Senior Director, Animal Care Operations

Summary:

Overview

Are you a strategic thinker with a talent for leading diverse teams? Are you passionate about promoting an inclusive work environment? Do you find inspiration in improving the lives of animals? If so, consider the role of Senior Director, Animal Care Operations.

The Senior Director ensures that shelter staff, volunteers, and foster families provide good care and support for animals, leading to the best possible outcomes both in the shelter and in foster homes. The Senior Director champions the belief that animals receive the best care when the people who care for them are well supported. This involves effective recruitment and onboarding, ensuring established standards are met, and fostering a culture where staff and volunteers feel valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully.

Operationally, the Senior Director will oversee the adherence to established processes while encouraging innovative practices that enhance animal welfare and support for people. This includes sharing successful innovations with the broader animal welfare community.

Who We Are

The ASPCA Adoption Center & Kitten Nursery provides intake and holistic care, including medical and behavioral support, and outcomes for animals in New York City that need us most.

Our population consists of five groups of animals:

• Animal victims of cruelty and neglect brought to us by the NYPD
• Animals brought to us through our Community Engagement team
• Underage kittens and other medically compromised stray animals
• Animals surrendered by their owners and in need of adoption into new homes
• Animals transferred in from shelter/rescue partners

The Adoption Center & Kitten Nursery teams utilize and develop best practices for providing care and innovative placement strategies for these specialized populations and are committed to engaging community members in animal care efforts.

What You’ll Do

• The Senior Director, Animal Care Operations (Senior Director) reports directly to the Senior Director of Operations, Adoption Center & Feline Programs (SDO) and has three direct reports and 29 indirect reports.
• The Senior Director will collaborate with the Vice President and Senior Leadership Team to position the Adoption Center as a learning hub that encourages public involvement as ambassadors for the ASPCA’s mission through volunteerism, fostering, and adoption.
• The Senior Director will lead a high-performing team dedicated to the care of approximately 2,000 at-risk pets each year, working effectively with internal and external stakeholders to achieve the ASPCA’s ultimate goal: ensuring that all animals live fulfilling lives.

Where and When You’ll Work

• This position is an on-site role and reports to the 92nd St. ASPCA Adoption Center location.
• The schedule for this role will be a 5 consecutive-day workweek; one weekend day may be required.
• Periodic schedule flexibility should be expected, including evening, weekend and holiday coverage to accommodate Adoption Center and team events and operational needs.

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 $145,000-$155,000 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:

Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance, and include but are not limited to:

Program Leadership and Strategy

• As a member of the department’s Senior Leadership Team, drive strategic goals that enhance service delivery, improve animal outcomes, and ensure financial stewardship. Collaborate across teams to develop, monitor, and manage the departmental budget while using programmatic data, such as length-of-stay, to inform decisions that maximize the number of animals assisted

• Continuously evaluate and align policies and practices within the Adoption Center and Kitten Nursery to ensure consistency across teams, integration with LA Feline Programs, and alignment with broader ASPCA departmental standards.

• Partner with the Vice President and the Adoption Center Senior Leadership Team to develop Animal Welfare, Volunteer, and Foster goals, strategy and key results for providing the best care possible. Guide the teams in embracing and implementing identified strategy and tactics

• In partnership with the SDO and other internal subject matter experts, the Senior Director ensures the teams operate in keeping with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ “Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters” as guiding principles for animal care

• Ensure a steady flow of intakes into the Adoption Center to maximize our capacity for care

• Continuously seek out, learn and implement best practices in the field related to animal care, volunteer and foster

• See that innovative tools and approaches are used effectively to streamline all aspects of recruitment, training and management for volunteers and fosters

• Develop and manage strong and regular communications that keep staff, volunteers, and fosters fully engaged and informed of Adoption Center and ASPCA work, to reinforce culture and commitment, and to provide timely updates on policy and process developments

• Conduct needs assessments and program evaluations to continuously expand and improve programs to meet operational and mission goals

• Serve as a media spokesperson for animal welfare, volunteer, and foster initiatives

Staff Management and Training

• Lead the development of learning opportunities that deepens the teams’ understanding of - and commitment to - animal welfare

• Develop written materials (protocols, information sheets, data sheets, etc.) and oversee their use

• See that people are celebrated and that they are informed and engaged advocates for animals and the ASPCA mission

• With SDO and leadership team, nurture a culture of learning at the Adoption Center, including ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment, active participation in goal setting and monitoring, clear expectations, and regular practice of feedback and after-actions

• Provide training, supervision, modeling, coaching and ongoing guidance for direct reports

• Provide regular, timely and direct feedback via one-on-one check-ins and quarterly feedback sessions with direct reports

• Partner with the People Team to develop a performance management system and process for related teams

• Be a consistent and visible presence with staff and volunteers; be available to answer questions, receive feedback, lend a hand, and ensure deep understanding of and compliance with Adoption Center philosophy, policies and operations

• Guide staff in training, supervising, coaching and providing feedback to volunteers

• Guide the teams in supporting their colleagues who will directly train, supervise and coach volunteers

• Serve as a champion in times of change management and work with leadership in identifying ways to improve the operations and success of the Adoption Center

• Rotate on-call coverage for weekends, holidays, evening and events with other Adoption Center leadership

• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Qualifications

• Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in managing a team and prioritizing their development

• Demonstrated exceptional client services skills; solution-focused problem-solver

• Demonstrated ability to plan, lead and execute strategy

• Passion for people management and engagement; proven history of building and maintaining positive and productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders

• Ability to quickly, calmly, and efficiently adjust to changes in direction and re-prioritize work

• Excellent decision-making ability; able to act with urgency in emergent situations and demonstrate sound judgement

• Superior problem-solving abilities; passion for troubleshooting and finding solutions

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

• Experience with conflict resolution

• Ability to teach and coach required; familiarity with adult learning principles a plus

• Excellent oral and public speaking skills; must feel comfortable addressing large groups of people

• Strong written communication skills; must be able to communicate well via email, newsletter, etc.

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Ability to give and receive timely, productive and relevant feedback

• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and be responsive to requests

• Experience leading union teams a plus

• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams preferred

• Some animal handling skills preferred

• Knowledge of OSHA requirements a plus

• Proficiency with systems and softwares (Microsoft office, Box, PetPoint, Airtable and Digital Cheetah

• Ability to exemplify ASPCA’s core values and behavioral competencies

Language

• English

• Spanish and other languages (a plus)

Education and Work Experience

• Undergraduate degree preferred or comparable work experience

• 6 years of operational and people management experience required

• 3 years of experience in volunteer management preferred

• 2 years in the animal welfare field preferred

• Fear Free® certification is required within 60 days of hire

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