Supervisor, Lifesaving & Care

Location: Los Angeles, Pet Adoption Center-1845 Pontius, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Hiring range: $70,304–$75,000 annually, depending on experience.

About the role

Lifesaving & Care Supervisors oversee daily functions and growth of lifesaving programs, including outcomes, foster, and direct animal care. This role leads staff, volunteers, and program execution while ensuring exceptional animal care, operational excellence, and customer service. Supervisors work closely with leadership to develop and implement strategies that increase lifesaving capacity through foster engagement, volunteer development, efficient operations, and collaborative partnerships. This is a hands-on leadership role balancing strategic thinking with day-to-day oversight, acting with urgency to achieve Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership through coaching, scheduling, hiring, onboarding, and training to ensure team members have the resources and feedback needed to support Best Friends’ mission.
• Coordinate daily lifesaving outcomes and care, including supply inventory, animal intake, emergency communications, feeding, cleaning, enrichment, transport, and medicating animals.
• Implement approved treatment protocols, follow policies and procedures, and ensure accurate recordkeeping and communications.
• Provide thoughtful feedback on end-of-life decisions for program animals, balancing medical and behavioral considerations with their well-being.
• Carry out euthanasia for program animals when necessary, upholding compassion and ethical standards while following organizational policies.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Medical, Adoptions, Foster, and Marketing teams to assess animal capacity, monitor population trends, and implement lifesaving strategies.
• Support foster caregivers and volunteers through responsive communication, medical follow-up, training, and operational support during high-demand periods.
• Recruit, train, engage, and retain volunteers to expand lifesaving capacity across Nursery and Foster programs.
• Serve as a Best Friends ambassador in media relations and provide exceptional customer service to adopters, fosters, and partners.
• Maintain a safe, organized, and compliant workplace by modeling safe practices and ensuring adherence to safety standards and protocols.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required; additional education in animal welfare, leadership, or related fields preferred.
• 1–3 years’ experience leading teams, supervising staff, or equivalent experience leading volunteers and implementing programs.
• 1–2 years’ experience in animal welfare, shelter medicine, foster programs, or veterinary medicine.
• Strong written, verbal, organizational, and presentation skills; experience facilitating trainings preferred.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills preferred but not required.
• Customer-centric, non-judgmental, and solution-oriented approach to engaging with adopters, partners, and volunteers.
• Ability to work with, handle, and care for cats and dogs, including those with health or behavioral conditions.
• Strong interpersonal skills, teamwork, and ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks.
• Resourceful, adaptable, and proactive attitude with problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with shelter software or willingness to learn.

Physical & Other Requirements

• Routinely lift 40 pounds.
• Perform daily strenuous activity, including lifting, carrying, kneeling, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, bending, and standing for extended periods.
• Perform repetitive tasks such as typing, sitting, walking, and hand motion for extended periods.
• Work indoors and outdoors in various weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.
• Exposure to animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical statuses.
• Schedule includes weekends, evenings, nights, holidays, and rotating on-call responsibilities.
• After-hours flexibility to monitor a designated phone line for urgent foster, staff, or volunteer-related issues.

Pay

$70,304–$75,000 annually, depending on experience.

Schedule

• Variable days and hours based on department needs, including weekends, evenings, nights, and holidays.
• Rotating on-call responsibilities for urgent issues.