Animal Care Supervisor

Animal-Care-Centers-of-Ny; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Health insurance

Vision/Dental insurance

401K

Life Insurance

Professional training

Job summary

Animal Care Centers of New York (ACC) is seeking a capable supervisor to lead the Animal Care Team, ensuring gold-standard care for all animals in our care. You will communicate expectations, train staff, and hold team members accountable to approved procedures while fostering a collaborative, compassionate environment.

The ideal candidate has supervisory experience, a passion for animal welfare, and the ability to manage a large Shelter staff and volunteers across a busy NYC facility.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED is required.
• Minimum 6 months of prior animal handling experience required.
• Forward thinking and quick, complete problem-solving.
• Adaptable to evolving protocols.
• Respect animals and people as collaborators.
• Schedule flexibility for organizational needs.
• Willingness to travel across NYC and nationally for training.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand long periods.

Responsibilities

• Assign work across animal housing, cleaning, laundry, walks and enrichment.
• Inspect kennel cleanliness, room tidiness, and staff performance; follow up.
• Participate in hiring, evaluations and disciplinary actions with HR.
• Set and monitor staff performance goals; provide evaluations.
• Create weekly staff schedules for Care Center operations.
• Monitor staff productivity; provide real-time support.
• Provide hands-on training to new staff to meet standards.
• Oversee inventory to ensure supplies are available.
• Review payroll records for the Animal Care team.
• Maintain Shelter Buddy data for animal locations.
• In absence, assume Care Center operations.
• Provide emergency euthanasia when needed after training.
• Engage in ACC forums and trainings; collaborate with leaders.

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

Shelter Buddy

MS Word

MS Outlook

Job description

ACC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission animal shelters, whose mission is to End Animal Homelessness in NYC. We touch the lives of nearly 20,000 animals each year. ACC is more than an animal shelter; we are a resource to the community, always seeking ways to keep the human-animal bond intact. With a 90% placement rate, our progressive, life-saving initiatives contribute to the successful placement of our animals.

We strive to find loving homes for homeless and abandoned cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits, both by adopting animals directly to the public and by partnering with more than 200 dedicated animal placement organizations (our New Hope partners). We also help keep NYC communities safe and rescue animals in need, responding to emergencies that involve animals as well as keeping our doors open 24/7 for people and animals in need.

Summary

This position works with and supports the Animal Care Team and is responsible for direct supervision of Animal Care Specialists. This includes the monitoring of their daily activities, focusing on gold standard care for all animals in our care. You are responsible for clearly communicating job expectations, job training, and holding staff accountable to the approved procedures.

Our ideal candidate enjoys providing coaching and guidance, and you have some previous supervisory experience. You are excited to take on the unique challenges and rewards of working with a large team of dedicated shelter staff and volunteers. You also enjoy sharing your skill and knowledge with others in order to improve quality of care in the shelter, decrease stress, and continually expand the scope of our programs. You are self‑motivated and able to work independently. Overall, you are passionate about animal welfare and about the people who make quality care possible, and you are eager to be at the helm of a progressive and expansive program.

Required Qualifications:

• High School diploma or GED is required.
• Minimum 6 months of prior animal handling experience required.
• Must be forward thinking and anticipate challenges, responding to them quickly and completely.
• Must be adaptable and receptive to rapidly evolving protocols.
• Treats animals and people with respect, considering all individuals as potential collaborators with something to offer.
• Available to modify schedule as needed to meet the needs of the organization.
• Ability to travel throughout the five boroughs periodically, and nationally for training opportunities.
• Must be able to lift and move up to 50lbs and stand for long periods of time.

ACC values work/life balance and offers a generous paid‑time‑off (PTO) package that includes vacation time, birthdays off, personal days and sick pay. We also value physical and mental health by offering a great open access Cigna medical, dental and vision insurance at a low premium to our employees as well as 401K and Pension, Life Insurance. We also have on‑the‑job training for 2-4 weeks, periodic all staff trainings to include safety, DEI, cross training, and other growth opportunities.

Because ACC is a nonprofit, employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness, cancellation, and/or consolidation under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF). Created under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, PSLF allows borrowers who work full time for nonprofits and government agencies to have their outstanding debt forgiven tax‑free on Federal Direct Loans, after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan.

• Assign work that includes cleaning of primary animal housing, animal rooms, and supplies; laundry; dog walking and animal enrichment.
• Inspect and evaluate quality of kennel cleanliness, room tidiness, and general carrying out of assigned duties by staff; follow up as needed.
• Participate in Animal Care staff hiring, including Hiring Info Sessions, evaluations and disciplinary action in cooperation with Care Center Manager and Human Resources.
• Establish, monitor and measure staff performance goals and provide performance evaluations to Animal Care team.

Other Responsibilities:

• Create weekly staff schedules that meet the needs of the Care Center.
• Circulate through Care Center on an ongoing basis to ensure staff are productive and have the support they need; assist with issues or concerns, real‑time.
• Provide hands on training for new staff that aims to have them meet or exceed minimum standards by the end of their probationary period.
• Interact with staff in a manner that calls them up to greatness and empowers them to be open and teamwork oriented.
• Oversee inventory management, ensuring the Animal Care team always has an adequate inventory of supplies.
• Review and complete Animal Care team payroll records.
• Ensure that the locations of animals in Shelter Buddy remain accurate and are updated as needed to ensure accuracy.
• Review, manage, and respond to staff schedules, overtime, leave requests, time and attendance reports.
• In absence of Care Center Manager, assume all operational responsibilities in managing the Animal Care Center.
• Upon completion of training and certification, ability to provide emergency euthanasia on an as needed basis.
• Enthusiastically participate in ACC forums and events including supervisor meetings, trainings, and conference calls, and special events.
• Collaborate with other organizational leaders to explore new endeavors, reflect on current operations, or otherwise problem solve.
• Fear Free certification required within 30 days of hire.
• Complete other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience with one year in a role supervising or directing staff as well experience in shelter is preferred.
• Prior supervisor experience with union staff is a plus.
• Basic familiarity with computers, MS Word and MS Outlook.
• Ability to excel in a fast‑paced, high stress environment.
• Is an expert communicator, a people person, and a team player.
• Demonstrates mentorship qualities and is able to provide intensive support and interaction to a mostly junior staff.
• Is organized, detail oriented, able to maintain composure when faced with emotional situations including medically and behaviorally compromised animals.

At ACC it's all hands‑on deck. We work together as a team, which means you may be asked to help with tasks that involve working outside in all sorts of weather. As a busy animal shelter in one of the biggest cities in the world it can get noisy inside. Employees should have the ability to remain calm yet professional in stressful situations involving animals and/or members of the public. ACC houses hundreds of animals in its facilities at any given time and with that comes fur, odors and other airborne particles in abundance.

ACC offers many low‑cost services to pets and people in need. This includes compassionate end‑of‑life services for people who cannot afford to go to a private veterinary office but still want to provide a professional and peaceful transition for their beloved pet.

This position will train at our Queens or Manhattan Care Center locations until the Bronx Care Center is open.

Reports To: Care Center Manager

Overtime: This is a non‑union position and is eligible for overtime.