Shelter Manager

BrightSide Animal Center

Job Description

The Shelter Manager provides leadership, direction, and supervision to ensure best practices in animal care and that all areas of the shelter are operating at the highest standard possible. The Shelter Manager also strives to consistently meet the goals of BrightSide Animal Center (BSAC) as set forth by the Executive Director. The Shelter Manager will work closely with local animal welfare organizations and transfer partner agencies. Provides direct supervision to the animal care and adoption staff and will lead the dog walking program and animal enrichment with volunteers. The ideal candidate will accomplish this through a respectful, constructive, and energetic leadership and will be guided by the lifesaving mission and vision of BrightSide.

The Shelter Manager is responsible for the day-to-day of the shelter, including but not limited to programs and services, animal care, customer service, safety, upkeep of facilities, and staff management.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice and completing other duties as assigned is required.
The Shelter Manager is a crucial member of the leadership team at BrightSide and reports to the Executive Director.
General Job Functions
Responsible for managing the day-to-day of the shelter. Ensures all staff and volunteers understand and support the mission and values of the organization as set forth by the Executive Director as well as the organization’s Standard Operating Procedures.
Responsible for overseeing staff and ensuring the implementation of and adherence to shelter rules and procedures, including the Standard Operating Procedures.
Responsible for planning, conducting, and documenting regular staff meetings.
Create, implement and maintain Shelter SOPs
Ensures the safety and sanitation of the facility.
Oversees the implementation of a safety program.
Stays current on animal shelter and adoption best practices and ensures Standard Operating Procedures reflect industry best practices.
Monitors spending to ensure expenditures stay within the allotted budget amounts.
Oversees animal care staff training, reviews, and performance plans.
Keeps data regarding key functions of the shelter such as number of adoptions, relinquishments, etc. Analyzes this information monthly and presents monthly shelter reports to the Executive Director at least one week prior to board meetings.
Provides exceptional customer service, resolves customer complaints, and ensures a positive customer experience.
Responsibilities:
General Management:
Is a leader by example to staff, volunteers, and customers of BSAC.
Sets the standard for staff behavior, attitude, and customer service.
Hires, supervises, guides, provides feedback, disciplines, and evaluates animal care staff in the performance of their job responsibilities and for their growth and safety.
Ensures employee files are current and secure and all supervisorial issues are documented in the employee file.
Prepares staff assignments and schedules to ensure shelter operations are covered, in accordance with budgetary guidelines and equitable to all staff.
Is the first contact for employees who are sick, absent, or who will be late so the schedule can be adjusted accordingly as needed. Keep a record of any absence or lateness and the reasons.
Adheres to the Employee Manual; discusses exceptions to policy with the Executive Director.
Implementation: Ensure that all established procedures and policies of the organization are appropriate, in keeping with current best practices, and reliably implemented.
Assess and adjust: Periodically review and assess policies, processes, and programs working within the organization to make changes required to meet the needs of the animals, staff, and community.
Walk-throughs: Perform daily walk-throughs of the shelter to guarantee proper sanitation, care, feeding, and disposition of the animals. This is to ensure that animals are moving through the system efficiently and are made available for adoption in a timely manner.
Legal compliance: Follow all local, state, and federal laws regarding animal housing, care, admission, disposition, and employee work-related matters. Ensure compliance with BrightSide contractual agreements.
Animal Care
Ensures daily cleaning of kennels, feeding and caring for shelter animals, and medical care is being performed regularly and appropriately by shelter staff.
Animal care and flow: Evaluate, develop, implement, manage, and monitor animal care and flow processes at the shelter including, but not limited to, admissions, animal handling, sanitation, feeding, animal enrichment, health care, adoptions, transfers, foster care, and euthanasia.
Standards of care: Ensure high standards of care for the animals under the care of BrightSide’s shelter, including both physical and mental well-being.
Humane treatment: Promote a caring attitude toward all animals and treat animals humanely and with compassion at all times, regardless of circumstances including those who are sick, injured, feral, or aggressive.
Manage all animal enrichment and programs for the shelter. (cat and dog)
Onboard and train all volunteers with shelter best practices and animal programs for the BSAC.
Lead shelter dog walking and enrichment programs with volunteers and staff.
Perform daily walk-throughs with volunteers in the dog walking program. Be the main contact for all dog walker volunteers.
Customer Service
High-quality service: Model outstanding customer service including efficient, courteous interactions with members of the public.
Courtesy: Treat staff, volunteers, supporters, officials, and the public with dignity, respect, and courtesy. Foster a spirit of teamwork and perform duties in a manner that encourages community support and assists BrightSide in achieving its goals.
Staffing
Management: Schedule, assign, supervise, and provide clear expectations for employees including performance management and review.
Training: Ensure ongoing training, guidance for front-line staff & volunteers ensuring that all required training is current.
Safety: Ensure that appropriate safety programs and training are in place to comply with appropriate safety standards including OSHA compliance.
Hiring: Interview, select, hire, and train staff and other employees consistent with the organization’s mission, contracts, and Oregon law.
Facilities
Safe facility: Maintain healthy, safe, sanitary, and pleasant facilities for the animals, the public, and the staff.
Preventive maintenance: Develop and implement a preventative maintenance program to ensure timely repair and/or replacement of shelter equipment.
Supplies and equipment: Create processes to ensure an appropriate inventory of supplies and pet food to ensure that staff members have adequate supplies and equipment to do their jobs.

