Senior Manager, Shelter Animal Behavior

ASPCA

Job Description

Summary:

Are you a shelter animal behavior expert and skilled people manager who thrives in a fast-paced environment? Do you love to collaborate with colleagues in other areas of expertise, coming together to help animals in need? If so, the role of Senior Manager of Shelter Animal Behavior at the ASPCA’s new Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (R&R Center) might be the perfect role for you!

Led by the Senior Director of Shelter Animal Behavior, two Senior Managers of Shelter Animal Behavior each supervise five Behavior Specialists, providing ongoing supervision, coaching and development support. Together, these 13 R&R Center Behavior Branch members partner with the entire team to optimize the psychological and physical health of dogs rescued from cruel and neglectful situations.

The Senior Director and Senior Managers of Shelter Animal Behavior serve as a critical part of the R&R Center’s management team. In addition, they oversee all Behavior Branch functions, from performing hands-on work to coaching others to helping the whole team embrace the concept of infusing behavioral well-being into all aspects of operations.

The ideal candidate for this role has a comprehensive understanding of shelter animal behavior, excellent hands-on handling and behavior modification skills, strong people management and team leadership ability, superior interpersonal skills, and a belief in the power of teamwork to achieve shared goals.

Recovery & Rehabilitation Center Overview & Upcoming Launch
The R&R Center, currently under construction in Pawling, NY, will be a unique program dedicated to providing integrated sheltering, behavioral, and medical care for canine victims of cruelty rescued through the ASPCA’s partnership with the NYPD. The R&R Center team will work closely with ASPCA teams in New York City, including the Animal Recovery Center (ARC), the Animal Hospital (AAH), the Canine Annex for Recovery and Enrichment (CARE), and the Adoption Center.

The target start date for this position is early January, 2025. The role will be remote until Spring, 2025 when the position will be on-site at the R&R Center in Pawling, NY.

Responsibilities:
Development Phase: The following responsibilities apply to the R&R Center’s development phase, which includes program development, staff hiring, and team onboarding.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Program Development (50%)
Rapidly gain familiarity with ASPCA org-wide goals and strategies; learn about the work of partner teams; build new, collaborative relationships with colleagues on other teams and help streamline systems where work intersects

Participate in R&R Center program development, focusing on the creation of the behavior program; collaborate with other R&R Center leadership team members to build team-wide structure and systems

Contribute to the development of a comprehensive R&R Center SOP package
Alongside other R&R Center leadership team members, develop strong relationships with community stakeholders

Participate in the creation and execution of a program launch plan, ensuring that staff, program structure, supplies, and equipment are all in place for the start of operations

Team Development, Hiring and Onboarding (40%)
Work with other R&R Center leads and people managers to develop a clear vision for team culture and communication, grounded in an integrative care model and aligned with ASPCA Core Values

Interview, hire, and onboard Behavior Specialists
Plan and participate in teambuilding activities

R&R Center Facility Preparation Support (10%)
Work with the Senior Director, Shelter Animal Behavior to ensure that all supplies have been purchased, delivered, and organized on time for launch
Help create supply inventory and purchase systems
As part of a detailed launch plan, work alongside other people managers to ensure that staff become familiar with their new building and receive training on equipment/tools they’ll use during daily operations
Implementation Phase: The following responsibilities apply to the R&R Center’s implementation phase, which will begin when facility construction is complete and program operations start.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Behavior Assessment, Treatment, Handling & Coaching (50%)
Schedule and conduct behavior modification sessions and standardized behavior evaluations; record data to inform decision-making and for research purposes

Coordinate and supervise other Behavior Branch activities
Continually monitor animal behavior, collecting information from multiple sources to form a comprehensive picture of behavioral health
Handle fearful, highly aroused and aggressive dogs as needed, using low-stress and defensive handling techniques (e.g., during intake, medical procedures, animal movement, humane euthanasia)
Collaborate with Operations and Medical team colleagues to plan humane euthanasia procedures for difficult to handle dogs
Conduct treatment meetings, leading the team through troubleshooting and case progress assessment; make decisions about behavior treatment plan changes
Conduct daily behavior rounds of all animals in the shelter and regularly participate in shelter daily rounds with Operations and Medical Branch colleagues to ensure timely, integrated care and open team communication
Provide expert input on a robust enrichment program, housing changes, the use of psycho-pharmaceuticals, and pathway planning decisions

