Supervisor, Lifesaving and Care - Dogtown

Best Friends Animal Society; Kanab (UT); On-site; USD 58,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah is seeking a Lifesaving & Care Supervisor to oversee the health, care, and wellbeing of sanctuary dogs. You will mentor Lifesaving & Care Specialists and volunteers, coordinating day-to-day lifesaving activities under the guidance of the Dogtown Manager.

The role emphasizes leadership, safety, compassion, and teamwork within a fast-paced shelter environment, with relocation assistance and a competitive annual salary range.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year of experience working with dogs in an animal sheltering, animal behavior, or veterinary setting.
• Ability to leash, kennel, walk, and handle all dogs, including those with health and behavior concerns.
• Experience leading teams or managing people preferred but not required.
• Strong communication with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills preferred but not required.
• Must maintain safety and adhere to Best Friends' program requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead teams, programs, and/or facilities and promote lifesaving and care objectives throughout the department; oversee, coordinate, and conduct day-to-day lifesaving program activities including animal flow, intakes, care, outcomes, and other activities; contribute to strategies for operational efficiency, superior customer service and increased lifesaving.
• Serve as a care provider alongside team members, and liaison between Dogtown and other departments, ensuring all department objectives for care, and health and behavior monitoring, as established by leadership, are met.
• Provide support, training, and performance feedback; participate in performance conversations; support hiring and onboarding; ensure teams meet expectations for Best Friends' program requirements and procedures; support teams so that each person achieves their fullest potential as contributors to Best Friends mission and goals.
• Maintain a safe workplace, valuing, and modeling safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating about unsafe practices and conditions.
• Treat people around you as our most valuable resource by leading with compassion and kindness in all your actions, build trust by demonstrating authenticity and following through on your commitments, encourage self-care and work-life balance through your own example, and work to build strong relationships with your team by creating communication loops to share and receive honest feedback. You are responsible and accountable for the culture of your team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Dog handling

Team leadership

Communication

Customer focus

Problem solving

Organization

Mentoring

Tools

Microsoft Office

Shelter software

Job description

Location:

Kanab, Utah (Relocation assistance available)

Hiring Range:

This position's hiring range is anticipated to be $58,000 - $70,000 annually, depending on experience, plus great benefits!

Position Summary:

Lifesaving & Care Supervisor provide oversight of the health, care, and wellbeing of Sanctuary dogs. This role also provides leadership and mentorship for the Lifesaving & Care Specialists and volunteers in their assigned areas. Lifesaving & Care Supervisors work under the guidance of the Dogtown Manager.

Culture Statement and Responsibility:

We value attitude over aptitude, and we treat Kindness as a discipline because it is paramount in our culture along with our other Guiding Principles. Culture is how we talk to and treat ourselves and one another, it's how we generate and respond to change, it's how we plan and make decisions, it's how we do what we do.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead teams, programs, and/or facilities and promote lifesaving and care objectives throughout the department; oversee, coordinate, and conduct day-to-day lifesaving program activities including animal flow, intakes, care, outcomes, and other activities; contribute to strategies for operational efficiency, superior customer service and increased lifesaving.
• Serve as a care provider alongside team members, and liaison between Dogtown and other departments, ensuring all department objectives for care, and health and behavior monitoring, as established by leadership, are met.
• Provide support, training, and performance feedback; participate in performance conversations; support hiring and onboarding; ensure teams meet expectations for Best Friends' program requirements and procedures; support teams so that each person achieves their fullest potential as contributors to Best Friends mission and goals.
• Maintain a safe workplace, valuing, and modeling safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating about unsafe practices and conditions.
• Treat people around you as our most valuable resource by leading with compassion and kindness in all your actions, build trust by demonstrating authenticity and following through on your commitments, encourage self-care and work-life balance through your own example, and work to build strong relationships with your team by creating communication loops to share and receive honest feedback. You are responsible and accountable for the culture of your team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of 1 year of experience working with dogs in an animal sheltering, animal behavior, or veterinary setting is required.
• Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle all dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns; basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs.
• Experience in leading teams or managing people preferred but not required.
• Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues; familiarity and comfort with an open adoption process.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills preferred but not required; strong communications skills, presentation experience with the ability to professionally advocate Best Friends' position on issues.
• Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; an initiative to assist in any area or process; problem-solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; the flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products; familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.

Physical Requirements:

• Routinely lift 40 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.
• Work at a computer or driving a car for extended periods of time with repetitive typing, sitting, arm, and hand motion.
• Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
• Exposure to dogs, cats, and other animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical status.
• Valid driver's license, ability to qualify to be added to Best Friends insurance, ability to travel, including overnight stays, when needed.
• Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; the position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.

*During the selection process, candidates may be asked to participate in an onsite working interview

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.