Description

Are you passionate about animal welfare and ready to lead change in the heart of Colorado's Alamosa? Dumb Friends League is looking for a dedicated and experienced individual to fill the pivotal role of Shelter Manager at the League's San Luis Valley Animal Center. As a vital part of our organization, you'll oversee shelter operations, ensuring the highest standards of care and compassion for animals in need.

If you're ready to lead with compassion and drive positive change in animal welfare, apply now to join our dynamic team at San Luis Valley Animal Center. Together, we'll create a brighter future for animals and our community!

Need help with your move if relocating? We offer relocation assistance! 

Purpose of Position: Responsible for the management and oversight of shelter operations at the League’s San Luis Valley Animal Center, in alignment with overall League shelter operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct all aspects of the SLVAC shelter operations including pet admissions, animal care, veterinary care, and adoptions. Collaborate fully with other departments and locations to maximize the effectiveness of every team.
• Manage and monitor all aspects of the humane treatment and handling of shelter animals.
• Maintain facility to provide a safe and sanitary environment for animals and people. This includes the adherence to and monitoring of mandated standards (e.g., PACFA).
• Works with and handles animals of varying species, size, and temperament daily in a caring, safe, and respectful manner.
• Perform euthanasia and related tasks as needed.
• Manages and develops an effective staff: providing effective communication, leadership, guidance, and resources. Determines staff qualifications and competency: recruits, interviews, selects, hires, trains, orients, mentors, evaluates, coaches, counsels, disciplines, and rewards. Establishes and monitors staff safety and regulatory compliance.
• Motivate and mobilize staff to act. Remove obstacles, coordinate work efforts when necessary and empower staff members within the department.
• Ensure the proper utilization of and integration of department volunteers.
• Ensure patron experiences are always compassionate. Communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, confident, respectful, and professional manner. Assist with escalated patron issues when required.
• Ensure the highest level of people care is delivered to staff, patrons, volunteers, partners, donors, and vendors.
• Represent the organization internally and externally with integrity, serving as an ambassador to the organization’s mission and brand. Manage external partnerships and vendors to provide services as needed.
• Ensure strong communication and coordination with all municipal and law enforcement partners.
• Design, develop and implement department standards, work processes, systems, and procedures for accomplishing work. Develop SOPs and ensure they are updated, followed, and communicated with staff and volunteers.
• Montior and evaluate program and process effectiveness, including statistical analysis and report creation, and implement improvements. Develop and fulfill realistic and ambitious departmental objectives and plans.
• Collaborate with team members to balance competing priorities, create organizational alignment, support strategic planning, execute upon organizational initiatives, and ensure alignment with core values, vision, and mission. Participate in inter-departmental meetings and discussions to support and develop organizational initiatives.
• Oversee daily financial transactions.
• Inform and monitor the departmental budgets. Manage utilization of department resources to maximize the value, control expenses and minimize waste.

People Care

People are the key to fulfilling our mission. Making internal and external patrons and their needs a primary focus is expected in all situations. This position interacts with and collaborates with employees at all levels of the organization. Communication occurs through face to face, telephone, and electronic interactions and may also include contact with the general public and League business partners. Communication and contact must be clear, understandable, cooperative, professional and respectful in all circumstances. Employees are expected to actively support a positive team environment, directly address conflict, and appropriately express concerns.

Competencies

Competencies are work behaviors and expectations necessary for successful job performance. They encompass knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and actions. Additional definitions for competencies may be obtained from Human Resources.

Organizational Key Competencies

• Integrity and Ethics
• Adapting to Change and Ambiguity
• Customer and Community Focus
• Emotional Intelligence
• Excellence

Leadership Key Competencies

• Project and Process Management
• Delivering Results
• Developing Direct Reports
• Building and Leading Effective Teams

Position Key Competencies

• Analytical Thinking
• Community Partnerships
• Conflict Management
• Financial Acumen
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Innovation
• Strategic Thinking

Supervisory or Managerial Responsibility

• SLV Animal Center Shelter Associates
• SLV Community Liaison
• Volunteers

Travel

• This position requires driving a company vehicle
• This position requires up to 10% travel in state

Full Time Benefits – Please visit our website for a comprehensive list of all offered benefits.

• Relocation Assistance
• Benefits (medical, dental, and vision)
• Flexible spending accounts
• League-paid Life and Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Sick Time
• Holiday Pay
• 401(k) with matching
• Sabbatical program
• And more!

Compensation: Starting at $61,000.00 - $65,000.00 (starting pay commensurate with market, experience, and equity)

Work Conditions and Physical Requirements

Performs work primarily in an office setting. Potentially prolonged periods of sitting and repetitive motion. May work in an area with high noise level. Potentially subject to animal bites and scratches. Exposure to cleaning chemicals, fumes, dust, animal dander, and feces. Occasional lifting with reasonable accommodation.

We will begin reviewing applications as they are received and anticipate closing the application period on May 2, 2024.

Requirements

Position Qualifications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to utilize effective problem solving/decision making skills.
• Able to demonstrate a high degree of independence, initiative, and organization.
• Able to demonstrate exceptional discretion, judgement, impartiality and confidentiality when dealing with personnel issues, financial issues and proprietary information.
• Able to maintain professionalism and exercise sound judgement during all interactions with the public, staff, and volunteers.
• Able to set goals, prioritize, delegate work, and provide feedback to others to complete multiple tasks on or before deadline.
• Willing to learn new tasks and able to become proficient in a short period of time.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Required

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Work Experience: Five years of professional experience working with animals including leading the work of others and progressively complex project or program leadership responsibilities. Three years of experience providing customer service.
• Special Training, Certification or Licensure: Valid driver’s license with insurable driving record

Desired

• Professional experience in an animal shelter or similar organization
• General knowledge of animal sheltering software, Chameleon preferred
• Knowledge of veterinary care/animal health
• Experience managing vendors and contracts
• Experience creating and managing budgets