Pet Placement and Wellness Center - Shelter Operations Manager

Greater Birmingham Humane Society 

Shelter Operations Manager

Snow Drive Pet Placement, Education, and Transport Center (PET)

 POSITION SUMMARY
 The Greater Birmingham Humane Society (“the GBHS”) is a progressive animal welfare shelter whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome homeless, abused, neglected, and abandoned animals. We are committed to an open admissions policy, animal rehabilitation and a low euthanasia rate. GBHS’ open intake and adoption philosophy is a key part of our mission, enabling us to save and rehome thousands of animals each year. We seek to attract, promote, and retain individuals that are compassionate, accepting, honest, loyal, and dependable team players. 

The Shelter Operations Manager is responsible for the management and supervision of animal-focused programs, staff, and volunteers at the GBHS Pet Placement, Education, and Transport Center (PET) located at our Snow Drive Campus. This position works collaboratively with directors and managers at all GBHS locations to ensure the highest quality of care and humane treatment is provided to all animals, and exemplary customer service is provided to all who interact with the GBHS. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Quality of Care

The DSO works collaboratively with the senior leadership team to ensure high quality care is provided to the animals served through GBHS’ PET programs. This includes but is not limited to: 

• Managing behavior assessments and modification
• Identifying enrichment opportunities
• Collaborating and communicating with the clinic to ensure each animal receives veterinary care as prescribed by the CMO and veterinary team
• Maintaining optimal nutrition, and feeding practices
• Overseeing the safe transport of animals to and from PET
• Maintaining safe and comfortable housing for all animals 
• Ensuring best practices in cleanliness, disinfection and housing to prevent disease and stress
• Collaborating with the veterinary and wellness teams to determine final disposition of animals
• Ensuring all animals are handled safely and humanely, and PET staff and volunteers are properly trained in species-specific handling and restraint using the Fear Free model
• Conducting daily inspections of all areas of the organization’s animal-related facilities.
• Collaborating with the CMO and CPO to develop and update protocols for proper disinfection and infectious disease prevention
• Working with the management and animal care teams to ensure that animals are receiving timely medical and surgical care, behavior evaluations and foster opportunities  

2. Population Management, Capacity, and Flow

The DSO collaborates with all location managers and with key staff at PET to maximize GBHS’ life-saving capacity by managing the efficient flow of the shelter’s population. This position oversees, evaluates, and seeks to minimize each animal’s length of stay in the PET shelter, and coordinates with all departments and locations on animal transfers.  This includes but is not limited to:

• Animal Flow and Length of Stay - Managing and supervising the flow of animals through the shelter to reduce the animals’ length of stay. This 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.
• Supervising the Transport Coordinator and the Foster Coordinator to increase GBHS’ relationships and placements with destination shelters and foster volunteers
• Ensuring that all PET staff work towards nurturing relationships with other shelters, assisting with animal transports, helping with animals’ pathways through our shelter (including foster homes) and growing positive relationships with our fosters
• Communicating regularly with team members about shelter capacity and potential daily intake of new animals

3. Management

This position manages and supervises any assistant managers as well as the staff and volunteers that work in adoptions, animal care (outside of clinic), foster, and transport. The DSO ensures these staff and volunteers meet the highest level of professionalism, customer service, technical skill, efficiency, and quality care. The DSO is responsible for ensuring the safety of staff, volunteers, and visitors to the PET center. Management of these staff includes, but is not limited to:

• Documenting SOPs: Creating, maintaining, and monitoring compliance with written policies, protocols, and processes (SOPs) to ensure the continuity of operations and the ongoing quality of care.

