Animal Behavior Manager

The QTI Group is partnering with Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) to hire an Animal Behavior Manager. This newly created role will manage the Behavior Department and oversee the behavioral care of animals in residence at DCHS.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Behavior Department and oversee the behavioral care of shelter dogs and cats.
• Ensure proper assessment of shelter animals and oversee recommendations for placement, foster, rescue, or euthanasia as appropriate.
• Design in‑house behavior modification plans for individuals needing behavioral adjustment during their stay.
• Provide daily stress reduction, enrichment, training, and behavior modification for shelter populations and collaborate with other departments to ensure proper animal flow.
• Supervise the DCHS Animal Behavior Team, building alignment, engagement, and commitment to new strategies, processes, and goals.
• Foster a high‑performance culture through effective coaching, clear expectations, accountability, and development of team members.
• Monitor and ensure the team’s success in identifying, treating, planning, and preventing behavior issues for shelter dogs.
• Ensure all behavior protocols, policies, and procedures are properly implemented.
• Promote teamwork, communication, and cooperation between all departments.
• Review behavior profiles for incoming animals and collaborate cross‑departmentally on pathway planning for new intakes.
• Oversee evaluation processes for shelter dogs and collaborate on recommendations for placement, foster, rescue, or euthanasia.
• Identify animals in need of additional behavioral support.
• Attend daily population rounds for dogs and cats.
• Create and implement standardized SOPs for managing common behavior concerns in dogs.
• Develop individualized plans to meet the needs of specific dogs and cats.
• Establish systems for tracking individual animal progress and set benchmarks for success.
• Create and maintain partnerships with rescue groups.
• Provide enrichment opportunities for shelter animals within the shelter environment.
• Monitor behavior information shared by staff and volunteers via interaction sheets and behavior boards in the shelter database.
• Oversee public dog training classes and supervise the training class staff.
• Develop and deliver volunteer and staff training to improve animal enrichment, adoptability, and safe handling.
• Create and implement positive‑reinforcement training protocols.
• Support volunteers and staff on the basics of positive‑reinforcement training.
• Oversee training and behavior support for foster parents.
• Provide surrender, adoption, foster, and post‑adoption counseling in coordination with other departments.

Qualifications

• B.A. or B.S. required, with specialized education in an animal behavior field; M.Sc. or M.A. preferred.
• Certification in animal behavior/training from a nationally recognized certifying body (e.g., ABS, IAABC, CCPDT) required.
• 5+ years of experience working with animals in captivity, such as in animal shelters or zoos.
• 2+ years of management experience, preferably in an animal‑related industry; experience managing a behavior team in a shelter strongly preferred.
• Expertise in dog behavior is particularly required.
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate teams through change.
• Demonstrated success leading teams with a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and high performance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Sincere desire to make a positive difference in the lives of animals using only positive, science‑based training and behavior modification methods.
• Must possess or acquire a thorough understanding and dedication to the philosophies of animal welfare and DCHS.