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About the Role

Animal Care & Adoptions Program Managers are key leaders for the lifesaving and care team, overseeing daily functions and growth of lifesaving programs including adoptions, and providing basic animal care. They work with staff and volunteers to create an exceptional adopter experience that drives lifesaving and achieves organizational goals. Managers act with urgency to lead teams in accomplishing important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. In conjunction with their leadership, managers will support the development of goals and strategy for the department and the team.

Responsibilities

Treat people with kindness and compassion, build trust through authenticity and follow-through, encourage self-care and work-life balance, and build strong relationships with the team by creating communication loops for honest feedback.
Oversee, coordinate, and conduct daily lifesaving outcomes and care such as adoptions, feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals, utilizing volunteers to expand lifesaving capacity.
Lead teams and volunteers to oversee, coordinate, and conduct day-to-day lifesaving program activities, contributing to strategies for operational efficiency, superior customer service, and increased lifesaving.
Evaluate onsite animal capacity, determine lifesaving needs for shelter conversions, and improve program efficiency to increase placement opportunities through enhanced customer service and staff familiarity with animal needs.
Audit length of stay trends and work with foster and care teams to expedite placement for long-stay animals.
Prepare and manage the department’s operational budget, forecasting, and performance metrics.
Participate in the maintenance of physical facilities or vehicles.
Develop a comprehensive knowledge of Best Friends’ programs to advise teams.
Create a welcoming and engaging environment to enhance visitor satisfaction and support the mission.
Provide superior customer service to all Lifesaving Center visitors and use interactions to develop and engage individuals to support organizational goals.
Develop detailed knowledge of programs and animals to speak knowledgeably and best match animal and client needs.
Provide support, training, and performance feedback; participate in performance conversations; support hiring and onboarding; ensure teams meet program requirements and procedures.
Oversee, support, or assist in the creation of engaging content for social media platforms.
Collaborate with other departments and marketing teams to identify engagement opportunities with social media and PR.
Represent Best Friends in media relations when requested and maintain Best Friends’ voice across all communications.
Collaborate with and assist Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to develop, evolve, and implement efficient processes to achieve lifesaving goals.
Participate in the development of operating procedures.
Follow policies, procedures, and task lists, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.
Lead the maintenance of a safe workplace, value and model safe work practices, and address or communicate unsafe practices and conditions to leadership.
Minimal travel up to 10%.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience working in a professional capacity at an animal shelter, with a strong preference for experience with adoptions and animal care programming.
3-5 years’ experience managing teams of people, including staff and volunteers, with a record of program growth in animal shelter operations with a lifesaving focus highly preferred.
Experience managing budgets, performance goals, and metrics.
2-4 years’ experience providing exceptional service to the public through customer service, volunteer coordination, animal-related programs, or similar is required.
Experience in utilizing statistical information to inform plans.
Proven attention to detail with advanced organizational and time management skills.
Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues.
Familiarity and comfort with nonjudgmental philosophies.
Basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to act decisively with a get-it-done attitude in difficult and fast-paced situations.
Conflict resolution experience.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, upbeat, energetic, tactful, and diplomatic.
Able to get along with people from different backgrounds.
Excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
Public speaking and presentation experience.
Ability to professionally advocate Best Friends’ position on issues.
Experience in supporting, engaging with, and developing relationships with community members, volunteers, and donors.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
Familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.
Comfort learning new systems, including online information systems.
Routinely lift 40 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.
Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, arm, and hand motion.
Spend extended periods of time walking, standing, or sitting.
Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
Exposure to dogs, cats, and other animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical status.
Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle all cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns.
Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department's schedule; position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.
After-hours flexibility to monitor a designated phone line for urgent foster care or volunteer-related issues.
Ability to travel, including overnight stays, when needed.
Ability to travel via various forms of transportation.
Valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

Skills

Adoptions programming
Animal care programming
Shelter medicine knowledge
Shelter behavior knowledge
Budget management
Performance goal management
Metrics management
Customer service
Volunteer coordination
Organizational skills
Time management skills
Conflict resolution
Interpersonal skills
Communication skills (verbal and written)
Public speaking
Presentation skills
Social media content creation
Social media editing
Video content creation
Photo content creation
Microsoft Office proficiency
Shelter software familiarity
Animal management software familiarity
Online information systems

Location

NYC Pet Adoption Center (currently located in Brooklyn, but will be moving back to permanent location in Soho later this year)

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

3+ years of experience in animal shelters
3-5 years of experience managing teams
2-4 years of experience in public-facing service roles

Education Level

Fear free certification is a plus

Salary/Compensations

$75,000 to $80,000 annually

Benefits

Great benefits

About the Company

Best Friends Animal Society believes in being kind to all, both two- and four-legged beings. Compassion drives our work to save the lives of animals. We do not judge. We respect one another. We embrace new ideas, solutions and differences. We welcome people from all backgrounds and appreciate where you are in your professional journey. We are quirky. We never take ourselves too seriously, and we know that humor is important in this field. We operate with love and seek to spread positivity. We are determined to create a safer, brighter world for homeless pets and to Save Them All.

Equal Opportunity

Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.