Senior Manger, Center Operations - New York, NY

Best Friends Animal Society•New York, NY

9d•$105,000 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Center Operations Senior Manager is a key leader responsible for the daily functions, efficient operations, and growth of lifesaving programs including outcomes, foster care, and the care and enrichment for all pets at our lifesaving centers. This role works with leadership to oversee strategic expansion and engagement of the community for the success of Best Friends Animal Society’s mission and vision. They serve as program leaders to achieve objectives and function with a high degree of autonomy.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED or 3-5 years’ experience working in animal welfare, animal care or veterinary practice.
Solid leadership and management experience preferably in animal welfare with a lifesaving focus.
3+ years of management or leadership experience, including overseeing budgets, and staff.
3+ years of experience working for or with a humane organization preferred but not required.
Strengths in utilizing statistical information to inform, develop and implement division and department level strategic plans, including change management strategies and program direction.
Proven attention to detail with advanced organizational and time management skills.
Excellent communications skills: comfort with public speaking and presentation experience.
Ability to professionally advocate Best Friends’ position on issues.
Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues.
Familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process.
Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns.
Basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.
Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; initiative to assist in any area or process; problem solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
Familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.
Valid driver’s license, meeting Best Friends Animal Society’s driver qualification standards.
Ability to travel, including overnight stays, when needed.
After-hours flexibility to monitor a designated phone line for urgent foster care or volunteer-related issues, such as animal emergencies, or scheduling issues. This responsibility may be assigned on a rotating schedule or as needed based on program demands.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual or multi-lingual skills preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead by example through direct and impactful personal and organizational contributions towards Best Friends’ no-kill 2025 goal; act with urgency and efficiency on behalf of animals still at risk of being killed in shelters across the region and the country; develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of Best Friends’ mission, programs and strategic direction to guide and support managers and teams throughout the year.
Following the divisional OGSPs, work with Director and/or Senior Director to develop annual lifesaving center goals and metrics integrating operational work to direct impact of shelter conversions. Review department progress to goals routinely and maintain ongoing review of operations as necessary providing feedback to department managers to ensure lifesaving center goals and metrics are achieved.
Oversee division and departmental budgets including managing expenses, revenues, and reporting on result; oversee the physical facilities, equipment procurement and management of supplies, inventory, and building upkeep; participate in capital improvement project planning.
Promote and oversee community-first strategies, engaging volunteers, community members, and other stakeholders at the highest level; purposefully and thoughtfully create an environment where Best Friends is the best place to work for a career in animal welfare, providing opportunities for growth, and for maximizing individuals’ lifesaving impact.
Lead human resource matters in conjunction with the Human Resources and Employee Relations departments regarding staff selection, management, development, and retention; oversee headcount controls and position creation or realignment; build individual capabilities and capacity through performance measurement, goals setting, reporting and analysis.
Lead teams and volunteers to oversee, coordinate and conduct daily lifesaving outcomes & care such as adoptions, foster placement, feeding, cleaning, walking, and medicating animals housed or transported within Best Friends’ vehicles, buildings, or facilities with the goal of utilizing volunteers to the greatest extent possible to expand Best Friends lifesaving capacity.
Identify pet adoption opportunities and foster engagement opportunities through events, offsite adoption meets and source pet retention resources to help expand Best Friends’ lifesaving capacity utilizing volunteers when able; introduce, recruit, and engage with local organizations, individuals, and stakeholders to develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships that expand adoption and foster placement outlets; implement Best Friends engagement and advocacy strategies; support strategies through communications, events/meetings, social media or other methods.
Work with Director and/or Senior Director to routinely evaluate onsite animal capacity and determine lifesaving needs for shelter conversions: develop and improve program efficiency to increase placement opportunities; routinely audit length of stay trends and reporting in Lifesaving Center animal population and work with all Lifesaving Program managers to expedite placement for long-stay animals.
Oversee department managers and supervisors ensuring priority focus on creating a welcoming and engaging environment at the Lifesaving Center and it’s offsite events and activities to enhance overall visitor satisfaction and support Best Friends Animal Society’s mission; provide superior customer service to all visitors and use each interaction as opportunity to develop and engage individuals to support the organizational goals for constituent journey development.
Work with program managers in conjunction with the Community Programs teams develop strategies for recruitment and retention of volunteers, to include foster program volunteers; ensure volunteer opportunities augment daily operations and maximize lifesaving capacity, through each opportunity define and track goals for shift attendance; Ensure volunteer opportunities are aligned with organizational goals for constituent journey development and ongoing engagement with Best Friends’ mission.
Oversee and assist when needed in the creation of engaging content for social media platforms, to include creation and/or editing of written, video, and photo content.
Work collaboratively with other departments and marketing teams to identify engagement opportunities with social media and PR to support lifesaving outcomes and programmatic needs at the center.
Represent Best Friends in media relations when requested and ensure to maintain Best Friends’ voice across all communications.
Supervise and support veterinary leadership, ensuring high standards of medical care, compliance with state and federal regulations, and alignment with shelter medicine best practices; Collaborate with veterinarians to set medical protocols for preventive care, spay/neuter, treatment plans, and humane euthanasia decisions.
Lead the maintenance of a safe workplace, value, and model safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and addressing or communicating to leadership about unsafe practices and conditions.