Animal Welfare Professionals

Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society Executive Director

This position provides an opportunity to lead Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS), to improve the lives of all cats and provide support and education for the people who care about them. MRFRS is seeking a dynamic and dedicated Executive Director (ED) to work with the board of directors and to lead the organization through its next phase of growth and development.

If you have a passion for lifesaving and a track record of successful leadership, we invite you to apply for the role of ED of MRFRS.

Qualifications and Duties

The ED of MRFRS is responsible for overseeing the organization's consistent achievement of its vision, mission, and financial objectives. The ED is also responsible for planning, organizing, and supervising all aspects of MRFRS operations, overseeing the development and implementation of a strategic plan for the long-term growth and success of the organization, and ensuring high-quality animal care while increasing cat adoptions and spay/neuter for cats.

The ideal candidate will have:

●      A passion for and deep commitment to the mission of saving cats and engaging the community.

●      Substantial experience that includes demonstrated past successes in leadership and fundraising.

Important areas of demonstrated experience and skills include:

●      Leadership of organizations in the nonprofit or for-profit business sector with demonstrated success in establishing and achieving goals.

●      Successful fundraising experience.

●      Community engagement and robust marketing experience.

●      Effectively and cooperatively working with the board of directors.

●      Excellent communication skills with ability to speak to a variety of audiences.

●      Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects at the same time.

●      Management experience with both staff and budgets of equivalent size.

●      Drive and ability to create and lead a team to achieve excellence while consistently meeting goals.

●      Desire and ability to absorb and apply new information, including a solid commitment to keeping up with the latest industry best practices.

●      Animal welfare/shelter experience is a plus but not a requirement. Those with shelter experience should demonstrate a solid track record of lifesaving and fundraising success.

Responsibilities

●      Animal Care Standards: Overseeing the welfare for all cats who come under the care of MRFRS and ensuring their humane treatment according to industry best practices.

●      Programs Development: Planning, implementing, and evaluating programs including adoptions, cat retention, spay/neuter services, volunteer engagement, and foster care while ensuring that the programs support the mission of the organization.

●      Communications: Overseeing marketing and publicity for the organization’s activities, programs, and goals. Working with the news media as well as online and social media to convey the mission and work of MRFRS in ways that encourage community support and engagement.

●      Community Outreach and Engagement: Working with local businesses, community/civic organizations, and other animal welfare and nonprofit organizations to support the achievement of goals. Creating a robust volunteer program that engages people in a variety of ways.

●      Development: Creating a comprehensive development plan and effectively executing it to ensure adequate resources for the work of MRFRS. Overseeing all development and fundraising efforts and achieving agreed-upon goals. Responsibilities include donor acquisition and cultivation, ongoing donor communications, and appropriate record keeping.  

●      Staff Management and Development: Maintaining a climate that attracts, retains, and motivates a diverse staff of top quality people who support and promote the mission and goals of the organization. Overseeing human resources (both paid staff and volunteers) including recruiting, on-boarding new people, and providing direction, management, training and, when necessary, the release of personnel. Ensuring that job descriptions are maintained, regular performance evaluations are conducted, motivational systems are utilized, and sound human resource practices are in place that abide by local, state, and federal law.

●      Board Engagement: Working in partnership with the board of directors to ensure that board member skills and experiences are leveraged for the organization.

●      Infrastructure: Planning, in conjunction with the board of directors, a future capital campaign and new facility construction. Overseeing the assessment and upgrading of the organization’s technology infrastructure.

●      Budget and Finance: Developing and maintaining sound financial practices including the preparation of financial reports, budgets and summaries; submitting budgets for approval; and monitoring compliance of expenditures within approved budgetary constraints.

●      Compliance with Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Guidelines: Understanding and ensuring operational compliance with current federal, state, county, and local laws, regulations and guidelines that affect operations. Overseeing record-keeping practices for legally compliant animal tracking and veterinary care, adoptions, staff personnel files, budgetary accountability, donor records, and all other functions. Maintaining official records and documents.

