Animal Welfare Professionals

Manager of Operations—Animal Rescue Organization

Tristate Area of Virginia, Maryland and DC

This is a unique opportunity to join the leadership team of a dynamic nonprofit animal rescue organization dedicated to saving dogs and cats. You will work closely with a well-connected and committed Executive Director, a passionate team of volunteers, and a small, dedicated staff.

If you have a passion for saving dogs and cats and a track record of successful people management, we invite you to apply for this operations management role. 

Role

The Manager of Operations plays an integral role at our rescue overseeing all operations related to animals and animal care. This position is responsible for the flow of animals through the rescue from admissions to adoption, the achievement of lifesaving goals, the health and well-being of all animals in the rescue’s care, managing volunteers in a variety of roles, helping to develop and working within a budget, and creating and monitoring policies and processes that are in line with current animal welfare best practices. This is a leadership position that reports directly to the Executive Director. The ideal candidate would have ambitions of being an executive director in the future.

General Responsibilities

• Animal Care Policies & Processes: Oversee and coordinate animal care and welfare activities, including implementing polices and process and ensuring the physical and mental well-being of the animals in the rescue’s care.

• Documented SOPs: Create, maintain, and monitor compliance with written policies, protocols, and processes (SOPs) to ensure the continuity of operations and the ongoing quality of care.

• Animal Flow and Length of Stay: Manage and supervise the flow of animals through the rescue to reduce length of stay that includes providing policies, processes, and practical guidelines as well as monitoring animal selection/pulling, admissions, foster care placement, veterinary and behavioral care, promotion, and adoption of all animals. Monitor animal populations on an ongoing basis.   

• Volunteers: Manage and oversee all volunteers for all animal care related areas including foster caregivers as well as support for all areas listed in the bullet points above. Ensure initial and ongoing training for volunteers and any animal care staff.

• Veterinary Care: Work with veterinary care team, veterinarians, and the rescue’s volunteers/foster homes to ensure quality care is provided to the rescue’s animals that includes creating and maintaining relationships with clinics, negotiating discounts, and ensuring a smooth process is in place for obtaining needed vet care on a timely basis. Develop processes to provide basic care to animals who need help, but do not require veterinary treatment. Review and approve veterinary care and other animal care related bills.

• Budgeting: Manage expenditure within the budget. Assist in development of the annual budget for operations.

• Inventory Control and Ordering: Create and oversee a process for purchasing supplies including animal care and nonprescription medications. Develop and maintain an inventory control process.

• Facility and Vehicle Maintenance:  Manage/oversee the maintenance of the rescue’s facility and vehicles. Ensure the cleanliness of the facility and vehicles and that animals are transported in a safe manner.

• Key Performance Metrics and Reporting: Create, monitor, and track team goals. Provide routine reporting of department activities and statistics.

• Emergencies: Prepare for and manage emergencies. Create a process for addressing emergency animal care situations that occur in regular business hours, as well as off hours.

• Best Practices: Cultivate expertise by keeping abreast of animal welfare and sheltering best practices and routinely review and update practices as appropriate for the rescue.

• Animal Records: Ensure the maintenance of accurate animal records including health and behavioral documentation.

• Safety and Compliance: Maintain a high standard of safety and facilitate compliance with all safety policies and labor laws. Promptly address any safety issues and create processes to manage and track injuries and safety concerns. Ensure proper compliance with paperwork related to injuries, bites, or accidents.

• Office Hours: Maintain a presence in the office located in the new facility with regular office hours for at least 30 hours a week.

Qualifications

• Experience with managing staff and volunteers.

• Excellent communication, both written and verbal.

• Maturity and good judgment, performing duties in a professional manner.

• Ability to work under pressure and stay calm in stressful situations.

• Strong interpersonal skills—team player, personable, professional, and able to get along well with a variety of people.

• Self-starter—takes initiative, ability to set goals and work independently.

• Strong organizational skills.

• Able to manage multiple tasks and projects.

•  Comfortable speaking/presenting to groups.

• Ability to be flexible and adapt to a changing environment.

• Attention to detail.

• Ability to consistently meet deadlines.

• Proficient in Microsoft Windows and Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). Comfortable learning and using new programs/information systems.

• Commitment to the rescue’s mission and strong desire to keep abreast of animal welfare issues.

• Specific experience and knowledge in the areas of animal shelter or rescue management and operations and a general understanding of animal care and welfare is required.

• Valid driver's license and auto insurance

• Willingness to do some weekend and evening work.

• Minimum educational requirement: bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Physical Requirements

• Any allergic condition that would be aggravated from exposure or through contact with animals or chemicals used to sanitize facilities, vehicles, or equipment may be a disqualification.

• Must be able to stand, walk, bend, stoop, and sit regularly for prolonged periods of time to perform duties. Must have the ability to perform strenuous physical activity, including lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 40 pounds alone or with the help of another person for short distances.

Working Conditions

• Must be able to deal with emotionally charged, fast paced, and changing work environment and sometimes stressful or demanding work.

• By nature of this work, there may be exposure to dead, injured, sick, unruly, fractious and/or dangerous animals in addition to exposure to parasites and to infectious diseases. 

Nature of Employment

• Full-time exempt position that reports to the Executive Director which requires a minimum of 40 hours per week.
• Work schedules (hours and days of the week) may vary according to the needs of the organization. 
• Benefits: Three weeks paid time off (for vacation, sick, and personal time). Shared responsibility for medical and dental insurance along with the option to participate in the organization’s 401k plan. Other benefits, including relocation costs if needed, are negotiable.
• Location: Tristate area of Virginia, Maryland, and DC.

Note: the statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level o work performed by employees, but are not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. 

There is no minimum period of employment guaranteed or implied by acceptance of an employment offer. It is the policy of the rescue that employment for this position is at will, which means that employment is for no specified term and the employee or the rescue may terminate that employment at any time without cause. A 90-day probation will be in place.

Compensation

The starting salary range is $50,000 to $65,000 and is dependent upon experience.

About the Organization

The employer is a non-profit organization founded over a decade ago who has saved thousands of dogs and cats. It is a foster-based organization with an operations / administrative office.  Additional details about the organization will be discussed during the interview process.

We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry) disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, or any other characteristic prohibited by law, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, vendors, and clients. Details about the rescue will be released upon progression to the interview process.