Director of Lifesaving Operations

Are you eager to bring your operational, team building, and lifesaving talent to a growing organization in a vibrant city? Join PAWS in Philadelphia, and play a central role in leading the progress we have been building in our community for nearly 20 years.

PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, is seeking an accomplished, engaging, and compassionate animal welfare leader to guide and shape its lifesaving efforts. The successful candidate will demonstrate passion for team building, deep commitment to progressive animal sheltering, adoption/foster, and pet retention practices, and dedication to advancing PAWS' mission to make Philadelphia a place where every savable pet is guaranteed a home, and every pet owner has the support they need to keep their family whole.

General Position Summary:

The Director of Lifesaving Operations (DLO) plays a vital role in maximizing PAWS' impact in the communities we serve and creating the positive, engaging work environment we offer to our team. The DLO is responsible for ensuring caring, efficient, strategic rescue operations, from the selection of animals PAWS takes in, to their treatment while in our care and their successful placement in foster and adoptive homes. The DLO also leads PAWS' Safety Net efforts, ensuring we compassionately provide responsive services and support to pet owners in need, with the goal of keeping families together and making shelter intake a true last resort. As a member of PAWS' leadership team, the DLO works in collaboration with fellow directors and managers across the organization to ensure optimal outcomes for all animals who come into PAWS' care, foster a productive and inclusive workplace culture and a sense of teamwork, shape PAWS' strategic goals, and develop data-driven short- and long-term, actionable plans to achieve them. The DLO embodies' PAWS' core values of urgency, volume, quality of care, approachability, leadership, and organizational health, and demonstrates and upholds high standards of customer service.

Management Duties:

- Supervise adoption/foster, shelter, cat/dog, community outreach, and safety net program managers in:

• Ensuring a strong workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being, engagement, and growth, as well as organizational health:
• Foster open communication and solicit regular feedback to understand concerns, receive input and ideas, and proactively address issues – both within directly reporting departments and across others, in collaboration with those departments' leaders.
• Set high standards of conduct, hold staff accountable for their performance, offer praise and constructive feedback as appropriate to elicit each staff member's best work, and take disciplinary action as needed in accordance with PAWS' employment policies.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to managers on leadership and staff management, defining staff roles, assessing and building their skills, and identifying opportunities for growth.
• Offer guidance and support to managers in conducting probationary period and annual performance reviews, and conduct managers' annual reviews and additional counseling as needed, with an eye toward nurturing talent and developing leadership.
• Identify and coordinate continuing education and training needs and opportunities.
• Assist in screening, interviewing, and vetting candidates as needed.
• In partnership with PAWS' Human Resource Manager, develop and implement thoughtful onboarding and training processes to ensure new staff members are welcomed onto the team, knowledgeable about their role and responsibilities, and integrated into the organization.
• Leading shelter operations and lifesaving programs that prioritize animal well-being, maximize intake and support services, provide excellent care, and use resources efficiently:
• Take primary responsibility for pathway planning, collaborating effectively with PAWS' medical team to coordinate care.
• Establish clear goals and performance metrics, develop new methods for measuring and tracking as needed, and report and analyze progress on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis to identify trends and challenges and adjust accordingly.
• Identify changing needs among shelter and community pet populations and ensure PAWS remains agile in meeting those needs, in keeping with our resources and strategic goals.
• Meet weekly with program managers to review complex cases, evaluate service schedules/capacity, monitor project progress, and troubleshoot challenges.
• In collaboration with PAWS' medical team, lead discussions regarding rescued animals who may be candidates for euthanasia, ensuring decisions are consistent with PAWS' resources, philosophy, and guidelines, and that they are communicated appropriately to managers, staff, volunteers, and others who may be impacted.
• Identify opportunities to improve and streamline operations and develop plans to effectively implement them.
• Ensure staff are scheduled appropriately, receiving communication from direct reports who are unable to make their shift or running late and adjusting the schedule as needed, ideally preventing the cancellation of services.
• Addressing customer concerns and complaints promptly and effectively, handling those that require additional or further management involvement.

