Animal Care Supervisor (Farm Animals)

About the role

This position supervises animal care staff and volunteers, assists with daily cleaning, feeding, and medicating of sanctuary residents, and works under the Animal Care Director alongside a dedicated caregiving team. The role provides 24/7 care to over 200 animals—including pigs, chickens, cows, turkeys, sheep, goats, rabbits, and donkeys—at the Grass Valley sanctuary.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and oversee daily animal care tasks, maintaining calendars and ensuring timely completion.
• Perform feeding, watering, health care, medicating, and cleaning duties.
• Work all animal care shifts, including early mornings (as early as 6am) and late evenings (as late as 9pm).
• Follow up on animal care medical alerts promptly and thoroughly.
• Update shift procedures, protocols, treatment, and feed sheets weekly.
• Review and approve timesheets and PTO requests.
• Assist with or lead veterinary visits and transport animals for rescues or appointments.
• Meet weekly with the RVT and Animal Care Director; lead weekly department meetings and record minutes.
• Consult with the RVT on weekly health check findings.
• Oversee onboarding, training, and scheduling of animal care staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Maintain performance records for 6-month check-ins and annual reviews.
• Identify and ensure completion of additional animal care projects and goals.

On-Call Duties

• Reside in employer-provided onsite housing and participate in a rotating after-hours, weekend, and holiday on-call schedule.
• Respond independently to after-hours emergencies, including bottle-feeding infants, monitoring sick or injured animals, and addressing urgent operational needs.
• Provide shift coverage during staff absences due to illness, vacation, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Requirements

• A strong commitment to Animal Place’s mission of veganism and animal rights.
• At least 2 years of animal rescue, shelter, or sanctuary experience.
• 1–2 years of supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to foster a cohesive, positive work environment.
• Excellent animal behavior and observation skills.
• Extensive problem-solving skills; ability to remain calm in emergencies.
• Self-motivated team player mindset.
• Willingness to interact with the public and volunteers.
• Capable of working outdoors in all weather conditions (cold/wet winters, hot/dry summers with wildfire threats).
• Ability to lift 40–50 pounds and perform strenuous manual labor.
• Willingness to work weekends, holidays, and varying shift times as needed.
• Valid driver’s license with a good driving record (subject to verification).
• Comfortable driving large vehicles, including stock trailers and Sprinter vans.
• Vegan lifestyle required for onsite living; no animal products permitted on sanctuary grounds or in housing units.

Schedule

40 hours per week, 8 hours per day, currently Tuesday–Saturday. Schedule is subject to change and may require working most weekends and holidays. Live-in staff must participate in an on-call rotation 1–2 times per week (or more if needed), staying onsite with a radio and ready to handle late-night or early-morning emergencies.

Housing

This position includes required onsite housing as part of the compensation package. The current accommodation is a one-bedroom cottage with a small private yard, limited to single occupancy. Utilities (heating, air conditioning, electricity, water, garbage, Wi-Fi) and shared laundry access are included. Companion animals may be permitted with prior approval from the Animal Care Director.

Benefits

• 180-day probation period.
• Vacation, holiday, and sick time package.
• Health insurance (eligible after 90 days).
• $500 annual veterinary stipend.
• $50 annual boot stipend.
• 403b retirement plan with up to 3% employer match after one year.