Care Center Assistant Manager

About the role

ACC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission animal shelters, whose mission is to End Animal Homelessness in NYC. We touch the lives of nearly 20,000 animals each year. ACC is more than an animal shelter; we are a resource to the community, always seeking ways to keep the human-animal bond intact. With a 90% placement rate, our progressive, life-saving initiatives contribute to the successful placement of our animals. We strive to find loving homes for homeless and abandoned cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits, both by adopting animals directly to the public and by partnering with more than 200 dedicated animal placement organizations (our New Hope partners). We also help keep NYC communities safe and rescue animals in need, responding to emergencies that involve animals as well as keeping our doors open 24/7 for people and animals in need.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct leadership to a large team, including managing schedules, setting team goals, hiring, training, and evaluating performance and processes to improve daily activities.
• Maintain workplace safety and legal compliance; ensure standards are met and guidelines are followed.
• Assist in implementation and hold staff accountable to current and new protocols and procedures.
• Provide direct support to the Care Center Manager in tracking inventory, supply orders, timecards, and creating innovative solutions as needed.
• Directly supervise staff, including setting work schedules, providing training and resources, establishing goals and objectives, and providing frequent feedback on performance.
• Assist the Care Center Manager in cultivating a positive work environment that fosters professional development, idea exchange, compassion, empathy and respect for people and animals.
• Encourage staff to provide solutions to challenges and participate in the growth and trajectory of the department.
• Implement and monitor Care Center-based programs to meet and exceed standards of humane animal care and overall operations, which may include cleaning kennels and attending directly to animals when staffing requires.
• Develop and foster supportive working relationships among and between different departments, including conflict resolution.
• Ensure a safe and supportive working environment.
• Provide and encourage professional development for staff through regular check-ins that include feedback on development and progress within the department.
• Set the standard for professionalism, attitude, punctuality, and responsiveness by modeling desired behavior.
• Facilitate communication at all levels.
• Participate in staff hiring, evaluations, and disciplinary actions as needed.
• Assist in ensuring that the Care Center follows all guidelines set forth by law and government contracts, that safety procedures are followed, and OSHA standards are met at all times.
• Track inventory and monitor supplies, including weekly supply ordering.
• Complete weekly timecards for direct and indirect reports as needed; approve time off and organize coverage.
• Track and provide monthly metrics to measure the effect of each program.
• Respond in a timely manner to emails and other requests as they arise; address programmatic challenges and areas in need of improvement.
• Innovate new approaches to problem areas.
• Assist in monitoring Fear Free standards in the Care Centers and help staff meet and maintain certification within 30 days of hire.

Schedule

The working schedule for this position is Sunday–Thursday with varying hours; one weekend day is required. During the training period, the schedule will be Tuesday–Saturday.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• At least 2 years of experience in leadership capacity and at least 2 years of experience working in animal welfare.
• Previous supervisory experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-building qualities.
• Ability to interact with animals in a calm and non-threatening manner.
• Working knowledge of Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft applications, plus ability to learn new computer programs.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 50 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working with union staff.
• Ability to work flexible hours and days, including nights and weekends, as needed.
• Availability to be on rotating overnight on-call schedule for emergencies and schedule changes.
• Ability to plan and operate within a budget.

Work Environment

We work together as a team, which means you may be asked to help with tasks that involve working outside in all sorts of weather. As a busy animal shelter in one of the biggest cities in the world it can get noisy inside. Employees should have the ability to remain calm yet professional in stressful situations involving animals and/or members of the public. Animal Care Centers house hundreds of animals at any given time, which may involve exposure to fur, odors and other airborne particles. ACC offers many low-cost services to pets and people in need, including compassionate end-of-life services.

Benefits

• Generous paid-time-off (PTO) package including vacation time, birthdays off, personal days and sick pay.
• Open access Cigna medical, dental and vision insurance at a low premium.
• 401K and Pension.
• Life Insurance.
• On-the-job training for 2–4 weeks and periodic all-staff trainings on safety, DEI, cross-training and other growth opportunities.
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for employees with qualifying federal student loans.