Job Title: Shelter Manager

Reports to: Director of Operations

Objective: The shelter manager is responsible for overseeing the daily duties of shelter staff and volunteers, including cleaning, caregiving, adoptions, and other duties. They will work with the staff to ensure the facility and maintenance issues are addressed in a timely fashion; work with the lead(s) to ensure staffing is adequate and training and corrective feedback happen; ensure the shelter operates according to the established SOPs; monitor the flow of cats through the shelter by providing resources and support. Ensure that customer service is handled with dignity and respect.

Position Type and Hours: Exempt, salaried, full-time. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

Shelter oversight (50% of time) 

• Oversee daily shelter operations by conducting frequent rounds, checking in with employees to ensure the timely completion of daily duties; creating plans to adequately address chores when there is a high influx of customers, cats, or illness, and accounting for seasonal changes in operations.
• Monitor the flow of cats through the shelter and overall housing capacity by identifying cats who have adoption barriers or who need alternative care plans; creating housing/care plans for harder-to-place cats with input from staff and other managers and communicate them appropriately; monitoring the length of stay report to ensure cats are not getting missed, and paying special attention to cats at the shelter for 30 days or more.
• Develop and maintain shelter policies and procedures that are consistent with best practices in animal welfare/sheltering by creating and updating shelter policies and procedures with input from the management team, gathering resources from other organizations, reviewing new research, identifying possible courses of action, and discussing possible changes with other stakeholders; subscribing to national organizations to read publications, watch webinars, and stay up-to-date on emerging trends in animal welfare.
• Monitor work quality and consistency by referencing and updating established shelter policies and procedures to determine whether the staff is adhering to standards and providing corrective counseling if not; spot-checking phone logs, emails, data entry, etc., to ensure standards are being met.
• Ensure that the physical shelter facility is kept clean, tidy, and sanitary for both cats and humans by conducting rounds of the facility and checking work quality to ensure staff and volunteers are adhering to shelter protocols regarding caregiving and safety; providing coaching and training when appropriate; conducting monthly meetings with appropriate individuals to ensure maintenance requests and other facility updates are addressed promptly.
• Participate in long-term planning and budgeting and monitor progress toward goals by working with the organization’s leadership (staff and board of directors) and full staff to develop, implement, and monitor the progress of a strategic plan every several years; working with the management team to develop, implement, and monitor progress on an annual implementation plan and KPIs; Creating and monitoring an annual department budget, including staff hours, adoption revenue, and other expenses/revenue.
• Continue education by staying up-to-date on shelter/customer service trends and best practices through resources such as webinars, discussion groups, workshops, conferences, articles/books, etc.

Customer service and adoption program oversight (30% of time) 

• Ensure high-quality customer service for adopters, retail customers, and hospital clients and volunteers by clearly defining CAT policies and procedures for adoptions, returns, sales, and front-line customer service; compiling policies in the Front Desk Manual for easy access; training shelter associates on front desk duties including customer service best practices, appointment scheduling, adoption processing, and animal record updates, as well as point of sale protocols and procedures; ensuring staff are following CAT’s culture agreement by observing interactions with customers and adopters; overseeing an effective scheduling, payment, and check-in/-out process for the public spay/neuter program.
• Manage client and adopter communication via phone and the Contact Us email inbox by ensuring all emails in the Contact Us inbox are answered and ensuring shelter associates return all phone messages daily; communicate and coach shelter associates on best practices regarding client and adopter communication.
• Develop and oversee the adoption program by creating best practices for the adoption process; training staff and adoption counselor volunteers to provide high-quality adoption advice and follow-up resources; identifying adoption counselors with high return rates and providing support and assistance to improve retention rates; working closely with the volunteer manager to ensure procedure and policy changes are communicated to all volunteers and staff.
• Assist unhappy clients by using active listening, effective communication, and conflict resolution skills to de-escalate hostile interactions; proposing solutions based on policies, procedures, and best practices and making exceptions to policies when necessary.
• Oversee retail by working with the retail manager and lead shelter associate to ensure sales are properly recorded, the retail area is stocked and clean, and products are correctly placed.

