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Job Title: Animal Resource Center Manager
Department: Shelter
Classification: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt
Salary: $ 57,500- $60,000
Job Relationship: Reports to Director of Shelter Operations. Supervises Animal Resource Center Supervisor and Foster Supervisor. Works closely with Clinic Manager, Chief Humane Agent, project CARE Manager, and Animal Care Manager.
Position Summary: Manages Animal Resource Center including animal intake and foster care programs. Responsible for providing quality customer service in the Animal Resource Center (ARC). Effectively determines best resources (surrender, Community Pet Clinic (CPC), and project CARE) available to clients and animals. Supervises Foster Care Department, ensuring program growth. Supervises, trains, and coaches reception team to meet goals of the department. Ensures the performance of assigned departmental duties is done at an exceptional level
Essential Job Functions:
Ensures exceptional and consistent client care in the Animal Resource Center
- Models “Compassion” core value behavior. Treats animals and people with respect, empathy, and kindness. Listens and responds to the needs of people who use our programs and services, support us, work and volunteer for us, and to other animal welfare organizations that turn to us for help.
- Responsible for managing client flow, ensuring consistent, high-quality services are provided to patrons, visitors, staff, and volunteers
- Supervises, trains, and coaches reception team to ensure consistent messaging and high quality services are provided to all clients
- Ensures team members understand and can advise clients about different resources available to them (surrender, CPC, project CARE) and make the best decision in each situation.
- Assists staff in situations requiring immediate problem solving. Handles escalated client situations.
- Works closely with Clinic Manager to ensure both CPC receptionists and ARC receptionists handle client situations consistently and with the same messaging. Provides training to CPC receptionists, and feedback to Clinic Manager as needed.
- Ensures prompt in-person and telephone customer service
Manages Animal Intake, Foster Care, and Transfer programs
- Works closely with Clinic, Animal Care, and Adoptions to actively monitor the shelter population. Alerts Director of Shelter Operations to potential population crises, disease epidemics, or other factors that may compromise the APL’s goal of continually increasing our live release rate
- Able to triage incoming animals; determines those that need immediate medical care and alerts clinic staff.
- Ensures animals are admitted in timely manner; ensures all animals are vaccinated immediately upon their arrival.
- Evaluates animals on a daily basis and makes recommendation for final disposition of the animals: adoption, foster care, medical care, transfer and euthanasia.
- Ensures animals designated for foster care leave the building in a timely manner; focuses on foster program growth
- Notifies Humane Investigations department of any concerns regarding incoming animals and potential mistreatment, cruelty, and/or neglect
- Monitors requests for animals to be returned to owners and ensures animals are returned when appropriate.
- Maintains relationships with area shelters and rescue groups to maximize transfer opportunities.
- Informs directors of special needs cases for potential public relations or direct mail pieces.
- Performs euthanasia and assists in training of other staff for euthanasia certification
- Performs other duties and special projects as assigned
Supervises ARC and Foster personnel and builds an effective team
- Supervises ARC and Foster Care Supervisors. Assesses, respects, and addresses staff needs immediately.
- Performs supervisory duties, including reviewing work performance, motivating subordinates to work more effectively, identifying problems with performance and solutions to those problems, determining training needs to improve performance, initiating measures to correct misconduct per APL policy. Carries out approved disciplinary actions.
- Provides orientation, training, and supervision to employees, volunteers, and students. Prepares and presents necessary evaluations and performance appraisals.
- Ensures compliance with APL animal care, safety, and personnel practices and procedures
- Respects and addresses staff concerns immediately
- Orients new staff and ensures staff is trained and coached to a level necessary to achieve the APL’s mission and goals. Coaches staff by providing regular, ongoing feedback and training
- Promotes teamwork, communication, and cooperation between APL departments; ensures staff provide high-quality, positive interactions with clients and co-workers.
- Assists with the development of training and orientation materials and implements training for staff/volunteers on the resources available via the Animal Resource Center and requirements for program participation
- Performs the duties of subordinate employees as needed
Performs operational and administrative support functions.
- Maintains the department properly with respect to appearance, sanitation, and operations
- Monitors protocols for compliance with disease control, safe animal handling, etc.
- Adheres to policies and protocols for animal care, treatment, advocacy and the mission of the APL. Implements policies and procedures as directed.
- Monitors and reports on department goal achievement
- Provides recommendations on the annual ARC budget.