Experience & Skills
Management: Experience in a senior leadership or management position with transferable skills.
Sheltering: Experience in animal sheltering and familiarity with animal welfare issues is required.
Sound judgment: Exhibits maturity, good judgment, and a professional personal appearance.
Staff management: Experience in hiring, developing, and managing staff. Successful track record of building and working as part of a team.
Commitment to animal welfare: Affection for all animals, concern for their welfare and a willingness to accommodate animals in the workplace.
Strong interpersonal skills: Outgoing, personable, professional, and ability to communicate successfully and get along with a variety of people. Ability to remain pleasant and calm in high stress situations and ability to turn people down firmly, when necessary, without becoming aggressive or unpleasant.
Communication skills: Excellent written and oral communications skills.
Results-oriented: Able to set goals; plan and carry out projects.
Decision-making: Strong decision-making and implementation skills.
Flexibility: Ability to manage multiple tasks and embrace change.
Organization: Strong organizational skills.
Technology-savvy: Comfortable and proficient with computer technology (proficiency with Windows, Word, and Excel), ease at working with databases, programming ability not required.
Learning-agile: Willingness and ability to learn new things quickly.
Solution-oriented: Strong problem-solving skills, ability to find unique solutions to generate success.
Detail-oriented: High level of accuracy with data. Ability to follow through and meet deadlines.
Initiative: Self-directed, works well with minimal supervision and direction.

Requirements
Education: College degree strongly preferred.
Location: Residence in or relocation to the BrightSide service area.
Management experience: Minimum of three years of management experience, preferably with 20+ employees.
Sheltering experience: Minimum of three years of experience in animal sheltering and familiarity with animal welfare issues.
Experience in low stress animal handling and positive reinforcement training, minimum 2 years.
Ability to work with and around animals which includes working with and around diseased, injured and/or fractious animals, loud noises, chlorine and other chemicals, and inclement weather. Allergic conditions which would be aggravated when handling or working with animals may be a disqualification.

Physical ability to:
Walk and/or stand on your feet throughout a normal workday.
Engage in repetitive motions of legs, arms, and hands, to hear, and to see.
Lift and move objects up to 50 pounds and bend or stand as necessary.
Valid Oregon Driver’s License: Attaining (or possession of) a valid Oregon Driver’s License within [number] days of start of employment is a requirement for continued employment. Maintaining a satisfactory driving record and valid Oregon Driver’s License are ongoing conditions of employment.

Nature of Employment
The Shelter Manager role is an exempt position, which requires a minimum of 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week and may include weekend, night, and holiday work and the ability to be on call for emergencies on a 24-hour basis is important. At shelter Tuesday - Saturday, 9am - 6pm.

Compensation
The salary range is $50,000 to $60,000. Starting salary is dependent upon experience. Benefits include paid time off, health insurance and other optional insurance with employee contribution.

How to Apply
Email your one-page cover letter and resume to: Taylor Campbell, Executive Director, tcampbell@brightsideanimals.org . Acknowledgement will be emailed upon receipt of your cover letter and resume. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

This is a full time job