Senior Manager, Animal Behavior

ASPCA

Job Description

Summary:

Are you dedicated to companion animal behavior and passionate about delivering high-quality care and optimizing welfare for animals in need? Are you committed to bringing multiple areas of animal sheltering expertise together and working with a team to ensure the overall well-being of animals? Are you a dynamic leader and mentor dedicated to developing teams for the benefit of shelter animals? If so, the role of Senior Manager, Animal Behavior at the ASPCA’s Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) might be right for you!

Who We Are:
At the CRC, a dedicated team of professionals serve animals rescued in ASPCA national cruelty cases and disaster responses. Experts in shelter medicine, operations and shelter animal behavior constantly collaborate to provide high-quality integrative care, prioritizing both physical and psychological well-being. As they engage in hands-on care, teams prioritize the elevation of our work through ongoing learning, advancing the animal welfare field through research, developing effective, efficient interventions, establishing new best practices, and sharing innovations with other organizations nationwide.

What You’ll Do:

The Senior Manager, Animal Behavior is based at the CRC but travels regularly to provide behavior leadership and services at emergency shelters and to assist the Behavioral Sciences Team (BST) with low-stress handling during animal removals on-scene. Led by the Senior Director, Animal Behavior, this role works alongside two other Senior Managers. Each supervises 3-4 Behavior Specialists (a team of 11 in total), providing ongoing mentorship, coaching and development support. Together, the members of the CRC behavior branch focus on continually assessing and optimizing behavioral health of the animals.

When & Where You’ll Work:

This is an in-person position located at the Cruelty Recovery Center in Columbus, OH

Available to regularly work 4 days per week, 7:30am-5:30pm, including one weekend day, and available to work a flexible schedule when needed including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Schedules are subject to change at the sole discretion of the ASPCA.

Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% of the time, often on short notice and for 7- to 10-day periods.

What You’ll Get:

Compensation

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and staff compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future.

The target hiring range for this role is $88,500 - $92,500 annually

Benefits

At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental, and optional vision coverage.

Flexible time off that includes vacation time, sick and bereavement time, paid parental leave, 10 company paid holidays, and paid personal time off that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.

Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar for dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.

Robust professional development opportunities including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field, and so much more.

For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
CRC Behavioral Support & Data Collection
Monitor the behavioral health of all animals in our care
Conduct daily behavior rounds of all animals in the shelter and regularly participate in shelter daily rounds to ensure timely delivery of care and open communication.

Create daily treatment plans and work closely with the two other Senior Managers to coordinate activities of behavior staff
Participate in Medical, Sheltering, and Behavior meetings to ensure smooth collaboration among all areas of expertise and holistic care for animals

Assign dogs to playgroup participation; monitor and track their behavior

Conduct behavior evaluations for a variety of populations (hoarding case and puppy mill dogs, fighting dogs, shelter dogs and cats, animals rescued during disaster relief efforts) 
Serve as an expert handler for fearful and/or aggressive dogs (e.g., during medical exams, intake procedures, humane euthanasia)

Monitor the effectiveness of treatment interventions through behavior database to track shelter animal progress
Lead weekly treatment meetings with CRC behavior staff to troubleshoot behavior modification techniques and collect info to inform outcome decisions
Provide behavior support to Response Partners and foster parents or delegate this task to Behavior Specialists when appropriate
Ensure that all team members have received training and mastered the skills to handle dogs and cats in a low-stress manner, and that they implement these handling techniques consistently in all their interactions with animals
Provide a safe and compassionate environment for animals in our care, our staff, and for our clients by using low-stress handling techniques.
Instill the guiding principle that everyone can—and should—actively support the animals’ behavioral and mental health in everything they do.
Oversee the collection and organization of footage for behavior video library; provide videos for media, animal placement and educational uses
Adhere to all protocols set forth by the ASPCA, including behavior modification and training procedures, enrichment, animal handling, as well as general medical and sheltering protocols
Teach classes and give talks for public and professional audiences and do media interviews as needed
Work closely with the Behavioral Sciences Team (BST) to develop processes or protocols that are unique to the specific situation or animal population
People Management, Coaching & Team Leadership

Train and supervise a team of 3-4 behavior professionals, holding regular one-on-one meetings to share ideas and provide feedback, coaching and guidance

