Manager, Animal Welfare

ASPCA; New York (NY); On-site; USD 68,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Paid time off

401(k) with employer contributions

Professional development

Job summary

The ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City seeks a Manager, Animal Welfare to lead a large team of Integrated Care Assistants and oversee daily animal care. You will ensure adherence to the Five Domains model and shelter guidelines, while collaborating with the Director and Senior Manager to deliver excellent outcomes for ~2,000 animals yearly.

This on-site role emphasizes staff development, scheduling, cross-team collaboration, and proactive enrichment.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; 2–5 years of people-management experience preferred.
• Experience in logistics or operations in animal welfare is a plus.
• Knowledge of animal behavior preferred; Fear Free certification to be completed within 60 days.
• Experience managing union staff a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise Integrated Care Assistants, ensuring staffing needs are met.
• Oversee Five Domains model and shelter care guidelines in daily practice.
• Maintain accurate records, reporting and data entry for operations.
• Balance on‑floor management with administrative duties and scheduling.
• Coordinate Medical, Behavior, and Sheltering Rounds with teams.
• Support hiring and onboarding of new staff.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Decision making

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Safety awareness

Training & coaching

Volunteer management

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Fear Free certification preferred

OSHA knowledge a plus

Tools

PetPoint

Job description

Summary

Do you thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic and complex environment? Do you envision yourself implementing plans for effective animal population management and working with your team to ensure the provision of high-quality animal care and enrichment? Do you have a passion for developing strong, collaborative teams? If so, consider the role of Manager, Animal Welfare (Manager) at the ASPCA’s Adoption Center in New York City.

Who We Are

The ASPCA Adoption Center & Kitten Nursery provides intake, holistic care, including medical and behavioral support and outcomes for animals in New York City that need us most and is dedicated to helping animals by engaging community members directly in the work of caring for animals. Our population consists of five groups of animals:

1. 1) Animal victims of cruelty and neglect brought to us by the NYPD
2. 2) Animals brought to us through our Community Engagement team
3. 3) Underage kittens and other medically compromised stray animals
4. 4) Animals surrendered by their owners and in need of adoption into new homes
5. 5) Animals transferred in from shelter/rescue partners

The Adoption Center and partner teams utilize and develop best practices for providing care and innovative placement strategies for these specialized populations.

What You’ll Do

You’ll closely partner with the Director, Animal Welfare and other managers to position the ASPCA Adoption Center as a learning hub that encourages public involvement as ambassadors for the ASPCA’s mission through volunteerism, foster and adoption. You’ll be part of a high-performing team dedicated to the care of +/-2,000 at-risk pets per year, working collaboratively and effectively with internal and external stakeholders to further the ASPCA’s ultimate goal: ensuring animals live fulfilling lives. You’ll work with your team to support departmental goals, and ensure all animals in care receive timely assessment, services and interventions throughout their stay. To succeed in this role, the Manager will be a strong manager, teacher, supervisor and coach. The Manager will be dedicated to motivating, developing and leading a large team of Integrated Care Assistants (ICAs) in demanding and physical work. The Manager will champion canine and feline populations equally and enthusiastically and be fluent in all aspects of their well-being, including housing, enrichment, animal body language and recognizing and mitigating indicators of stress and illness. Success also hinges on the Manager’s collaboration with other Adoption Center teams. The Manager will partner with medical and behavior subject matter experts to balance the social and psychological needs of animals, observing best practices in herd health and shelter medicine, and ensuring an enriched and healthy shelter environment is maintained at all times. The Manager reports directly to the Director, Animal Welfare, and holds managerial responsibility for a full team of 20 staff, in tandem with their co-manager (the Senior Manager). The Manager has direct reporting accountability for 10 team members.

Where and When You’ll Work

This position is an on-site role and reports to the ASPCA Adoption Center location, located in New York, NY. The schedule for this role will be a 5 consecutive-day workweek with one weekend day required. Periodic schedule flexibility (including days, evenings, weekends and holidays) to accommodate team and departmental needs can be expected.

What You’ll Get

Compensation

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 staff 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 range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future. The target hiring range for this role is $68,000 - $73,000 annually.

Benefits

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental, and optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, sick and bereavement time, paid parental leave, 10 company paid holidays, and paid personal time off that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.
• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar for dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.
• Robust professional development opportunities including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field, and so much more.