Requirements

•      Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree a plus.

•      Experience: Minimum three years of experience in a senior leadership position with strong and transferable skills.

•      Location: Residence in or relocation to northeastern Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire or southeastern Maine. 

•      Ability to work with and around animals: This includes working with and around sick, injured and/or fractious animals; loud noises; chlorine and other chemicals; and inclement weather. Allergic conditions that would be aggravated when handling or working with animals may be a disqualification.

•      Time commitment: A minimum commitment of three years to MRFRS.

•      Valid Massachusetts driver’s license: Attaining (or possession of) a valid Massachusetts Driver’s License within 20 days of start of employment is a requirement for continued employment and will be verified. Maintaining a satisfactory driving record and valid Massachusetts driver’s license are an ongoing condition of employment. (If located in southeastern New Hampshire or southern Maine,  a valid New Hampshire or Maine driver’s license would be required with all of the stipulations above.)

Nature of Employment

The ED reports to the president of the board of directors. It is an exempt position which requires a minimum of eight hours per workday, 40 hours per week and may include weekend, night, and holiday work. There is no minimum period of employment guaranteed or implied by acceptance of an employment offer. It is the policy of MRFRS that employment for this position is at will which means that employment is for no specified term and the employee or the organization may terminate that employment at any time without cause.

How to Apply

Email a one-page cover letter and resume to info@humanenetwork.org. In the subject line, please mention: MRFRS ED Search Committee. Acknowledgement will be emailed upon receipt of your cover letter and resume.

Closing date:  Applications received after August 24, 2023 will not be considered.

Compensation

The salary range is $85,000 to $100,000 with starting salary dependent upon experience. Benefits (and relocation costs if needed) are negotiable.

About MRFRS

MRFRS is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1992 to provide Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) to cats living along the Merrimack River. Once the population of cats along the waterfront was under control and ongoing care for them was in place, MRFRS expanded to improve the lives of other cats and to support the people who care about them.  

Today, MRFRS is one of the region’s most respected animal welfare organizations. Some of its notable accomplishments include:

●      Adoption of more than 24,500 cats and kittens from its cat shelter in Salisbury, MA.

●      Sterilization of more than 73,000 cats since 2008 on the Catmobile, a mobile spay/neuter veterinary van that services eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

●      Significant reduction of the feral cat population through free Sunday spay/neuter clinics, to date serving more than 14,500 cats from around New England.

●      Medical support through two donor-funded programs, including one for feral cats (Captain Courageous Fund) and one for cats from low- income households (FARS).

●      Chronic Care and Support program for cats with special needs who are placed in foster care and given life-long treatment for their medical needs.

●      Support for cats with feline leukemia. MRFRS was one of the first organizations in the country to develop a program for these special-needs cats.

●      Access to public rabies vaccine and microchip clinics that allow cat and dog owners to obtain legally required vaccinations and permanent identification.  To date over 2600 cats have been vaccinated and over 500 cats have been microchipped.

MRFRS currently employs 10 full time staff  and is supported by more than 170 volunteers and foster caregivers. The organization has an active and engaged board and an operating budget of over $1 million, with revenue obtained from donations, programs, grants, corporate sponsorships, and bequests.

MRFRS operates a physical shelter in Salisbury, MA, a network of foster homes, and a mobile spay/neuter clinic called “The Catmobile” that has scheduled days at various locations in eastern Massachusetts. There is an administrative office also located in Salisbury, MA.

About the Community

MRFRS is located in Salisbury, MA, a coastal town 45 miles north of Boston, 43 miles east of Manchester, and 20 miles south of Portsmouth. Home to beautiful Atlantic beaches and the Merrimack River, the area provides numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation including many parks and hiking trails, boating, and other water sports. You can experience all four seasons in all their glory in northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire. It’s a short drive to some of New Hampshire’s best skiing. The entire area is rich in history and culture. Boston and other New England cities are nearby.