Animal Care Director (49744)
About The Position
Care for pets. Find them homes. Save lives. That’s the mission at Nevada Humane Society. We’re a high-save organization helping nearly 34,000 animals in our community each year and caring for approximately 10,000 across both of our campuses. Through sheltering, adoptions, community-centered programs and services we help find pets loving homes and keep them there. We are seeking an Animal Care Director to join our team at our Reno Campus. In this role, you’ll provide daily care, support positive outcomes, and help match pets with the families who will love them for life. At NHS, lifesaving work is powered by dedicated professionals. We support our team with competitive pay, meaningful benefits, and a workplace rooted in compassion, teamwork, and purpose. This leadership role offers a rare opportunity to influence animal welfare at scale. As a key member of the organization’s leadership team, you will shape strategy, set standards, and guide complex animal care operations that directly impact thousands of animals and the people who care for them. If you are a proven leader who brings both operational rigor and deep compassion to your work—and who is motivated by building strong teams, ethical decision-making, and measurable outcomes—we invite you to apply and help lead the future of humane sheltering at Nevada Humane Society.
Requirements
- Lead and oversee Dog Care, Cat Care, and Behavior & Transfer teams across both campuses, ensuring humane, consistent, and high-quality care for all animals.
- Set and continuously improve animal care standards, protocols, and operations in alignment with Association of Shelter Veterinarians guidelines and organizational policy.
- Coach and manage Animal Care leadership staff, driving accountability, professional growth, and strong team performance.
- Oversee daily animal care operations and shelter population management to optimize animal wellbeing, live outcomes, and length of stay.
- Partner closely with Medical, Clinic, and Behavior teams to ensure coordinated, timely, and humane decision-making.
- Lead enrichment and behavior programs that reduce stress and increase adoptability.
- Ensure compliance with disease control, sanitation, safety, and animal welfare standards.
- Serve as a certified euthanasia decision-maker, ensuring compassionate, consistent, and well-documented outcomes.
- Oversee staffing, scheduling, hiring, training, and performance management for animal care leadership.
- Manage budgets, data, and resources while analyzing key metrics to guide operational and strategic decisions.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with community transfer partners.
- Support organizational planning, emergency preparedness, and continuous improvement initiatives
Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee Dog Care, Cat Care, and Behavior & Transfer teams across both campuses, ensuring humane, consistent, and high-quality care for all animals.
- Set and continuously improve animal care standards, protocols, and operations in alignment with Association of Shelter Veterinarians guidelines and organizational policy.
- Coach and manage Animal Care leadership staff, driving accountability, professional growth, and strong team performance.
- Oversee daily animal care operations and shelter population management to optimize animal wellbeing, live outcomes, and length of stay.
- Partner closely with Medical, Clinic, and Behavior teams to ensure coordinated, timely, and humane decision-making.
- Lead enrichment and behavior programs that reduce stress and increase adoptability.
- Ensure compliance with disease control, sanitation, safety, and animal welfare standards.
- Serve as a certified euthanasia decision-maker, ensuring compassionate, consistent, and well-documented outcomes.
- Oversee staffing, scheduling, hiring, training, and performance management for animal care leadership.
- Manage budgets, data, and resources while analyzing key metrics to guide operational and strategic decisions.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with community transfer partners.
- Support organizational planning, emergency preparedness, and continuous improvement initiatives
Benefits
- 100% Employer-paid medical & vision premium option (Full-Time Employees)
- Pet-centric benefits not typical in most benefit packages
- Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual starting on day one rather than waiting periods.
- Nine paid holidays
- 90% employer-paid buy-up options and low-cost dental plans
- Eligibility for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
- Low-cost supplemental plans including Life Insurance, Accident, and Short-Term Disability
- Pet-focused perks such as free vaccines, spay/neuter, and end-of-life services for employee-owned pets
- Free and reduced-cost pet adoptions
- Up to 50% off major brand and prescription pet food delivered directly to the shelter
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
High school or GED
Number of Employees
51-100 employees
