Animal Behavior and Training Manager

Company Overview

Cincinnati Animal CARE (CAC) is a dynamic and progressive humane society in contract with Hamilton County to deliver exceptional animal services to our community. We enforce animal laws and prioritize public safety while striving to be a community resource providing education and support to the people and animals of Hamilton County. We value our team of compassionate, open-minded and resilient staff and volunteers who make it possible to care for 8,000 animals each year. We believe that lifesaving is a community ethic and implement a collaborative, holistic approach to animal sheltering and Dog Warden services.

JOB SUMMARY

The Behavior and Training Manager will be responsible for leading a team of Behavior and Training (B&T) staff with a focus on dog well-being, and live outcomes. The Behavior and Training Manager will ensure dogs are assessed, provided exceptional mental and physical enrichment during their stay, individual training plans as needed, and swift placement. This person will also be responsible for ensuring the safety of staff, volunteers and the public through training and behavioral euthanasia recommendations. This position will report to the Shelter Director.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership and Program Development

• Lead and manage the B&T team; including providing expectations and guidance to all team members, working with Sr. Coordinators to execute their programs, and providing daily directions and priorities to Specialists.
• Recruit, hire, onboard and train, manage, review, recommend promotions, and terminate B&T staff as necessary.
• Design, implement, and evaluate the behavior and enrichment programs; evaluating their effectiveness and making data-driven improvements. Modify as needed to improve outcomes and safety.
• Lead daily B&T department meetings to inform B&T staff about organizational updates and to establish clarity around daily priorities and assignments.
• Have knowledge of all dogs B&T staff is working with including updates and new concerns; be able to provide guidance to B&T staff and know when to escalate concerns to the Lifesaving Team.
• Establish metrics around the capacity the B&T team has to work with specific dog behaviors and the number of dogs the team can work with at a given time.
• Own decision making around which dogs the B&T team works with and prioritizes.
• Develop SOPs around regular B&T tasks, common shelter behaviors and interventions.
• Manage inventory of all B&T items including bite boxes, industrial crates, enrichment treats and supplies, training supplies.
• Manage spending and adhere to a budget as provided.
• Maintain detailed records of animal behavior, enrichment activities, and training progress in shelter software systems and/or Google Drive spreadsheets, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Ensure B&T coverage at both shelter locations every day with awareness around PTO and sick days, making real time shifts and adjustments as necessary.

Behavior Assessment, Support and Intervention:

• Ensure all dogs are initially assessed upon intake (create a system for this) and formally assessed 72 hours after arrival; developing individualized training plans as needed depending on their responses to various stimuli and situations.
• Work closely with the Shelter Managers and Intake to Placement Coordinator to execute pathways and interventions that expedite outcomes.
• Ensure accountability and compliance around behavior medication requests and monitoring.
• Make recommendations to Intake to Placement Coordinator for housing options for dogs struggling in the shelter environment.
• Create and implement individualized training, behavior modification and plans for dogs in shelter, foster homes, monitoring progress and making adjustments as necessary.
• Collaborate with fosters and adopters to ensure the continuity of behavior plans post-adoption.
• Schedule and attend daily Intervention Meetings to identify at-risk dogs. Promptly communicate Euthanasia Recommendations to the Lifesaving Team.