Assign, implement and monitor training and behavior modification protocols

Provide hands-on animal behavior coaching for behavior, sheltering, medical and other CRC staff

Partnering with sheltering staff, provide expertise to inform the creation and implementation of a robust enrichment program, as well as housing changes to maximize behavioral health

Work with Sr. Director Animal Behavior for recruitment, hiring and onboarding of Behavior Staff

Create professional development plans and support the career growth of direct reports

Consistently utilize ASPCA developmental tools and conduct yearly performance reviews of direct reports to measure progress

Maintain proactive communication with the CRC senior management team on critical situations or issues

Espouse and model positive, people-centric management approaches that are in line with team and organizational Core Values

Emergency Shelter Support & Other Responsibilities

Deploy to provide hands-on behavior services and leadership at ASPCA emergency shelters

Oversee behavioral assessment and monitoring, playgroups, and, when appropriate, behavior modification sessions

Provide expert handling as needed, using low-stress and defensive handling skills

Partner with sheltering and medical staff to provide integrative care as a unified team

Support NFR’s and BST’s field and forensics work, handling animals during removal on-scene, serving as an expert handler during transports, and assisting with forensic behavior evaluations as needed

Understand Incident Command System (ICS) and adhere to chain of command during deployments

Collaborate on Learning Lab Program. Provide facilitation and hands-on training both remotely and in-person as requested.

Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Director, Animal Behavior

Education & Work Experience

High School Diploma, GED, or Equivalent Experience

Minimum of 2 years’ experience managing and/or leading people required, preferably in an animal-related industry

Minimum of 3 years’ experience working as a professional animal trainer/behaviorist, handling, evaluating and treating dogs and cats with behavior problems required

3 years’ experience working in animal shelters required

Experience working with dogs exhibiting extreme aggression, fear and excessive arousal strongly preferred

Experience with additional species, such as horses, birds, and livestock, is a plus

CAAB/ACAAB certification, IAABC certification or eligibility for certification is a plus

CPDT-KA/KSA certification required within 1 year of hire

Training, education or advanced degree in animal behavior field (animal behavior/cognition, experimental psychology, zoology, animal science, etc.) a plus

Low Stress Handling® University Silver-Level certification is required within six months of hire

Disaster Sheltering and FEMA Incident Command System courses (100, 200, 700, 800) is required within 90 days of hire

Qualifications:

Exceptional behavior modification skills

Thorough companion animal behavior and animal welfare knowledge

Excellent low-stress animal handing and restraint skills

Displays care and concern for the safety and well-being of self, animals, and others, especially during stressful situations

Must feel comfortable giving consultative input to help make pathway decisions including euthanasia.

Must feel comfortable handling animals for humane euthanasia procedures

Highly effective managerial and staff coaching skills

Excellent organizational and time management skills

Good team player; a “people person” who enjoys and excels at collaboration

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Superior problem-solving abilities; likes to troubleshoot and find solutions when facing challenges

Ability to thrive in fast-paced, potentially stressful environments

Must be extremely flexible and easily adapt to frequent changes to plans/protocols

Meticulous data collection and reporting skills

Able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds; Able to work standing for 8 or more hours and bend, crouch, kneel and move freely to perform responsibilities that include handling potentially dangerous animals in stressful conditions

Able to occasionally work in physically challenging conditions and able to wear appropriate protective gear, including a protective mask; job responsibilities may entail exposure to chemical and biological hazards, such as feces and blood, exposure to sharp objects, working in noisy environments and working in areas with uneven, wet and slippery surfaces

Fluent in the use of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint; familiarity with Shelter Manager or other shelter software systems; Salesforce a plus

Must provide a valid driver’s license upon hire and pass a motor vehicle history check demonstrating a safe driving history

Stay Connected – Join Our Talent Community

If you are interested in joining our team but do not see a position listed that fits your experience or interests, please join our Talent Community to stay connected to future opportunities with the ASPCA.

Qualifications:

See above for qualifications details.

Language:

English (Required)
Education and Work Experience:

Our EEO Policy:
The ASPCA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the ASPCA’s standard application process, which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the ASPCA. Please inform the ASPCA’s People Team if you need an accommodation in order to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Individuals seeking employment are considered without regards to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

ASPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V).