Provide coaching and behavior guidance for direct reports, other staff, on-site external learners, volunteers, fosterers, and others

Produce or assign/review behavior-related paperwork for dogs (e.g., for adoption/transfer/foster)

Plan, supervise and/or conduct playgroups

Oversee the collection and organization of footage for behavior video library; provide videos for media, animal placement, and educational uses

Adhere to and ensure team use of ASPCA Behavior Alignment Tools (e.g., treatment protocols, eligibility guidelines, quality of life assessment tool, adoptability guidelines); liaise with the ASPCA’s Behavioral Sciences Team

People Management & Team Leadership (40%)

Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports to clearly communicate role and team expectations and to provide feedback/support

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

Create professional development plans and support the career growth of direct reports
Participate in yearly team planning and goal setting; coach direct reports to contribute to the achievement of shared goals

Develop productive, supportive relationships and with other members of the management team to ensure optimal animal care, aligned messaging, transparent communication, and a healthy team culture

In partnership with other leads and managers, communicate animal and program updates; welcome staff questions about “the why” behind decisions, both in group and one-on-one settings

Participate in recruiting, hiring and onboarding new staff for open roles

Other Responsibilities (10%)

Participate in the Learning Lab Shelter Partnership Program and Shelter Behavior Apprenticeship Program as a subject matter expert, on-site at the R&R Center and remotely

Support national case work by occasionally deploying to provide expertise and other assistance in ASPCA emergency shelters

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

Exemplifies the ASPCA’s Core Values:
Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals
Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes
Believes in Team – that we are stronger together
Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible
Focuses on Impact, specifically making change for animals

Qualifications:
Comprehensive shelter dog behavior knowledge
Highly effective people- and team-management abilities; can artfully flex management style to best support diverse individuals
Strong coaching abilities
Exceptional behavior modification, assessment, and handling skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Comfortable making humane euthanasia recommendations for behavior reasons and participating in euthanasia procedures; able to clearly and compassionately answer staff and volunteer questions regarding euthanasia decisions
Good team player; a “people person” who enjoys and excels at collaboration
Superior problem-solving abilities; likes to find solutions when facing challenges
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
Flexible; can easily adapt to changes to plans/protocols and help others do the same
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 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 software systems or Salesforce a plus

Must provide a valid driver’s license upon hire and pass a motor vehicle history check demonstrating a safe driving history
Available to regularly work 5 days per week, schedule may require working one weekend day; able to work some holidays when needed
Ability and willingness to travel up to 5% of the time as needed
Education and Work Experience:
Minimum of 3 years’ experience working as a professional animal behavior expert, handling, assessing, and treating animals with behavior problems required
Experience and skill working with fearful, aggressive, and difficult to handle dogs required
Minimum of 1 year professional experience working in an animal shelter required (volunteer work may be considered)
Minimum of 2 years’ experience managing a team required, preferably in an animal-related field
High School Diploma or GED required; B.A. or B.S. in animal behavior preferred
CAAB/ACAAB certification, IAABC certification or eligibility for certification a plus
CPDT-KA or -KSA certification required within 1 year of hire
Sophia Yin Low Stress Handling® University Silver-Level certification required within six months of hire
ASPCA Shelter Behavior Apprenticeship participation required within 2 years

Compensation and Benefits:
The applicable target hiring range for this remote role is based on where the employee works, which for remote roles is the employee’s primary location of residence, and its respective cost of labor. We have organized the U.S. varying costs of labor index into three geographic zones. As a point of reference, below, we have included our ASPCA locations by geographic zone to illustrate what the hiring range would be in each of the following areas.

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 ranges for this role are set forth below and may be modified in the future.

Zone 1 (For example, Asheville, NC; Champaign, IL; Columbus, OH; Gainesville, FL; Miami, FL; Oklahoma City, OK; Overland, KS; Union, MO; Weaverville, NC): $86,000 - $90,000
Zone 2 (For example, Los Angeles, CA): $95,000 - $100,000
Zone 3 (For example, New York, NY): $104,000 - $109,000

For remote positions, you can view which zone applies to you based on your location. For questions regarding other locations not found on the list, please send an email to Careers@aspca.org for more information.

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

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
Education and Work Experience:
High School Diploma

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).

This is a full time job