Field Operations Manager

Cincinnati Animal CARE

Job Description

Join the young, ambitious, pioneering leadership team at Cincinnati Animal CARE in this rapidly-growing, nationally-recognized animal services organization serving one of the Midwest’s most vibrant cities in Ohio’s 3rd largest county of 825,000 residents.

Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society
Cincinnati Animal Care (CAC) is a progressive, no-kill organization. CAC assumed operations of the Hamilton County Animal Shelter and Dog Warden operations on August 1st, 2020. We have maintained a combined dog and cat 95% Live Release Rate ever since. Our mission is to meet the immediate needs of animals in our community through individualized care, lifesaving solutions, and temporary shelter en route to a safe, compatible home. Nearly 8,000 animals arrive at our shelter every year and we have nearly 500 animals in care at any given time. The animals are housed in two facilities in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati. We believe that lifesaving is a community ethic and are committed to an exceptional level of animal services, implementing a collaborative, holistic approach to animal sheltering and Dog Warden operations.

We value our talented team of nearly 90 compassionate, open-minded and resilient staff and hundreds of volunteers and fosters who help us strive toward our vision of a community where all animals are valued, protected and have a safe place to call home.

Organizational Highlights
Cincinnati Animal CARE offers a robust array of programming that supports animals and people in our community. In 2022, our Dog Wardens responded to over 10,000 calls from the public and won multiple cruelty case convictions. Our medical team hospitalized over 1,000 animals in need of emergency or critical medical treatment. 450 families were assisted through our community support program offering boarding, veterinary assistance, training assistance, or spay/neuter. Nearly 1,000 stray animals were reunited with their families, 5,700 animals were placed into foster care, and more than 5,000 animals were adopted into new ones. We are able to achieve unprecedented results and deliver a robust offering of new services to our community despite working out of an outdated, 60-year-old facility. Hamilton County has been a great partner and the county has committed to building a new facility that we expect to be built and operational in the next few years.

About Cincinnati
Cincinnati has lots to offer for anyone looking to relocate here, being recognized as the highest-ranked and best city to live in Ohio, according to a recent list released by U.S. News and World Report. In May 2023, Cincinnati was ranked 50th overall in the “150 Best Places to Live in the U.S”. The city is nestled along the banks of the Ohio River, and the entire metropolitan area spans portions of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Positive rankings are based on the diverse economy, plenty of jobs, affordability, strong school districts and nationally recognized colleges and universities, fun recreational options and excellent family-friendly neighborhoods. Whether you want hip uptown living, suburban neighborhoods or rural living, we have it all within reach of our shelter in Northside, a hotbed of creativity and a popular destination for entertainment and nightlife. Just five miles northwest of downtown Cincinnati, Northside is known for its fun, eclectic and diverse vibe. To learn more about Cincinnati and our home in Northside, visit www.visitcincy.com and www.welcometonorthside.com

Position Summary
This leadership position is an exciting opportunity for a results-driven, growth-minded leader. We are looking for a seasoned law enforcement professional to become part of a vibrant team and manage a team of Deputy Dog Wardens with strategic thinking and executional excellence. The successful candidate has fluency in animal law enforcement and understands the role field services plays in the larger shelter landscape. This person has deep law enforcement knowledge, strong leadership skills, and a successful track record of project development and management. The ideal candidate is unsatisfied with the status quo and actively seeks and accepts feedback and opportunities for improvement.
Under the direction of the Chief Dog Warden, the Field Operations Manager will oversee the Dog Warden team comprised of approximately 8 Officers, and serve as a leader at CAC. We have high expectations and are committed to hiring a performance-minded individual who has a track record of growing and developing people, and producing remarkable results.

Primary Responsibilities
The Field Operations Manager will be responsible for assisting with the setting of short-term and long-term goals in cooperation with the Chief Dog Warden. This person will identify key performance measures of the Dog Warden department and must be able to “build the plane while flying it”. Program oversight will include daily operations, staff scheduling, inventory management, staff supervision, oversight of the field training program, and collaboration and cooperation with other shelter departments. Key responsibilities include:

Assist in the development of a strategic, long-term, forward-thinking vision for the Dog Warden department that aligns with CAC’s mission and considers Cincinnati’s projected growth and community needs, as well as, potential changes in animal welfare
Assess the operational effectiveness of dog warden programming and protocol, identify program roadblocks and pitch comprehensive, data-based solutions to the Chief Dog Warden
Analyze data and turn insights from data into action to drive better results
Recommend key performance measures and metrics for the dog warden department
Field responsibilities as assigned
Form and leverage strong internal and external relationships to facilitate a community approach to lifesaving; effectively collaborate up, down and across the organization to executional excellence and operational efficiency
Lead deputy dog warden development - hiring, training, performance management, retention and career pathways
Enable Deputies through coaching, development and resourcing
Ability to make tough decisions and gain consensus through decisiveness, transparency, humility and respectful communications
Work collaboratively with other department managers to ensure strategic, efficient overall shelter operations that save the most lives
Maintain accurate records
Effectively oversee the enforcement of Chapter 955 of the Ohio Revised Code
Assist with the responsibility for the 24-hour emergency phone 3-4 days per week

Required Skills and Mastery
Knowledge of county and state ordinances, specifically the Ohio Revised Code 955 and 956
Demonstrate animal handling skills, including safe handling of fractious animals and understanding how to use animal control equipment
Ability to write citations and reports free of spelling and grammatical errors
Knowledge of laws against animal cruelty and neglect, and experience investigating and prosecuting cases
Experienced project manager who uses data and KPI’s to drive decision making and resource allocation
Anticipates and identifies problems, and proactively seeks solutions in the absence of perfect data; practices excellent and creative problem-solving skills
Practices dynamic, holistic and critical thinking that consistently delivers exceptional results while maintaining alignment on timelines and targets
Demonstrates decisive decision-making
Highly-effective communicator up, down, across and outside the organization
Strong leadership skills to support department transition in times of uncertainty
Ability to engage, empower, enable, energize and lead others
Effective cross-functional collaborator who works cooperatively with other leaders to find new and better approaches
Experience successfully working for either a start-up or high-growth organization is a real plus

Professional Attributes
Unwavering composure, integrity, and professional maturity
Passionate for animal care and welfare
Authentic leader and partner
Ability to develop strong teams
Operates with a sense of urgency driven by the recognition that we are in a lifesaving business
Innovative mindset- inspired and unafraid to bring something new to this space
Results-oriented - ability to drive results to plan with full accountability
Nimble - demonstrates learning agility, proactively shifting efforts as trends and business variables change
Growth-minded - self-reflective, humble and open; seeks, welcomes and incorporates, professional feedback with an authentic commitment to improve and grow
Inquisitive- has a history of seeking out best practices and successfully assimilating them into their organization
Embodies unwavering commitment to CAC’s values and positive workplace culture

Qualifications/Educational Background:
3+ years of law enforcement experience
5+ years of leadership experience managing a variance of teams, including entry level and management
1+ years of animal services experience preferred

Schedule and Availability:
This is a 40+ hour, exempt position
Must have availability after-hours and on off-days for emergencies, consultation, and advisement to Officers, medical and shelter leadership, and Executive Leadership Team as needed

Salary and Benefits:
Range: $55,000 - $65,000
Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b, PTO, EAP, Professional Development

This is a full time job