Vice President, Cruelty Recovery Center

Leadership and Planning

• Lead the department to take progressive steps towards consistency across teams; effectively communicate objectives, expectations and accountabilities all with an eye towards helping as many animals as possible
• Proactively identify and resolve operational challenges, and capitalize on opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and quality of animal care and foster, volunteer, and adopter experiences; keep lines of communication open with staff to ensure responsiveness and productivity
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and adherence to the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ “Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters”
• Collaborate with veterinary and animal behavior functions and leadership to ensure practices are integrated and aligned
• Guide the department’s leadership teams in identifying, collecting, monitoring and interpreting important indicators that will inform sound decision-making as well as training and development plans
• Explore and develop opportunities to engage more deeply with the Columbus community to increase adoptions, foster homes, and on-site volunteers
• Perform other duties as assigned by SVP SRO

People Management and Staff Development

• Manage a team of +/-50 employees to succeed in their role by communicating clear expectations, providing opportunities for learning and development, and building positive and trusting relationships
• Work with partnering teams to oversee the management of a contingent workforce that supports CRC operations in Ohio and in temporary field shelters
• Support direct reports by holding regular effective feedback conversations, career conversations, annual performance evaluations, and ongoing check-in conversations with each team member on a cadence that’s appropriate for their role(s)
• Nurture a culture that is welcoming and respectful, where staff are engaged in learning and achieving individual and collective goals
• Collaborate with the SVPs of Operations, Veterinary Medicine, and Animal Behavior to maximize expertise across the organization by supporting the matrixed structure. Strengthen integrated decision-making by maintaining strong relationships with and fostering clear communication among ASPCA leaders.
• Foster unity across functions and bring staff together behind the goal of providing hands-on integrated care for at-risk animals while continually innovating to elevate the field
• Provide training, supervision, modeling, coaching and ongoing guidance for direct reports and the teams they lead
• Support alignment of managers in the matrixed structure. Set an example of – as well as expectations for – exceptional collaboration through regular constructive and productive communication and team building. Build strong relationships across matrix, communicating regularly, and providing performance input on a quarterly basis at a minimum
• Promote a strong, collaborative team culture and deep employee engagement; in partnership with the People Team and Learning & Development, provide guidance for teams as they develop and uphold their own team norms, aligned with the ASPCA’s core values
• Strategically attend team meetings with direct reports and the teams they lead, supporting the agenda and ensuring a productive team discussion
• Mentor teams on subjects such as animal welfare, communication, customer service, leadership, and ASPCA policies and philosophy, to empower them to make good decisions in carrying out their work
• Lead with empathy to build systems, practices, and team norms that support staff resilience and well-being, particularly in the context of humane euthanasia and other emotionally challenging aspects of animal welfare work
• Serve as a champion in times of change and work with SRO LT in identifying ways to improve policies and practices
• Establish systems for regular communication and celebration to support a positive work environment

Operational Excellence

• Oversee the program operations and day-to-day leadership of the CRC
• Continually assess and ensure that departmental policies and practices are aligned within and across ASPCA shelters, including animal pathway planning and outcome decisions; provide guidance to facilitate complex decision-making as needed
• Shape, propose, and oversee the CRC budgets under the guidance of the SVP SRO to ensure ongoing alignment with mission and goals; oversee execution of yearly plans, regularly monitoring progress towards key results
• Collaborate effectively with infrastructure teams such as: Media & Communications, Development, People, Legal, Real Estate & Facilities Operations, Finance, Information Technology; reaching decisions that support the best practices of all involved
• Provide staffing support for the National Field Response team for removals, as well as temporary field shelter set-up and demobilization, and for the Behavioral Sciences and Veterinary Forensic teams during exams and evaluations
• Create and maintain communication systems, protocols and procedures that allow the CRC to use resources flexibly in response to ever-changing needs, dividing resources between the home-base facility in Ohio and temporary field shelters
• Provide comprehensive, ongoing support for staff members to build resilience and combat the stress often experienced by those working in animal welfare; model maintaining go