Senior Director, Shelter Operations

About the Role

The Senior Director of Shelter Operations (SD, Shelter Operations) will support the ASPCA’s partnership work with Los Angeles City Animal Services (LAAS), working on-site at LAAS shelter locations. This role focuses on implementing a joint 3-year plan for LAAS shelters, led by LAAS and resourced by the ASPCA and Best Friends, aiming to achieve:

• Intake community engagement, including support for community cats;
• In-shelter pathway planning for timely, coordinated care and humane capacity management;
• Positive outcomes for animals through increased adoptions, transfers, and other lifesaving placements.

The position reports to the Senior Director of the Los Angeles Initiative and involves collaboration with LAAS leadership, ASPCA teams, and external partners. This role is currently funded for 3 years and has no direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Community-Specific Awareness
  • Work with LAAS leadership to understand LAAS shelter and veterinary operations, including strengths and gaps, to support plan implementation.
  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of key partners, their missions, activities, and impact.
• Development and Implementation of Shelter Operations Support Plan
  • Serve in a leadership role within the Los Angeles city shelter community for approximately three years, collaborating with LAAS leadership and partner organizations to drive systemic change.
  • Provide expert assessment of implementation timelines and sequencing as part of a cross-agency leadership team.
  • Partner with LAAS leadership to advance the three-year plan and remove barriers to implementation.
  • Develop an operations support plan with clear metrics, success criteria, and interim milestone goals in collaboration with your supervisor and cross-agency team.
  • Identify program areas needing additional support or improvement and coordinate resources to ensure program success and sustainability.
  • Act as a liaison between the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic and LAAS to maximize veterinary intervention opportunities.
• Provide Training
  • Work with LAAS supervisors and partner agencies to provide shelter operations and animal welfare training aligned with LAAS needs.
  • Stay informed about existing ASPCA trainings to develop a relevant, streamlined, and cohesive training program.
  • Design and deliver trainings on shelter operations, emphasizing purpose, process, and impact.
  • Support LAAS leadership in refining shelter Standard Operating Procedures to align with operational changes.
  • Collaborate with LAAS and partner leadership to build training schedules, track progress, and assess impact.
• Communications
  • Participate in regular meetings with LAAS leadership, providing agenda input based on current plan status.
  • Support project communications within the ASPCA and participate in internal meetings regarding the ASPCA’s Los Angeles work.
  • Identify opportunities for ASPCA communications and development teams to showcase progress on local and national platforms.
  • Partner with the Communications division to develop and review messaging related to shelter operations and the joint 3-year plan.
  • Collaborate on emerging issues, public education campaigns, and high-visibility cases requiring coordinated external communication.
  • Serve as an occasional on-camera organizational spokesperson for media inquiries and public-facing communications.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of people management, change leadership, program development, process improvement, and budget oversight.
• Highly motivated self-starter with the ability to provide strategic thought leadership and lead projects with limited guidance.
• Ability to develop and sustain productive relationships with diverse key contacts.
• Strong track record of leading through change and diplomatic communication with senior management.
• Excellent supervisory, team development, teaching, and coaching skills.
• Strong analytical skills and fluency with data, including managing large datasets, analysis, and visualization.
• Critical thinker and problem solver with a strong sense of business issues, opportunities, and liabilities.
• Ability to work under pressure, adapt to changing circumstances, and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Track record of managing wide-ranging projects and completing them on time.
• Strong sense of integrity, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive information confidentially.
• Demonstrated understanding of animal shelters, their challenges, and trends in the animal welfare field.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and project management tools; ability to create presentations, visuals, and updates.
• Fluency in English (required).

Education and Work Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading shelter operations (required).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience designing and delivering trainings, virtual and in-person (required).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience using large data sets to inform shelter operations (required).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience developing and maintaining partnerships between animal welfare agencies (required).

Schedule

This position is primarily onsite, with approximately 90% of time spent across the six Los Angeles city shelters and 10% remote work. Regular travel between LAAS shelters and the remote work location is required. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, generally aligning with shelter operational hours, though adjustments may be needed based on shelter needs.

Pay

The target hiring range for this role is $148,000 - $160,000. Starting pay depends on education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands, or budgeted amount. The maximum hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience.

Benefits

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental, and optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off, including vacation, sick, bereavement, paid parental leave, 10 company-paid holidays, and personal time off.
• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with dollar-for-dollar employer match up to 4% and an additional 4% contribution annually.
• Robust professional development opportunities, including classes, on-the-job training, coaching, mentorship, internal mobility, and field support.