training involve?
Training to become a Guide Dog Mobility Specialist in Academy takes around three years. You will start off working with one of our Technical Learning Specialists – who are experts in the job themselves - in a small cohort of learners. Through a combination of hands-on practical work and a package of digital learning materials, you’ll become proficient in every aspect of the GDMS role including dog training, sight loss awareness, creating and implementing training plans and of course, making life-changing partnerships. As you progress through training, you’ll need to meet practical and theoretical requirements to become fully competent. You’ll be assessed and observed in practice, and supported with feedback and objectives to help you become the best you can be. You need to be willing to take responsibility for your learning and to be proactive in your own development.
Salary
As an Academy GDMS, your starting salary will be from £24,519 to £28,000 a year, depending on your experience. As you progress through your training, you will receive competency-based gradual salary increments. Once you’re fully competent and have graduated from Academy (usually within 3 years of starting training), your salary will increase to £34,122.
Assessment Dates
Should you be shortlisted, we’ll ask you to attend an initial online interview during week commencing 12th May. Depending on the result of this interview, you may be invited to attend an Assessment Day during week commencing 2nd June .
Online Information Session
We’ll be hosting an online information session about the role on Monday 7th April at 5pm where you can find out lots more from members of the team. For more details and to register, please follow this link: Register Here for Webinar
About You
We’re looking for people with a determined and positive mindset who have a passion for supporting and empowering people – and of course, who love working with dogs! A GDMS is the linchpin in creating a new partnership and this requires skill, patience, problem-solving and dedication. It can be very challenging but also deeply rewarding, so you should be resilient and able to work under pressure.
You’ll need to embrace learning a new set of skills and be adaptable when things don’t go to plan. The role is very active – you’ll be walking around 20,000 steps a day and handling large dogs.
Ideally, you’ll have:
- Previous practical experience of supporting people, either in a paid role or as a volunteer.
- Experience of teaching, coaching and mentoring individuals and/or groups.
- Understanding of positive training approaches/techniques and their use with animals or humans
- Empathy and understanding of individual needs
- Resilience and adaptability
You need to have a current valid UK/EU Driving Licence before making your application. The role is also subject to an Enhanced DBS.
Is this role for me?
Training to become a Guide Dog Mobility Specialist is a big decision. You’ll need to be committed to your learning and able to work in a changing and often challenging environment. Make sure you consider the important practical elements carefully before you apply to confirm the job is right for you. See our 'Keeping Things Transparent' document, attached to this advert, for more helpful information.