Animal Care and Intake Manager

JOB SUMMARY: The Shelter Operations Manager is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of shelter services including the care and enrichment of animals, intake procedures, and receiving department customer service. They are responsible for ensuring that all team members meet or exceed standards and protocols. They are the primary contact for Animal Control Officers. They oversee pathway planning from intake to outcome for all species.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & FUNCTIONS:

• Supervise the receiving clerks, kennel aides, and species leads by managing their schedule, participating in the termination and recruitment process, filling vacancies by calling staff in, addressing daily scheduling needs, approving timecards, conducting performance reviews and regular one-on-one meetings, and all other aspects of employee management.
• Manage the volunteer programs within receiving and shelter animal care.
  • Oversee training, scheduling, communication, and coaching of volunteers.
  • Work with the volunteer manager on volunteer disciplinary or dismissal processes.
  • Work with the volunteer manager to develop and maintain new volunteer programs.
• Accountable for the day-to-day quality of care for all animals at the shelter
  • Visually inspect the shelter animals on a daily basis checking for signs of illness, injury, infection, or signs of compromised welfare.
• Ensure proper cleaning, organization, and safety of all animal care areas including dog kennels, cat housing areas, receiving, dog visitation yards and other areas identified to hold and house animals.
  • Participate in Daily Shelter Rounds and Weekly Grand Rounds.
  • Supervise the daily activities of the species leads, ensuring animal management and pathway on an individual and population level are addressed daily and actions are aimed to reduce length of stay and ensure animal welfare and staff/volunteer/public safety.
  • Oversee and work with staff to assess and evaluate individual animals to determine specific needs, including appropriate housing.
  • Oversees the species leads in the management of behavior evaluations, bite quarantines, and coordination of animal transfers between other rescue agencies/shelters.
  • Collaborates with the veterinary and foster teams to determine animals in need of foster placement.
  • Coordinates with veterinary clinic staff on medical care and medical issues. Oversees the receiving team to administer vaccinations, medications and treatments of animals as prescribed by the veterinarian or as provided in written policies and procedures.
  • Coordinates with the medical staff to schedule spays/neuters and other surgeries as needed.
  • Maintain appropriate capacity for care parameters in cooperation with all shelter and organization teams; communicating and strategizing when population may exceed capacity for care.
  • Order and inventory supplies for shelter animal care and receiving including safety equipment, chemicals, cleansers, food, cat litter and supplies needed for welfare and enrichment.
  • Participate as a decision-maker in the Pathway Planning Committee and serve as documenter and communicator as needed.
  • Oversee the development and maintenance of animal enrichment programs.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for our municipal partners and their officers/agents and work to maintain excellent communication and relationships.
    • Track status of individual and group confiscate/cruelty cases.
    • Coordinate planning of large-scale confiscate cases.
    • Follow up on complaints or issues related to interactions between staff/volunteer and animal control interactions or other behavior or procedural concerns.
    • Orient new animal control officers or updates on new processes, as outlined in contracts.
    • Organize quarterly meetings with animal control municipalities.
    • Elevate issues with contract compliance to COO.
  • Conduct regular meetings between and within departments to identify bottlenecks, devise process improvements, and maintain open lines of communication.
  • In collaboration with and under the direction of the administration, establish and enforce operations protocols based on industry best practices.
  • Create and maintains SOPs and supporting documents to outline all procedures and policies.
  • Maintain data security and management controls and adherence to legal recordkeeping and record management practices.
  • Strive to meet or exceed operational goals for shelter parameters including, but not limited to length-of-stay, capacity for care, live release rate, and provide explanations for data upon request.
  • Implement and monitor client/customer feedback for the receiving department, investigate complaints, and give feedback to staff on compliments or issues.
  • Participate in reviews of animal related bites and incidents and implement changes to address safety concerns. Serve on the Safety Committee.
  • Facilitate staff and volunteer training in animal care and receiving.
  • Oversee customer service training for receiving.
    • Coordinate with department leads to provide training to staff and volunteers appropriate to their work duties.
• Work with the adoption manager to facilitate successful placement of animals in homes.
  • Coordinate the euthanasia program for shelter and public domestic animals and ensures proper staff training of euthanasia through the state EBI program.
  • Ensure data collection is performed at all levels of shelter operation and provide regular reports and statistics as requested by CEO, COO, CFO, or administrative staff.
  • Other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty well. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sound judgement and ability to exercise complete discretion when dealing with confidential information.
• Outgoing, polite and professional manner, able to work collaboratively and cooperatively intra- and interdepartmentally.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment, multi-task, and maintain focus despite frequent interruptions.
• Communicate effectively verbally and written.

• Must have the ability to and handle high levels of stress.
• Position requires excellent organizational skills and a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Must be dependable, have proven ability to meet deadlines, prioritize, and follow detailed instructions without need of constant support.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Sharepoint, and database management (Chameleon preferred).
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and on-call.
• Ability to work daily with companion animals and have a good understanding of the needs and behavior of domestic cats and dogs.
• Ability to communicate clearly about HSTPC mission, the care and treatment of animals, and the safety of the public and other employees, and always represent HSTPC professionally.
• Knowledge of personnel practices as they relate to selecting, training, evaluating performance and supervising employees. Experience working in a union environment preferred.
• Ability to motivate and excite staff and help realize new and improved ideas for HSTPC programs.
• The ability to work in an emotional field where a positive attitude, sense of humor and understanding how to overcome compassion fatigue are essential.

Education/Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Shelter Operations Management or equivalent training/certification (Preferred)
• Unrestricted Washington Driver License – Class C (Preferred)
• Fear Free for Shelters course within 60 days of employment (Required)

Experience:

• 3 years of experience managing animal shelter operations (preferably in a non-profit shelter setting) (Required)
• 3 years of experience managing the work of a diverse and productive team of staff and volunteers (Required)
• 3 years of experience leading customer service procedures (preferably in an animal shelter or a non-profit organization) (Required)
• Working knowledge of current and best practices in shelter operation in accordance with the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) 2022 Guidelines (Preferred)
• A strong working knowledge of animal breeds, behavior, handling, and care (Preferred)
• Experience in financial management, including department budget development and oversight. (Preferred)
• DEI program knowledge and experience with implementing principles and best practices throughout shelter operations and customer experiences (Preferred)