Director of Placement Services
About The Position
The Director of Placement Services at DeKalb County Animal Services leads and grows the adoption, foster, pathways, rescue, and volunteer departments. The role manages program budgets, auditing, and creation; conducts routine standard operating procedure reviews and recommends changes; coordinates across departments; sets program goals; and holds weekly meetings with managers. The Director oversees placement processes and procedures to maintain high standards of care, compliance with organizational policies, and animal welfare best practices. They support managers in developing placement strategies, setting team priorities, and creating training materials. The role also oversees placement data collection, analysis, and reporting, maintains program policies, procedures, protocols, job descriptions, and document inventory, and collaborates with internal departments and external stakeholders to support successful placements. The Director represents Placement Services in weekly Pathways meetings, coordinates the euthanasia notification process, responds compassionately to escalated visitor situations, and supports volunteers and community animal-welfare advocates. Employees are expected to uphold LifeLine Animal Project's values and complete 40 hours of annual training.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- At least two years of leadership experience.
- At least two years of experience in a supervisory or managerial role, preferably in a customer service-oriented environment.
- Compassion for animals and the people who care for them, and a demonstrated commitment to animal welfare and advocacy.
- Excellent oral and written communication and customer service skills, including the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups.
- Strong leadership skills and the ability to motivate, develop, and supervise a team.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively.
- Proficiency in shelter management software and basic computer applications.
- Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and departments.
- Ability to prepare and maintain routine work records and reports.
- Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
- Comfort working with dogs and cats of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments.
- Ability to follow safety protocols and handle challenging situations calmly and professionally.
- Ability to stand for extended periods and bend and reach to perform assigned work activities.
- Ability to serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity.
- Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and varying shifts based on shelter needs.
- Must have a means of travel that ensures prompt arrival for work shifts.
- Must pass a background check.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor's degree.
- One or more years of experience in an animal-related field.
- Basic animal medical and behavior knowledge.
- Experience with database systems.
- Fear Free Sheltering.
Responsibilities
- Lead the adoption, foster, pathways, rescue, and volunteer departments.
- Provide department managers with formal and informal performance feedback and guidance on difficult situations.
- Conduct performance reviews, corrective actions, and discipline meetings as needed for non-staff under immediate direction.
- Monitor and evaluate placement processes and procedures for quality of care, policy compliance, and adherence to animal welfare best practices.
- Oversee managers in developing placement strategies to maximize adoptions, reduce animal length of stay, and improve placement outcomes.
- Give placement managers support and tools to set team priorities and develop training materials.
- Ensure collection, analysis, and reporting of placement data and work with the Administrative Manager to improve efficiency.
- Maintain and recommend updates to program policies, procedures, protocols, and job descriptions, and manage the program's document inventory.
- Collaborate with animal care, field services, veterinary services, community support, and other departments to coordinate services supporting successful placements.
- Represent Placement Services at weekly Pathways meetings and oversee coordination of the euthanasia notification process.
- Build and maintain positive relationships with community members, adopters, rescue groups, and other stakeholders.
- Intervene compassionately with visitors when situations escalate beyond managers' capabilities.
- Support and engage volunteers who assist LifeLine.
- Complete LifeLine's 40-hour annual training requirement.
- Maintain a clean and tidy work area and perform other assigned tasks.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
High school or GED