• Conducting weekly and monthly meetings with departments and individual staff and participating in discussions regarding placement decisions, behavior plans, and other animal-related or professional concerns
• Oversight of the on-going training and development of staff and volunteers
• Encouraging involvement and use of volunteers where appropriate
• Participating in and managing PET staff during PET’ special events, disaster relief efforts, and emergency pet sheltering
• Leading weekly “rounds” of the building or as needed at other GBHS locations
• Overseeing all aspects of hiring, training, regular ongoing feedback, formal evaluating, and terminating as necessary for departmental staff
• Ensuring staff have access to answers regarding payroll related questions, processing new hire and termination paperwork with GBHS’ HR department, and maintaining compliance with labor laws
• Overseeing the daily functions of the front desk, customer service, and clerical duties associated with PET’ departments
• Implementing animal-related departmental policies, operating standards, and general work rules with staff
• Promoting collaboration between departments, assisting in conflict resolution, and fostering effective communication.
• Overseeing day-to-day operations by actively monitoring personnel and ensure proper coverage of shifts in all areas. 
• Perform staff and volunteer responsibilities to help with the daily flow or to cover unexpected staff shortages, as needed
• Ensuring the staff and volunteers maintain knowledge of retail products and why/how they are helpful in adjusting a new dog or cat to adopters  

4. Leadership

The DSO is a leader of the organization and should behave accordingly by supporting the GBHS mission with professionalism, sound judgment, positivity, flexibility, effective problem-solving, and cooperation. Leaders at GBHS are expected to align with GBHS core values and promote positive and collaborative relationships between operations and leadership staff and volunteers. This includes but is not limited to:

• Working closely with the Chief Program Officer to develop and regularly review and revise shelter policies and procedures
• Attending regular leadership meetings as requested
• Being responsive to requests from leadership in a timely manner, and placing top priority on requests that are indicated as urgent
• Working cooperatively with the leadership team to ensure coverage of management duties throughout the year, including holidays, whether by rearranging schedules, appointing, and training staff leads, or maintaining availability by telephone
• Creating a positive culture which supports staff and volunteers, keeping them motivated to perform at their best
• Staying up to date on best practices in animal welfare through informal education, achieving certifications, and attending annual professional development conferences that ensure GBHS meets or exceeds current industry standards
• Facilitating staff workflows; creating key performance indicators; monitoring efficiency and productivity; developing and recommending solutions and work-process improvements; and implementing solutions as directed
• Proactively driving adoptions and all PET programs: strategizing, developing, and implementing initiatives that streamline operations, improving customer service, and/or enhancing programs, ensuring continued growth and progress with annual goals.
• Participating in special projects as needed, including special events.
  

5. Customer Service/Relationship Building

This position ensures an exemplary customer experience for all who interact with the GBHS in any capacity. The PET location has the largest number of daily interactions with the public and as such, requires the DSO to ensures that all visitors to PET have a positive experience at the shelter, including but not limited to: adopters, owner surrenders, transfer or rescue partners, vendors, donors, volunteers, and fosters. This includes but is not limited to:

• Ensuring that all interactions lead with empathy and compassion and guide staff to tailor their customer service to each individual and their personal needs and experience
• Overseeing the resolution of complaints or conflicts with staff, volunteers, customers, or partners
• Utilizing staff to maintain the appearance, aesthetics, and feel of the shelter by creating an environment that is warm, inviting, friendly and positive
• Guiding staff to garner support through passion for the GBHS mission, compassion for animals and people, excitement, and engagement
• Communicating effectively and professionally with staff, co-workers, management, volunteers, and the public always

 6. Data/Record Keeping

The DSO ensures the integrity of data for all records and reporting of all shelter animals coming through PET; including but not limited to file storage, metrics, and reporting to other agencies. This includes but is not limited to:

7. Budgeting

This position maintains the budget for PET on a monthly and annual basis by tracking income and expenditures. This includes but is not limited to:

• Coding and approving all departmental expenditures before they are submitted to the finance department.
• Working with the Chief Program Officer in preparing the annual budget and projection figures of program income and expenses
• Monitoring revenue and expenses in relation to annual budget and regularly reviewing and modifying procedures to maintain efficient yet effective services.
• Ensuring associated divisions at PET are operating within budget and efficiently

8. Inventory/Supplies/Equipment

The DSO approves the ordering of supplies for their respective departments ensuring that appropriate supplies are available to staff and volunteers every day. This includes but it not limited to: 

• Working with various department staff to help build and maintain relationships with vendors. 
• Assisting in regularly reviewing pricing and contracts related to the programs at PET to ensure GBHS receives the most competitive pricing. 
• Collaborating with the Director of Facilities to ensure that all animal handling and sanitation equipment receives routine maintenance, scheduled service, and repairs in a timely manner.

