Animal Behavior Senior Director

Summary:

Are you a skilled, strong team leader who thrives in a fast-paced, complex work environment? Do you love to collaborate with other leaders and engage in creative troubleshooting? Are you as passionate about cultivating a healthy team culture as you are about helping at-risk animals? If so, the role of Senior Director of Animal Behavior at the ASPCA's Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) might be right for you

At the CRC, located in Columbus, OH, a dedicated team of sheltering, veterinary and animal behavior staff work together to serve animals rescued in ASPCA national cruelty cases and disaster responses. Alongside the CRC's Vice President, the Senior Director of Operations, and the Senior Director of Veterinary Services, the Senior Director of Animal Behavior provide s ongoing supervision and support for a unified integrated care team, fostering a collaborative team culture, prioritizing animals' physical and psychological needs equally, continually honing procedures and processes to ensure efficient operations, guiding decisions about animal treatment and outcomes, and collaborating with other ASPCA team leaders. The Senior Director of Animal Behavior supervises a team of 14 behavior experts: 3 Senior Managers of Animal Behavior (direct reports) and 11 Behavior Specialists (indirect reports ).

This position requires a leader who embraces the power of teamwork to achieve shared goals. The ideal candidate has a comprehensive understanding of shelter animal behavior, excellent hands-on handling and behavior modification skills, strong people management and team leadership skills, and superior interpersonal skills.

This position is located at the Cruelty Recovery Center in Columbus, OH . Strong candidates located outside of Columbus who will relocate to Columbus within 12 months of hire will be considered. This position is eligible for relocation assistance.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Leadership of B ehavior O perations ( 35 %)

• Oversee the behavioral health and welfare of animals housed at the CRC, in emergency temporary shelters , and in foster care

• Ensure that Behavior Branch members collaborate with each other and all other CRC team members effectively, using teamwork and behavior expertise to support all CRC functions ( supporting daily care and enrichment, contributing to daily rounds discussions, producing materials for animal placement, facilitating direct adoptions, working with volunteers, partnering with veterinarians to monitor animals on behavior meds, etc.)

• Work with staff and maintain efficient systems to ensure the collection of behavior information from multiple sources and its use to inform decision-making

• Monitor behavior treatment capacity, making decisions and prioritizing behavior functions based on changing needs and resources

• Oversee the development and implementation of behavior modification plans, providing guidance for Senior Managers and Specialists as needed

• Ensure the maintenance of behavioral records in appropriate databases

• Lead Senior Managers in providing hands-on coaching for Behavior Branch staff to grow skills and ensure consistent, effective treatment

• Ensure consistent team use of organization-wide behavior guidelines, protocols and assessment tools developed by the ASPCA's Behavioral Sciences Team

• Oversee purchasing related to behavior functions; monitor budget lines and provide information to the VP to inform projections and propose yearly budget changes

• Produce administrative reports and communicate progress and animal status updates

• Participate in planning for upcoming criminal cases and disaster responses

• Guide Senior Managers in developing and implementing plans for temporary shelter behavior support/leadership

• Be part of the ASPCA's commitment to "paying it forward": p artner with other ASPCA teams to deliver learning experiences for other animal welfare organizations and students at the CRC and elsewhere ; participate in applied research projects; serve as a shelter behavior consultant or instructor for learners as needed

• Other duties as assigned by the VP o r SVP

• Serve as part of a unified leadership team, modeling teamwork, an integrated care philosophy and mutual respect

• Collaborate with other Senior Directors and the VP to make decisions that affect the whole team; proactively seek opportunities for team/program growth and serve as a champion for change management

• P artner with other CRC leaders to facilitate and participate in pathway planning aligned with an integrated care model, ensuring appropriate, timely treatment and outcome decisions that take animals' physical and psychological needs, as well as current available resources, into account

• Welcome and answer staff and volunteer questions about shelter animal behavior care and decisions; compassionately explain behavior euthanasia decisions

• Provide ongoing training in shelter animal behavior basics, low-stress handling and defensive handling for all staff; inspire all team members to do their part in maintaining and improving psychological health

• Be a regular presence "on the floor" to lend a hand, troubleshoot challenges, cultivate strong relationships, and maintain a comprehensive understanding of CRC operations

• Along with other CRC lead s , regularly review and update SOPs, leveraging input from staff to make program improvements; ensure that changes are clearly communicated to the team

• Successfully lead the CRC team through the adversity common in animal welfare (coping with humane euthanasia decisions, physically and psychologically demanding work, etc.)

• Ensure that CRC staff understand and support their team's role in achieving cross-team and ASPCA goals; help staff feel connected to the larger, org-wide ASPCA team and to the animal welfare field

• Ensure that staff serve as excellent CRC representatives and friendly, collaborative partners for other ASPCA teams

• C onnect regularly with other ASPCA department leaders, prioritizing alignment and strong relationships across the organization

• Work with the ASPCA's Media and Communications, Philanthropy and other teams, providing donor tours and interviews as needed

• Supervise and manage three direct reports; conduct regular one-on-one check-ins, career counseling sessions, feedback sessions, and periodic skip-level meetings ; conduct yearly reviews of direct reports to measure progre ss and encourage growth

• Ensure that direct reports use sound management practices and ASPCA developmental tools; p rovide coaching to guide them through people management challenges

• Work closely with direct reports to clearly articulate performance and workplace behavior expectations for staff; ensure that staff are held accountable for meeting expectations and are supported in doing so through timely, productive feedback

• Use active listening to understand employee concerns, encouraging and supporting employees to problem solve and create viable solutions

• Ensure that direct reports and staff show respect and consideration for all areas of expertise, especially when priorities and perspectives don't align

• Model a healthy work/life balance for team members; ensure that direct reports do the same

• Partner with the ASPCA's Talent Acquisition team to hire and onboard well-qualified, dedicated new CRC staff members to fill open positions

• Employ a well-designed onboarding process that provides each new CRC team member with a thorough introduction to CRC and ASPCA work, mission, systems and Core Values

• Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals

• Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes

• Believes in Team - that we are stronger together

• Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible

• Focuses on Impact , specifically making change for animals

• Advanced animal behavior and animal welfare knowledge, including a strong foundation in learning theory and ethology

• Comprehensive understanding of shelter animal behavior and its integration into all aspects of shelter operations

• Highly effective people- and team-management abilities; can artfully flex management style to best support diverse individuals

• Exceptional leadership skills; considers multiple variables and stakeholders when making decisions; can inspire a team, lead a team through challenges, and keep a team focused on the big picture and mission beyond their daily work

• Proven history of building and maintaining positive and productive relationships with others, including peers, direct reports, and leaders/supervisors

• Highly competent coach: able to introduce and help staff implement new procedures and protocols effectively; able to coach people managers, especially through challenges and conflicts

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