“Lifesaving” and Outcomes Responsibilities

• Prepare the Lifesaving spreadsheet and lead “Lifesaving” Meetings.
• Be prepared to make euthanasia recommendations to the Lifesaving team, representative of Intervention team recommendations.
• Communicate dogs of concern and euthanasia decisions via a “Lifesaving Update” to staff and volunteers at least 2 days before euthanasia, or when euthanasia is an emergency, communicate by end of day.
• Facilitate emergency discussions around dogs experiencing behavioral emergencies that warrant discussion by B&T staff or the Lifesaving team outside of normal meeting times.
• Ensure dogs with behavior issues are in the proper stage and proper handling color at all times on kennels and in population software and spreadsheets.
• Work with the Shelter Managers to ensure dog care staff and outcomes staff know protocols around Special Adoption-Behavior (SAB) dogs.
• Prepare and set expectations for B&T staff to perform Special Adoption-Behavior adoption shows.
• Work with Community Support and Foster leadership to provide comprehensive behavior support to keep dogs in homes.
• Ensure dogs with behavior plans or receiving intervention have software profiles that are up to date and accurate regarding best placement options.
• Own the bite information collection process including collection of bite reports and pictures and ensuring pictures are included in the lifesaving document and in Google Drive.
• Assist with euthanasias as needed and ensure B&T staff is available to assist.

Safety and Animal Welfare:

• Ensure the safety of staff, volunteers, and animals by adhering to established protocols and addressing safety concerns immediately, and modeling safe practices.
• Ensure all new staff handling dogs receive initial dog handling and safety training that includes handling, proper use of tools, facility safety, and how to handle common shelter behaviors and situations such as, but not limited to, dog fights, JAM behavior, OLR behavior, etc.
• Training should include assessments by the trainer and sign-offs around understanding and performance by the trainer and trainee.
• Ensure all dog handling staff receive regular ongoing handling training throughout the year.
• Provide direct animal care when needed, including during emergencies, ensuring a clean, sanitary, and healthy environment for all animals.
• Work closely with the Shelter Manager to uphold the highest standards of care and address any concerns proactively.
• Keep up with industry-wide best practices.

Customer Service and Collaboration:

• Work effectively with staff, volunteers, and clients from diverse backgrounds.
• Provide excellent customer service, promoting the organization positively in all interactions.
• Communicate effectively to promote collaboration among staff and volunteers, creating a unified approach to dog care and behavior departments.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Animal Behavior, Animal Science, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Minimum of 3 years leading teams, preferably in a shelter setting.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working with canine behavior and enrichment, preferably in a shelter setting.
• Demonstrated experience in program management, volunteer coordination, and community engagement.
• Proficiency with shelter management software and ability to maintain detailed, accurate records.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, and emergencies.
• Comfort with public speaking and experience teaching adults in seminar-type and training class-type settings preferred
• Experience teaching and using positive reinforcement training techniques, animal behavior, and body language observations and evaluation
• Desire to participate in regular professional development through Maddie’s Fund, American Pets Alive!, Dogs Playing for Life, and Best Friends Animal Society opportunities
• Proficiency in Google Drive, Sheets, Docs, and Gmail
• Knowledge of animal disease symptoms
• Successful completion of Fear-Free Sheltering
• Consistency in adherence to the CAC Employee Handbook, Attendance Policy, safety protocols and daily tasks
• Confidently lead in-person training sessions, including consistent punctuality, maintaining & enforcing safety protocols, clear & accurate description and diagnosis of behavior and subsequent treatment plan that incorporates the individual’s needs and situation.
• Ability to maintain a strong independent work ethic and time management skills when switching between session-work and email-work.
• Consistency in recording timely, objective and accurate notes into the PetPoint and all accompanying spreadsheets. This includes updating or adding attributes and priority levels appropriately, with detailed disclaimer memos.
• Assist in onboarding and training new staff/volunteers, allowing them to shadow sessions and mentoring them before/during the session and for post-session duties (notes, follow up emails, future scheduling)
• Recognition that volunteers are essential to the organization, and show willingness and ability to work with them as integrated pieces of the team
• Demonstrate commitment to being flexible and adaptable in responding to the evolving needs of the program; reacting to change productively, and maintaining a positive and solution-focused approach.

Working Conditions:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear. The employee is occasionally required to use their hands to finger, handle, or operate objects, controls, or tools; reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl, and use smell.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 50 pounds.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in outside weather conditions.
• The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts; in high, precarious places; and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.
• Exposure and handling unvetted animals and their waste is frequent.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $45,000.00 - $50,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Salary : $45,000 - $50,000