Other Duties as Assigned

Participate as a Member of the Management Team:

• Take an active role in the visioning and evaluation of new, complicated, and ambitious projects as appropriate.
• Participate in the development, articulation, and tracking of organizational strategic planning.
• Trouble shoot organizational challenges with the leadership team as needed.
• Enhance our culture of philanthropy, supporting fundraising as a team effort. Work to energize directors, staff, and volunteers as partners in fundraising.
• Engage and support staff in uncovering new fundraising opportunities and offering impactful donor experiences.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS 

• Applicants are required to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, Masters Degree preferred, and 2-years successful management experience.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, Shelterluv, and ability to learn apps and other software as required 
• Achievement of Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (if not currently held, will be required within one-year of employment)

REQUIRED HARD & SOFT SKILLS

• Demonstrated leadership traits including an eagerness to learn, servant-leadership, discernment, strong work ethic, effective problem-solving skills, positivity, self-awareness, and authenticity.  
• Knowledge of leadership techniques, principles, and procedures to assign work, schedule, supervise, train, and evaluate the work of assigned staff
• Knowledge of policies and procedures relevant to animal shelters to include sanitation and remedial care, adoptions, animal behavior and basic care.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer service. This includes setting and quality standards and evaluation of customer satisfaction
• Able to multi-task, prioritize organizational priorities, deal with a certain level of expected chaos, and able to meet deadlines
• Excellent ability to communicate ideas and proposals effectively including strong written skills. 
• Excellent ability to listen and understand information and ideas presented verbally and in writing
• Proven ability to lead and delegate tasks to others for successful and timely completion of tasks.
• Accumulated knowledge of and compassion for domestic animals and experience of how to use best practices to minimize fear, anxiety, and stress in companion animals.
• Demonstrated ability to work well without close supervision.
• Basic understanding of veterinary medical needs
• Ability to make sound decisions, and demonstrated skills in mediating disputes and conflicts
• Demonstrated program management knowledge to include basic statistical methods, fiscal and budgeting practices and procedures, knowledge of local, state, and federal regulations as they apply to animal adoptions, and out-of-state transports
• Strong knowledge in animal health and well-being to include nutrition, best practices, resources for information, knowledge of common animal diseases
• Ability to identify animal species, breeds, ages, and sexes, as well as signs of basic animal illnesses and injuries
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and privacy when trusted with sensitive subjects pertaining to GBHS business operations and/or GBHS employees, volunteers, partners, and vendors.
• Ability to work in an emotionally taxing field

 WORK CONDITIONS

•  This work is performed in a high noise level area
• There is exposure to industrial cleaning chemicals, fumes, dust, animal feces, and zoonotic (human to animal) diseases
• Weekend and evening work may be required during special events
• Safety procedures must be always adhered to
• Employees must have manageable allergic conditions that could be aggravated when animals are present in the workplace
• Employees at GBHS must be comfortable interacting with cats and dogs, and working with – and directing, as necessary – GBHS volunteers and community service workers
• Balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping
• Standing or sitting for sustained periods of time
• Walking and moving about to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another
• Able to lift 50lbs occasionally, 30lbs frequently and 10lbs constantly
• Repetitive motion
• May be exposed to unpleasant odors, noises, and animal feces. May be exposed to bites, scratches, and contagious diseases.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Health benefits are provided and partially covered by GBHS (price ranges depending on Blue Cross Blue Shield package selected).
• 401K, short and long-term disability available
• Up to 4 weeks PTO
• Discounted veterinary services and supplies

 The GBHS is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of GBHS to provide EEO to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.