Director, Applied Behavior Research

aspca; United States; Remote; USD 105,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage (medical)

Flexible time off

Job summary

The ASPCA is seeking a Director, Applied Animal Research to lead internal applied behavior and welfare research projects for shelter-housed dogs and cats. Based in the United States, this remote-based role requires collaboration across teams, committee leadership, and travel for conferences and field operations.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Applied Behavior Research, you will translate findings into practical applications, oversee learning opportunities, and help advance ASPCA’s research

Job description

Summary

For more than 150 years, the ASPCA has been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect the lives of millions of animals. The Behavioral Sciences Team (BST) team plays an integral role in the ASPCA's commitment to champion good animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty. We are looking for a Director, Applied Animal Research to work on innovative internal companion animal applied behavior and welfare research projects.

The application for this position will be open until 5pm EST on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Who We Are

This role is part of the ASPCA's Animal Behavior vertical, which includes the Behavioral Sciences Team (BST), the Learning Lab (LL), and the behavior teams at all Shelter and Rehabilitation Operations (SRO) facilities. Working within and across teams, behavior professionals in the vertical share expertise, implement aligned behavior program standards and practices, and help advance the ASPCA's strategic priorities. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work on innovative internal projects and capacity-build external research efforts that inform best practices for companion animals in shelters across the nation.

What You'll Do

Working under the supervision of the Senior Director of Applied Behavior Research, the Director of Applied Behavior Research leads the design and development of internal applied behavior and welfare research projects focused on both the ASPCA's unique cruelty case populations and generalizable behavior interventions and welfare assessments for shelter-housed dogs and cats. In addition to strong research and analytical skills, this position requires an individual with a collaborative work style, project management experience, and the ability to lead committees and project teams in a matrix structure.

Passion for translating research findings into practical applications is essential, requiring strong data visualization and science communication skills. The Director of Applied Behavior Research supports behavior colleagues across multiple teams as a subject matter expert in applied behavior science and its methodology. The Director oversees the creation and delivery of new learning opportunities to elevate subject matter literacy across behavior teams and broader audiences within the ASPCA.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced research professional with high standards for project quality and critical thinking skills balanced by a collaborative approach, a respect for diverse perspectives and areas of expertise, and an appetite for working in cross-functional project teams. Collaborative committee work to support internal initiatives will be required, as will travel for conferences, research studies, and to support forensic behavior and field operations.

The Director, Applied Behavior Research reports to the Senior Director, Applied Behavior Research and has no direct reports.

When and Where You'll Work

This remote-based position (which requires travel, as described below) is open to all candidates based within the United States.

The regular schedule for this position is Monday through Friday. Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, evenings and holidays based on program needs is required. Schedules are subject to change as needed by the ASPCA.

Ability and willingness to travel up to 15% of the time, sometimes with short notice, required.

What You'll Get

Compensation

The target hiring range is based on where the employee works, which for remote roles is the employee's primary location of residence, and its respective cost of labor. You can view which zone applies to you based on your location (aspca.app.box.com/v/aspcazonetable). 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 target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary ranges for this role are set forth below and may be modified in the future.

Zone 1: $ 105,000 - $ 112,000 annually

Zone 2: $ 116,000 - $ 123,000 annually

Zone 3: $ 128,000 - $ 136,000 annually

Benefits

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10