- Adheres to the annual budget and promotes cost savings within the department.
- Maintains department inventory according to budget. Ensures the proper care and maintenance of all equipment. Creates purchase orders for all equipment, supplies and materials for department.
- Maintains necessary records and generates accurate monthly and yearly statistical reports.
- Opens and closes shelter as needed
Performs other duties as assigned.
General Expectations
- Actively promotes the APL’s mission, services, programs, and events. Informs clients and constituents of donation opportunities and cultivates relationships with current and potential donors.
- Always represents the APL professionally and courteously.
- Supports management and discusses differences privately.
- Communicates with the Director of Shelter Operations about significant developments within the department.
- Attends necessary meetings.
- Is visible to staff, and communicates with directors on significant developments within the department
- Communicates pertinent information to staff, managers, directors, and CEO.
- Communicates, identifies challenges, and problem-solves with other managers.
- Develops and follows timelines for annual plans and projects.
- Ensures that policies and procedures are being followed.
- Provides quality service to clients, volunteers, and staff recognizing their contribution to the APL’s success.
- Creates, promotes and follows safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment. Takes immediate action to address any safety concern or noncompliance with OSHA safety rules that could put an employee, volunteer, client, animal and organization at risk.
- Promotes a safe, inclusive, equitable work environment.
- Promotes communication and cooperation between APL departments and integration and utilization of volunteers.
- Actively monitors safety compliance of staff and takes immediate action to correct hazards.
- Refers board or media inquiries to CEO.
- Ability to handle confidential information and use discretion.
- Is flexible with scheduling.
- Fear Free Certified or must become certified within six months of hire
- Supports the APL’s desire to celebrate a diverse and inclusive culture that fuels the compassion that connects us.
Qualifications
- Minimum Associates Degree in related field; 2 years of recent animal shelter work experience may be considered in lieu of degree
- Minimum two years customer service experience
- Minimum two years supervisory experience
Knowledge and Skills
- Knowledge of effective supervisory and management techniques and ability to utilize them to promote full performance and high morale.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with a variety of people
- Ability to identify and understand problems and determine appropriate measures to solve them.
- Efficient Microsoft Office user with the ability to maintain a variety of records and to prepare statistical and other reports from such records
- Experience in animal behavior, health, handling, & care in a shelter environment strongly preferred
- Excellent communication and leadership skills. Ability to express ideas clearly, both orally and in writing. Exercises good judgment when dealing with the public, staff and volunteers.
- Detail oriented and able to prioritize and perform duties efficiently and effectively with an adequate amount of independence
- Committed to maintaining the Cleveland Animal Protective League’s high standard of animal care and mission to foster compassion and end animal suffering
Ability to perform and train staff in euthanasia
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Working Conditions
Work is performed constantly in an animal shelter that operates seven days per week with exposure to animals, including some with questionable health and temperament concerns, high noise levels, zoonotic diseases, and cleaning agents. The person in this position needs to regularly move about the shelter to provide care to shelter and clients’ animals. Must be able to maintain a standing position for 50% or more of the time. Regularly operates a computer and other office equipment (i.e. calculator, copier, and printer). Sometimes positions self to handle animals of all sizes in a variety of areas and positions (low cages, high cages, on tables, on the floor, in vehicles, etc.). Sometimes positions self to perform shelter and animal cleaning functions. Constantly communicates with staff members and volunteers who have inquiries about their job responsibilities and animal needs and must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. Must be able to detect and recognize animal behavior that is potentially dangerous. Sometimes moves animals weighing up to 50 pounds (i.e. through the shelter on leash or using other safe restraint and animal handling equipment, into and out of cages in the shelter, onto and off of exam tables). Must be able to modify work schedule to meet APL operational needs.
Our Core Values
Compassion - We are compassion in action. We believe every animal and person has value and worth and should be treated with respect, empathy, and kindness to support the human-animal bond.
Advocacy - We are a voice for animals, dedicated to lifesaving solutions that advance their quality of life, and promote their place in society.
Leadership – We act with integrity, creativity, duty to community, and have the courage to change. These are the driving forces that make us a leading animal welfare organization.
Innovation – We are devoted to pioneering new approaches to the evolving challenges animals face by developing ethical, humane solutions and working in partnership with the public and animal welfare community.
Community – We continually strive to be a diverse and inclusive team and believe we must all work together to best fulfill our vision.
This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.
