Description

Looking for a new way to make an impact in your animal welfare career? Our Carson Campus team is excited to share an opportunity for a Lead Animal Care Associate.

This role offers a meaningful chance to update your skills, collaborate with passionate teammates, and continue advancing our shared mission of saving and improving the lives of pets and people in our community.

Primary Purpose:

As a Lead Animal Care Associate, you contribute to Nevada Humane Society’s (NHS) mission by serving as the on-the-floor subject matter expert within the Animal Care department. The primary responsibility of this role is to support Animal Care Management by coordinating training, providing real-time coaching, supporting workflow, and ensuring consistent application of animal care standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Hands-on animal care is performed as needed to model best practices and ensure continuity of care. This position does not carry supervisory authority. Your work supports and reflects our commitment to care for pets, find them homes and save lives.  

Experience and Qualification Requirements

Position-Specific Requirements

1. Fear Free certified within 1 week of start date.
2. Subject matter expert who is up to date with organizational -wide SOPs, animal specific SOPs and policies.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of ASV guidelines.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of Adopter’s Welcome.
5. Role model for behavior, attendance, and policy adherence.
6. Demonstrated experience with training and coaching peers, and coworkers.
7. Demonstrated ability to proactively prevent quality assurance issues.
8. Demonstrated experience with effective written, auditory and verbal communication.
9. Demonstrated experience with operational judgment and reliability.

General Requirements

1. 18 years of age or older.
2. Ability to work autonomously, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines efficiently.
3. Staying updated on community developments, particularly in animal welfare.
4. High degree of accuracy and meticulous attention to detail.
5. Excellent verbal, written, and observational skills.
6. Self-starter with a goal-oriented mindset, willing to exceed prescribed work and time schedules to meet deadlines.
7. Possession of a valid Driver’s License with valid registration and insurance for personal vehicles, essential for positions requiring driving.
8. Demonstrated commitment to the welfare of animals and alignment with the mission of the NHS.
9. Consistently treat animals with compassion and respect, both professionally and personally, and promote these values to others.
10. Strict adherence to all local regulations concerning the ownership and care of personal animals.
11. Comprehensive understanding of pet behavior and care, with the capability to handle various animals safely and responsibly.
12. Maintaining a consistently positive and professional demeanor is essential.
13. A sincere interest in the NHS’s mission and vision.

Position-Specific Desired Experience

1. 6 months in an animal care associate position at NHS.
2. 1 years’ experience in animal care at a shelter, clinic, pet store, or other animal care related field.

General Desired Experience

1. Experience in same or related position in a nonprofit setting-preferably animal welfare.
2. Record of continually increasing responsibilities with measurable results.

Additional Beneficial Qualifications

1. College degree.
2. Experience in a nonprofit agency. 
3. Animal welfare experience.

Essential Responsibilities

Position-Specific Responsibilities

1. Assist with training for new Animal Care Associates, and follow-up training for Animal Care Associates on essential job functions, ensuring consistent understanding and application of animal care standards and SOPs.
2. Serve as the on-the-floor subject matter expert for Animal Care Associate duties and departmental procedures, acting as a primary point of contact for questions and operational guidance.
3. Support Animal Care Management by providing real-time visibility into daily operations, identifying emerging issues, and escalating animal welfare, safety, or compliance concerns as needed.
4. Coordinate and schedule surrenders and pathways for all animals ensuring effective documentation and communication to pertinent departments (Carson Campus).
5. Adjust and document animal pathways as needed dependent on animal behavior and medical conditions (Carson Campus).
6. Monitor the quality, consistency, and accuracy of animal care practices, handling techniques, and documentation; provide real-time coaching and escalation of concerns to management as necessary
7. Support daily workflow coordination and operational problem-solving to ensure efficient shelter operations and continuity of care.
8. Monitor animal health and behavior through daily wellness checks; report illness and follow emergency protocols.
9. Ensure accurate documentation, including database updates, photos, and adoption profiles.
10. Maintain clean and sanitary animal areas through daily deep cleaning and spot cleaning.
11. Provide food, water, special diets, grooming, exercise, and enrichment.
12. Maintain appropriate kennel signage and cards based on medical and behavioral history.
13. Assist adopters using the Adopters Welcome philosophy; communicate with fosters (Carson Campus) and adopters for timely placements.
14. Transport animals between campuses as needed. 
15. Ensure timely response to client communication requests from all avenues, including but not limited to, phone, email, and in person contact (Carson Campus).

General Responsibilities

1. Helps promote fundraising activities and solicit support of agency overall.
2. Interacts with co-workers and volunteers in an efficient and courteous manner to ensure a cooperative team environment amongst all departments.
3. Maintain and promote a positive public image relevant to NHS standards.
4. Represents NHS, professionally with customers, donors, and business partners.
5. Attend and participate in departmental and shelter meetings. Attend educational conferences/seminars as recommended/approved.
6. In the event of an emergency, assist with the handling and evacuation of animals located at any NHS campus.
7. Participate in disaster preparedness and response activities for the organization and community as it pertains to pet related needs.
8. Address and/or report any safety hazards or unsafe activities.
9. Perform other responsibilities as requested by direct management, and/or the CEO.

Salary : $18 - $20