For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities: Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance, and include, but are not limited to: Animal Welfare Management and Operations In partnership with Director and Senior Manager, Animal Welfare, ensure the Adoption Center consistently applies the principles of the Five Domains model (Nutrition, Physical Environment, Health, Behavioral Interactions, Mental State), and operates within the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ “Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters” as guiding principles for animal care Ensure Adoption Center Animal Welfare operations are aligned with the New York State Companion Animal Care Standards Act (Article 26-C) Manage effective direct care team communications, work assignments, staff scheduling and shift fulfillment processes to ensure that animal care is optimal and carried out efficiently; prioritizing the Five Domains Maintain accurate operations, compliance, personnel, and animal care records; ensure accurate and timely completion of required documentation, reporting, and data-entry processes Ensure thorough and timely communication of relevant day-to-day team updates, effectively utilizing departmental and welfare team communications channels, software and other shared systems In partnership with the Adoption Center Animal Welfare management team, lead daily Medical, Behavior, and Sheltering Rounds (MBS Rounds), ensuring all teams are focused on moving animals through the Adoption Center efficiently in service of optimal outcomes and reducing animal length-of-stay (LOS) Manage space allocation for Adoption Center animals, routinely forecasting to determine capacity for care and support timely animal intake decisions In partnership with the Director, Animal Welfare, design and implement improved processes or operations to manage animal flow and direct care Collaborate and plan cross-departmentally to ensure efficient intake of both criminal and non-criminal large-scale animal cases Ensure that feline and canine enrichment programs are implemented and effectively maintained, staff are trained and compliant in execution, adequate supplies are available and animals receive an appropriate variety of items and experiences to support and enhance behavioral health Manage timely staff processes including payroll, staff time off, callouts, and create weekly staff schedules to meet operational needs. Monitor the need for overtime, including mandatory overtime shifts, abiding by the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and ASPCA policies In partnership with the Procurement team, maintain consistent, appropriate animal welfare supply levels Lead or participate as Animal Welfare representative in departmental and interdepartmental meetings and/or projects as directed Deploy with other ASPCA teams (e.g.: Community Engagement, Community Medicine, National Field & Disaster Response) periodically, in coordination with departmental leadership People Management With Director, Animal Welfare, nurture a culture of learning at the Adoption Center, including ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment, active participation in goal setting and monitoring, clear expectations, and regular practice of feedback and after-actions Provide effective training, supervision, modeling, coaching and regular, timely feedback to the full ICA team in the day-to-day work and to direct reports via regular one-on-one check ins and quarterly feedback sessions Maintain awareness of direct reports’ career goals and identify professional development opportunities Be a consistent and visible presence “on the floor” to answer questions, make timely operational and staffing adjustments, give and receive feedback, lend a hand, and ensure deep understanding of and compliance with the Adoption Center philosophy, policies and operations In partnership with the Animal Welfare management team, maintain adequate staffing levels at all times; assign and/or re-assign appropriate responsibilities and direct workflow to maximize productivity and maintain coverage Effectively balance on-the-floor managerial responsibilities with administrative and operational duties Ensure robust training and protocols are in place to maintain personnel and animal safety Lead the team through transitions in protocols, routines and responsibilities Guide the team in training, supervising, coaching and the provision of developmental and appreciative feedback to volunteers in their deep support of various Animal Welfare functions; recruit, train and oversee volunteers supporting special projects and initiatives Participate effectively in hiring and onboarding processes for new Integrated Care Assistants.

Qualifications

Demonstrates excellent leadership skills in managing a team and prioritizing their development; providing training, supervision, modeling, coaching, feedback and guidance Strong decision-making ability; able to act with urgency as emergent situations arise and demonstrate sound judgement; solutions-focused problem-solver Strong attention to detail with demonstrated ability to maintain accurate data and communications and ensure operational compliance. Proven history of building and maintaining positive and productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders Demonstrates care and concern for the safety and well-being of self, animals and others, especially during stressful situations Able to work efficiently and demonstrate flexibility and consistency in a dynamic, operations-based and potentially stressful environment Able to maintain an open mind regarding changes and be willing to learn, develop, implement and teach new protocols Demonstrates initiative and the ability to effectively and independently execute on assigned tasks Proven strong time management skills and ability to prioritize multiple needs/projects, maintain organized work systems and respond to requests in a timely manner Effective and clear written and oral communication skills Readily able to work closely with animals that are behaviorally and/or medically compromised; able to participate in decision-making processes and support staff understanding humane euthanasia outcomes for some animals in the population Fluency in PetPoint or other animal management software with an affinity for learning new technology quickly preferred Must be able to bend, stand, lift and engage in repetitive motions throughout a shift Ability to exemplify ASPCA’s core values, behavioral competencies, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Education and Work Experience

High school diploma, GED or equivalent work experience required Minimum 2 years’ experience as a people manager in a professional setting preferred Experience managing logistics or operations preferred; doing so in veterinary practice, animal shelter or similar animal welfare setting a plus Knowledge of animal behavior preferred Experience using low stress handling techniques on felines and canines that were not animals you owned low stress handling techniques preferred Experience managing union staff a plus Fear Free® certified or required completion within 60 days of employme Language: English (Required) Education and Work Experience: High School Diploma (Required) 2-5 years relevant work experience, Familiarity with low stress handling techniques for felines and canines, Fear Free® certified or completed within 60 days of employment, Knowledge of OSHA requirements a plus, Management experience in a veterinary practice or animal shelter a plus

About the ASPCA

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. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA is headquartered in New York City, where we maintain a full-service animal hospital, spay/neuter clinic, mobile spay/neuter and primary pet care clinics, a rehabilitation center for canine victims of cruelty, kitten nursery, adoption center, and two community veterinary centers. The ASPCA also operates programs and services that extend nationwide. We assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources. At the ASPCA, we are committed to fostering a collaborative and compassionate culture and we welcome all voices to contribute to our lifesaving mission. Our staff represent a vast array of backgrounds and diversity dimensions, bringing with them valuable experiences and perspectives. They join the ASPCA to learn, grow, and continually do their best work on behalf of animals. We are inspired by our staff, partners, and the communities we support across the country who work to improve animal lives. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the ASPCA because it elevates our organizational culture, aligns with our Core Values, and enables us to move further and faster toward the ASPCA’s vision – that all animals live good lives; valued by society, protected by its laws, and free from cruelty, pain and suffering.