Manager, Behavior - Animal Welfare Organization

Description

Are you a compassionate and strategic leader with a passion for improving the lives of animals in shelter environments? We are seeking a dynamic professional to lead our Behavior and Enrichment team, directly shaping the care, mental wellbeing, and adoptability of animals in our organization.

In this impactful leadership role, you’ll oversee daily behavior operations, guide a dedicated team, innovate best practices, and work cross-functionally to ensure every animal receives the exceptional care they deserve. You’ll be responsible for developing and implementing behavior programs, training and mentoring staff, managing resources, and collaborating with other departments and external partners to strengthen outcomes.

This is an opportunity to create lasting change in animal welfare by bringing your expertise in animal behavior, team leadership, and program development to a mission-driven organization that values compassion, excellence, and innovation.

If you’re ready to lead with purpose and make a measurable difference in the lives of animals and the people who care for them, we invite you to apply.

Purpose of Position: Directly lead, develop, oversee and evaluate the animal behavior and enrichment teams and processes to ensure an exceptional experience for the animals in the organization's care and maximize available resources. Create and innovate best practices and together with the team develop the future state of the behavior department.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct the behavior function to ensure exceptional care is provided for the animals sheltered by the organization, improving and maintaining their physical and mental wellbeing.
• Perform euthanasia and related tasks.
• Perform shelter opening and closing duties as needed.
• Work with and handle animals of varying species, size and temperament daily in a caring, safe and respectful manner.
• Adhere to all safety, training, handling and transportation protocols in order to ensure that the shelter environment is safe for animals, the public, volunteers and other employees. Wear required personal protective clothing, identification and safety garments/equipment as defined by policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with team members to balance competing priorities, create organizational alignment, support strategic planning, execute organizational initiatives, and ensure alignment with core values, vision and mission.
• Participate in inter-departmental meetings and discussions to support and develop initiatives.
• Design, develop and implement department standards, work processes, systems and procedures for accomplishing work. Develop SOPs and ensure they are updated, followed, and communicated with staff and volunteers.
• Monitor and evaluate program and process effectiveness, including statistical analysis and report creation, and implement improvements. Develop and fulfill realistic and ambitious departmental objectives and plans.
• Ensure the highest level of people care is delivered to patrons, staff, volunteers, partners, donors, and vendors.
• Inform and monitor the departmental budgets. Manage utilization of department resources to maximize the value, control expenses and minimize waste.
• Manage daily operations by providing leadership and development to the staff. Foster achievement of a common vision within and across teams. Provide clear direction and priorities. Ensure that roles and responsibilities are understood and carried out.
• Motivate and mobilize staff to act. Remove obstacles, coordinate work efforts when necessary and empower staff members within the department. Manage and ensure the proper utilization and integration of department volunteers.
• Lead development and oversight of public behavior classes in partnership with humane education efforts.
• Represent the organization internally and externally with integrity, serving as an ambassador of the mission and brand. Manage external partnerships and vendors to provide services as needed.
• Monitor animal population to identify and resolve issues that may compromise the care and placement of the animals.
• Collaborate with and serve as a resource for other animal welfare agencies.
• Manages and develops an effective staff: providing effective communication, leadership, guidance and resources. Determines staff qualifications and competency: recruits, interviews, selects, hires, trains, orients, mentors, evaluates, coaches, counsels, disciplines, and rewards. Establishes and monitors staff safety and regulatory compliance.

People Care

People are the key to fulfilling our mission. Making internal and external patrons and their needs a primary focus is expected in all situations. This position interacts with and collaborates with employees at all levels of the organization. Communication occurs through face to face, telephone, and electronic interactions and may also include contact with the general public and business partners. Communication and contact must be clear, understandable, cooperative, professional and respectful in all circumstances. Employees are expected to actively support a positive team environment, directly address conflict, and appropriately express concerns.

Competencies

Competencies are work behaviors and expectations necessary for successful job performance. They encompass knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and actions. Additional definitions for competencies may be obtained from Human Resources.

Organizational Key Competencies

• Integrity and Ethics
• Adapting to Change and Ambiguity
• Customer and Community Focus
• Emotional Intelligence
• Excellence

Leadership Key Competencies

• Project and Process Management
• Delivering Results
• Developing Direct Reports
• Building and Leading Effective Teams

Position Key Competencies

• Analytical thinking
• Conflict management
• Financial acumen & fiscal responsibility
• Innovation
• Strategic thinking

Supervisory or Managerial Responsibility

• Behavior and Enrichment team members
• Volunteers

Travel

• This position requires up to 5% travel in state
• This position may require travel to different work sites

Full-Time Benefits – Please visit our website for a comprehensive list of all offered benefits.

• Benefits (medical, dental, and vision)
• 401(k) with matching
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life and Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Sick Time
• Sabbatical
• Holiday Pay
• Employee discounts
• Discounted Pet Insurance
• and more!

Compensation: Starting at $62,300.00 - $70,000.00 annually (starting pay commensurate with market, experience, and equity)

Work Conditions and Physical Requirements

Performs work primarily in an office setting. Potentially prolonged periods of walking or standing. Potentially prolonged periods of sitting and repetitive motion. May work in an area with high noise level. Potentially subject to animal bites and scratches. Exposure to cleaning chemicals, fumes, dust, animal dander, and feces. Occasional lifting with reasonable accommodation. Will be required to work evenings, weekends and/or holidays as business operations demand.

We will begin reviewing applications as they are received and anticipate closing the application period on October 16, 2025.

Requirements

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Ability to utilize effective problem solving/decision making skills
• Able to demonstrate exceptional discretion, judgment, impartiality and confidentiality when dealing with personnel issues, financial issues and proprietary information.
• Able to demonstrate high degree of independence, initiative and organization.
• Able to maintain a professional appearance and exercise sound judgment during all interactions with the public, staff and volunteers.
• Able to set goals, prioritize, delegate work and provide feedback to others to complete multiple tasks on or before deadline.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail
• Willing to learn new tasks and able to become proficient in a short period.

Required

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Work Experience: Five years of related work experience including leading the work of others and progressively complex project or program leadership responsibilities. Three years’ experience working with animal behavior in a shelter or similar environment

Desired

• Professional experience in an animal welfare organization/animal shelter
• Experience creating and managing budgets
• Experience leading and managing volunteers
• General knowledge of animal sheltering software, Chameleon preferred
• Animal Behavior Association certification (CTC, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, ACAAB, etc.)