- Work with fellow directors and managers to shape, create, uphold, and communicate forward-thinking policies, procedures, and protocols based on best practices for:

• interactions with adopters, fosters, pet owners, volunteers, and other stakeholders that:
• are welcoming, responsive, and supportive
• promote a hospitality-first approach that is judgment-free and trauma-informed; and,
• meet high standards for customer service.
• rescue efforts and sheltering that:
• accommodate an appropriate range and volume of animals based on PAWS' scope, resources, and capacity
• facilitate the provision of high-quality veterinary care and tailored enrichment
• minimize animals' length of stay – both in our facilities and in foster homes – to maximize our lifesaving impact ensure the safe, sanitary, and humane treatment of animals in PAWS' care based on Fear-Free practices; and,
• provide effective disease control, following established professional standards and requirements and applicable laws and regulations.
• community outreach efforts that:
• are inclusive, respectful, engaging, and collaborative
• invite input and feedback so they reflect the needs of pet owners and continue to evolve
• maximize the use of PAWS' resources; and,
• aim to assist pet owners in keeping their pets whenever possible and make shelter intake a true last resort.
• facilities that are secure, well-maintained, inviting and clean.

- Develop and maintain positive relationships within the local animal welfare, veterinary, and social service community to:

• Coordinate care for animals rescued by PAWS needing specialized and emergency medicine outside the scope of PAWS' medical team (In collaboration with the Director of Clinic Operations).
• Ensure PAWS is an effective and supportive partner to the city's animal control shelter, fellow rescue organizations, social service providers, community cat caregivers, and other stakeholders.

- Develop and maintain full knowledge of software programs utilized by PAWS' lifesaving operations (primarily/currently ShellterLuv and Airtable) to:

• ensure they are utilized to their fullest potential to maximize efficiency
• implement unutilized functions to improve staff and adopter/foster experience
• identify gaps in needed technology and lead efforts to identify/implement new platforms as appropriate.

- In collaboration with the Executive Director, work within established budgets to manage costs, and plan for department needs including staffing, supplies, equipment, and inventory.

- Ensure proper record keeping and cash management procedures are in place and followed.

Required skills and qualities:

• At least five years' management experience in shelter operations, preferably in an organization of similar size and intake volume, including:
• supervising team leads/managers and coaching on performance and accountability
• demonstrated commitments to leadership development, staff engagement, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace
• program development and efficiency/process improvement
• strong knowledge of diseases, conditions, symptoms, and behaviors common to cats and dogs; and,
• strong knowledge of and commitment to Fear-Free principles and positive reinforcement training and enrichment approaches.
• Commitment to PAWS' mission and embodiment of PAWS' core values.
• Empathy, patience, a positive and outgoing nature, and the ability to get along well with a variety of people.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication, organizational, and customer service skills.
• Ability to maintain a calm, professional, and respectful demeanor at all times, even in stressful situations.
• Maturity and ability to take initiative and problem-solve, identifying and prioritizing tasks appropriately, and working independently with minimal supervision and direction.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills, with experience in data-driven decision making.
• Ability to think strategically and execute effectively, while being flexible and innovative as needs and opportunities arise.
• Ability to handle all animals properly and with compassion, including those who are sick, injured, feral or aggressive, and to promote a humane and caring attitude toward all animals.
• Tech-savviness, with strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google products and proficiency in, or willingness to become proficient in, the various shelter and clinic management systems utilized by PAWS (ShelterLuv, Airtable, ClinicHQ, and others).

Educational Requirements:

• Post-secondary education in animal welfare, shelter management, leadership, and related concentrations strongly preferred.
• BA/BS strongly preferred.
• Fear-Free Certification a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Allergic conditions that would be aggravated when exposed to animals may be a disqualification.

Hours:

This is an exempt position. PAWS is open seven days a week. A minimum of 40 hours per week is required, including one weekend day. Daily schedule and hours may vary according to the needs of the organization, and includes being on-call after-hours to address emergencies as they arise. The DLO will work primarily from PAWS' Shelter and Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
• Medical insurance and prescription coverage through Independence Blue Cross (two medical plans to choose from); PAWS pays majority of premiums
• Dental insurance through MetLife; PAWS pays majority of premium
• 401(k) plan with employer matching, administered by TransAmerica
• 9 paid holidays per year
• Generous paid time off (PTO)
• Free and heavily discounted clinic services, lab work, prescription diets, and medications for your own pets
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through HealthAdvocate
• Voluntary benefits (long- and short-term disability, life, and accident insurance) through Colonial Life
• Continuing education and leadership development opportunities

Direct Supervisor: Executive Director

About the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS): PAWS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia's homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS is the city's largest rescue partner and provider of affordable veterinary care for pet owners and rescue organizations that cannot otherwise access it. Each year, PAWS saves and finds loving homes for thousands of animals in need. Through its two low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter and wellness clinics and safety net program, PAWS serves approximately 30,000 animals each year, enabling families to keep their cherished pets and preventing shelter surrenders. PAWS is working to make Philadelphia a place where every savable pet is guaranteed a home.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• What interests you about joining PAWS?

Experience:

• animal shelter operations management: 5 years (Required)
• team leadership: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person