Director of Lifesaving Operations

Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

Job Description

Are you eager to bring your operational, team-building, and lifesaving talent to a growing organization in a vibrant city? Join PAWS in Philadelphia, and play a central role in leading the progress we have been building in our community for nearly 20 years.

PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, is seeking an accomplished, engaging, and compassionate animal welfare leader to guide and shape its lifesaving efforts. The successful candidate will demonstrate passion for team building, deep commitment to progressive animal sheltering, adoption/foster, and pet retention practices, and dedication to advancing PAWS’ mission to make Philadelphia a place where every savable pet is guaranteed a home, and every pet owner has the support they need to keep their family whole.

General Position Summary:
The Director of Lifesaving Operations (DLO) plays a vital role in maximizing PAWS’ impact in the communities we serve and creating the positive, engaging work environment we offer to our team. The DLO is responsible for ensuring caring, efficient, strategic rescue operations, from the selection of animals PAWS takes in, to their treatment while in our care and their successful placement in foster and adoptive homes. The DLO also leads PAWS’ Safety Net efforts, ensuring we compassionately provide responsive services and support to pet owners in need, with the goal of keeping families together and making shelter intake a true last resort. As a member of PAWS’ leadership team, the DLO works in collaboration with fellow directors and managers across the organization to ensure optimal outcomes for all animals who come into PAWS’ care, foster a productive and inclusive workplace culture and a sense of teamwork, shape PAWS’ strategic goals, and develop data-driven short- and long-term, actionable plans to achieve them. The DLO embodies’ PAWS’ core values of urgency, volume, quality of care, approachability, leadership, and organizational health, and demonstrates and upholds high standards of customer service.

Required Skills and Qualities (summary):
● At least five years’ management experience in shelter operations, including:
- supervising team leads/managers and coaching on performance and accountability
- demonstrated commitments to leadership development, staff engagement, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace
- program development and efficiency/process improvement
- strong knowledge of diseases, conditions, symptoms, and behaviors common to cats and dogs; and,
- strong knowledge of and commitment to Fear-Free principles and positive reinforcement training and enrichment approaches.
● Empathy, a positive and outgoing nature, and the ability to get along well with a variety of people.
● Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication, organizational, and customer service skills.
● Strong attention to detail and analytical skills, with experience in data-driven decision making.
● Ability to think strategically and execute effectively, while being flexible and innovative as needs and opportunities arise.
● Tech-savviness.

PAWS offers competitive salary and benefits, including generous PTO, 401(k) with employer matching, medical/dental insurance, and more.

To explore this opportunity, please introduce yourself! Email Melissa Levy, Executive Director, at melissa@phillypaws.org, and please include your resume. We look forward to hearing from you!

This is a full time job