Staffing, scheduling, and special events (20% of time) 

• Conduct hiring and onboarding by updating hiring materials (job descriptions, interview questions, etc.) as needed, facilitating interviews, and orienting and training new employees.
• Oversee employee lifecycle by meeting regularly with direct reports to discuss performance, professional development, goals, and opportunities; providing coaching and corrective feedback as needed; conducting performance reviews (known as annual check-ins); implementing performance improvement plans as needed; documenting disciplinary measures up to and including termination; terminating employees as needed.  
• Schedule employees and specific volunteers by creating a daily, monthly, and special events schedule that adequately staffs the shelter during busy and slow seasons; documenting the staffing needs of the shelter as it changes between busy and slow seasons; documenting actual hours used by each department when budget planning; creating and maintaining a monthly schedule for adoption volunteers to ensure that online adoptions are being processed in a timely manner; creating and overseeing a schedule and duty list for community service volunteers to assist CAT with odd jobs and other duties.
• Review payroll by regularly monitoring the clock-in and clock-out times of employees to check for accuracy; approving and tracking employee absences and paid time off; monitoring compliance with wage and hour laws; conducting a biweekly audit of hours worked for the shelter and comparing with budgeted hours.
• Facilitate staff/volunteer training and cultural development by scheduling, planning, and facilitating regular shelter staff meetings regarding policy and procedure changes, upcoming projects, staffing issues, culture development, and other department-specific items; scheduling, planning, and facilitating adoption counselor and adoption counselor mentor meetings regarding policy and procedure changes, specific concerns related to the adoption program, and updates on community resources. 
• Plan, staff, and execute special events by working with other managers and staff to appropriately schedule, staff, and implement aspects of events related to adoption, customer service, and/or the shelter; keeping a yearly reference guide for set up, staffing, and breakdown of events; documenting event successes and changes needed to make the event more successful.

Event Participation/On-call duties

• Participate in the organization's major events, including Kitten Palooza, the annual gala, the annual volunteer appreciation event, and the holiday party. 
• Serve on the on-call manager rotation (phone/text; does not require going onsite for calls).

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Knowledge 

• Animal sheltering
• Cat behavior
• Customer service, including de-escalation tactics
• Cash handling
• Supervision best practices
• Computer programs, including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Shelter Buddy, Acuity, FreshDesk, ClinicHQ, Adopets, Square, etc.

Skills

• Provide friendly, professional, respectful customer service
• Remain organized 
• Prioritize tasks to meet deadlines
• Delegate tasks effectively
• Create action plans
• Communicate effectively in person and in writing 
• Handle animals safely 
• Operate standard office equipment, including computers and telephone systems  

Abilities 

• Manage and lead change
• Foster teamwork and lead a positive workplace culture
• Diffuse conflict
• Listen empathetically 
• Facilitate difficult conversations
• Speak and present publically
• Provide corrective feedback in a positive manner 
• Connect with new people
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Necessary

• High school diploma or equivalent 
• 2-3 years of professional experience in a brick-and-mortar animal shelter 
• 2-3 years of supervisory experience overseeing a team of 8 or more employees
• 2 years of customer service experience, including facilitating difficult conversations and de-escalation
• Proven leadership experience with at least two years or more of running programs, creating and overseeing budgets, implementing change, and being part of a management team

Preferred 

• Prior nonprofit, shelter, veterinary hospital, or animal control experience

Mental Effort: This position requires regular risk assessment, analysis of options, and decision-making without complete information. The job holder must also make determinations about tasks and deadlines.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: 

Physical Requirements

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential job functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Move and/or transport items up to 20 pounds (assisted or unassisted)
• Position oneself at various levels to successfully carry out the essential functions of the job
• Provide direct animal care, including feeding, watering, and other animal handling
• Work with various disinfecting and sanitizing agents such as Rescue®
• Work in an emotionally and physically taxing environment
• Communicate effectively with other staff, volunteers, clients, and members of the public
• Navigate the shelter and building
• Read and keep accurate records/files
• Work on a computer and use various software programs
• Operate office equipment such as a copy and fax machine, printer, scanner, and multi-line telephone 
• Remain in a stationary position for long periods of time
• Perform the duties of a shelter associate as needed

Work Environment

Work in this position is performed within an office setting at an animal shelter. Positions at this level have a work environment with only some occasional hazards or obstacles.  There is a moderately low level of personal risk encountered while performing assigned work.  Job conditions are occasionally uncomfortable relative to noise, temperature, dirty conditions, interactions of a disagreeable nature, or exposure to contagious diseases. The worker may encounter the following: 

• Distressed animals that put the worker at risk for injuries such as bites and scratches
• Animal urine, animal feces, animal vomit, animal blood, animal fur
• Medications used to treat animals
• Zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from cats to humans
• Disinfecting agents such as Rescue®
• Animal handling equipment such as nets, leather gloves, etc.

Pay Range: $65,000-$70,000 annually

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.

To Apply: Click the Apply button below. Please upload your resume to the application portal--a resume is required for consideration. If you are having any problems uploading your resume to the application portal, please email your resume to jobs@catadoptionteam.org, and we can send you a list of the screener questions to answer.  

PLEASE NOTE: There are required screener questions for this position that will replace a Cover Letter requirement.