Senior Director, Animal Behavior

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 provides 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 Behavior Operations (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.
• 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”: partner 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 or SVP.

Team Leadership (35%):

• 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.
• Partner with other CRC leaders to facilitate and participate in pathway planning aligned with an integrated care model.
• Welcome and answer staff and volunteer questions about shelter animal behavior care and decisions.
• Provide ongoing training in shelter animal behavior basics, low-stress handling and defensive handling for all staff.
• 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 leads, regularly review and update SOPs, leveraging input from staff to make program improvements.
• Successfully lead the CRC team through the adversity common in animal welfare.
• Ensure that CRC staff understand and support their team’s role in achieving cross-team and ASPCA goals.
• Ensure that staff serve as excellent CRC representatives and friendly, collaborative partners for other ASPCA teams.
• Connect 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.

People Management (30%):

• Supervise and manage three direct reports; conduct regular one-on-one check-ins, career counseling sessions, feedback sessions, and periodic skip-level meetings.
• Ensure that direct reports use sound management practices and ASPCA developmental tools.
• Work closely with direct reports to clearly articulate performance and workplace behavior expectations for staff.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Qualifications:

• 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.
• Exceptional leadership skills.
• Proven history of building and maintaining positive and productive relationships.
• Highly competent coach.
• Excellent low-stress animal handling and restraint skills.
• Excellent hands-on behavior modification and training skills.
• Sound clinical judgement and resiliency.
• Comfortable making humane euthanasia recommendations for behavior reasons.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Possesses critical thinking skills and the ability to switch between multiple tasks swiftly and competently.
• Driven and eager to take ownership of critical tasks and projects.
• Ability to work on a team as well as independently.
• Excellent time-management skills.
• Strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail.
• Displays care and concern for the safety and well-being of self, animals, and others.
• Able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds and work standing for 8 or more hours.
• Able to occasionally work in physically challenging conditions.
• Fluent in Internet usage and in the use of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Able and willing to work flexible hours.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.
• Must provide a valid driver’s license upon hire and pass a motor vehicle history check.

Education and Work Experience:

• HS Diploma or GED required; BS or BA in animal behavior or a related subject strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing a team, preferably in the animal welfare field, required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working as a professional animal behavior expert required.
• Experience working in an animal shelter required.
• Experience working with animal victims of cruelty and neglect preferred.
• Experience in building and maintaining shelter behavior programs strongly preferred.
• Mastery of the field of applied animal behavior and behavior change principles required.
• Experience handling, evaluating and treating dogs exhibiting aggression, fear, and excessive arousal required.
• Animal Behavior Society CAAB/ACAAB or IAABC certification preferred.
• Sophia Yin’s Low Stress Handling Silver Certification required or must be completed within six months of hire.

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future.

• The starting pay rate for this role is $124,000 - $134,000.

For more information on our Benefit offerings, click here.

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The ASPCA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

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ASPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V).

About Us:
The ASPCA was founded in 1866 on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans and must be protected under the law.