Senior Manager, Emergency Services

Best Friends Animal Society

4d•$95,000 - $105,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Emergency Services provides national leadership and strategic direction for the Best Friends Animal Society's emergency response initiatives and internal preparedness. This role works with leadership to develop and execute a comprehensive emergency response strategy that supports animals and communities affected by disasters across the country, while aligning emergency response and preparedness efforts with Best Friends’ lifesaving goals. Serving as an operational leader, the Senior Manager directs large-scale field response efforts, coordinates cross-functional teams during activations, and builds collaborative partnerships with emergency management agencies, shelters, and community organizations. Internally, this position drives readiness, safety, and training efforts across all Best Friends locations where animals are being housed, ensuring clear Emergency Action plans, consistent staff training, and an integrated approach to internal response needs. We believe in treating everyone with kindness and compassion, building trust through authenticity and following through on commitments. We prioritize well-being alongside our mission, fostering strong relationships through open communication and transparent feedback. Diversity and inclusion are integral to our culture, enriching team dynamics by valuing diverse perspectives. Each team member is responsible for creating an inclusive environment where all voices are respected and contributing to a workplace that embodies our shared values and commitment to progress. By consistently aligning our actions with our Guiding Principles, we strengthen our culture and ensure that our values are lived every day.

Requirements

5+ years’ experience in emergency management or supporting emergency response in the animal welfare space.
An understanding of the emergency management structure at the federal, state and local levels is required.
Strong understanding of animal welfare practices, animal transports, and disaster response operations for animals, experience with large animals is a plus.
Must have familiarity and/or certifications in water rescue operations & fire rescue operations.
Experience with multi-agency coordination and incident command systems is preferred (ICS 100-400 and NIMS).
3-5 years of experience managing employees in a leadership role is required.
Prior experience overseeing/coordinating volunteers.
Experience developing and implementation of training programs for staff and volunteers.
Proven ability to manage people and logistics in high-pressure, dynamic environments.
Excellent communication, crisis management, and decision-making skills.
Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues; familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process.
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.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with public speaking and presentation experience.
Ability to professionally advocate Best Friends’ positions on issues; experience in supporting, engaging with, and developing relationships with volunteers and donors.
Must have strong proficiency in MS Office skills including Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Willingness to travel frequently and deploy to emergency zones, including extended field assignments under challenging conditions.
Routinely lift 50 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to lifting, bending, kneeling, crouching, crawling, climbing stairs, ladders, or traversing uneven and unstable terrain.
Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, sitting, walking, arm, and hand motion.
Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme or rapidly changing weather conditions, including heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, flooding, or debris-filled environments.
Exposure to dogs, cats and other animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical status, including in emergency situations.
Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns.
Must be able to work in confined spaces, low-visibility environments, and hazardous conditions.
Must have adequate manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination to operate tools, medical equipment, and emergency response devices.
Must be able to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including respiratory protection and weather-specific gear, for prolonged periods.
Must have visual and auditory acuity sufficient to identify hazards, read instruments, and communicate effectively in noisy or chaotic environments.
Must have a valid driver's license for at least 3 years, ability to qualify to be added to Best Friends insurance, ability to travel and/or drive on behalf of Best Friends, including overnight stays, when needed.
Ability to travel via various forms of transportation.
Able to work varying hours, which may include early morning and/or late evening hours.
Must be available to serve on an on-call capacity, monitoring emergencies and be willing to work through weekends and holidays during response operations, if needed.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual or multi-lingual skills are preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Internal Preparedness and Planning Lead the creation, implementation, and ongoing improvement of emergency action plans (EAPs) and any correlating SOPs across all animal housing locations, ensuring each site maintains comprehensive risk assessments, continuity of operations plans, evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures, and clear decision-making authority during incidents.
Strengthen policy alignment across the organization while adapting for regional needs, operational realities, and evolving threat conditions.
Oversee organization-wide readiness development through structured training with both staff and managers, this can include drills and scenario-based exercises, building staff and volunteer confidence to respond safely, efficiently, and compassionately during crises; Develop credentialing pathways, learning materials, leadership training opportunities, and onboarding requirements that embed emergency awareness as a core component of operations.
Work cross-functionally with leadership in different areas, facilities, safety, risk, animal care, etc., to ensure physical infrastructure, animal-housing environments, and response-critical equipment and supplies are prepared for emergency activation.
Support site-level planning, continuity planning, generator and equipment readiness, and other risk-mitigation strategies that protect animals, people, and the organization.
Serve as the internal central command lead during incidents affecting any organizational location, providing support with decision-making, logistics coordination, emergency communication flow, and rapid mobilization of staff, volunteers, and resources as needed.
Ensure real-time alignment with other leadership and maintain situational awareness to support operational continuity and animal safety.
Work with department leadership to develop and execute the Best Friends Animal Society’s national emergency response strategy, ensuring operations are scalable, efficient, and adaptable across event types — natural disasters, special cases, disease outbreaks, abrupt shelter closures, and/or community crises.
Prioritize lifesaving outcomes while deploying tactics that are localized to the needs of communities served.
Build and maintain robust emergency management partnerships at the local, regional, and federal levels, including emergency operations agencies, animal welfare organizations, VOAD networks, and multi-agency coordination groups.
Represent the organization during EOC activations, unified command structures, and disaster planning coalitions; promote collaboration, resource sharing, and systems-level capacity building.
Lead national emergency and disaster activations on behalf of Best Friends from preparation through recovery, including rapid decision-making on deployment needs, staffing, logistics, staging, transport, and temporary support operations.
Lead incident command roles such as Incident Commander or Operations Section Lead and ensure all efforts reflect humane standards, human and animal safety as a priority, and strategic support for affected communities and partner shelters.
Oversee Emergency Services team to maximize deployment readiness for staff, volunteers, vehicles, equipment caches, supplies, and field infrastructures, ensuring systems exist for rapid mobilization and sustained operations in challenging conditions.
Maintain accountability for equipment inspection, transport coordination, supply tracking, and safety compliance to reduce downtime and increase field efficiency.
Manage and coach emergency services team members, volunteers, and staff temporarily reassigned during response operations, providing clear expectations, coaching, performance feedback, and professional development opportunities.
Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and safety during both routine operations and high-pressure deployment environments.
Establish clear systems of communication, documentation, and performance tracking for emergency services staff and program impact, including rosters, deployment logs, training compliance, equipment use, and key performance metrics.
Ensure learnings from field activations and internal incidents inform program evolution, readiness improvements, and strategic planning decisions.
Maintain real-time financial tracking systems for deployment and program expenses, ensuring accurate forecasting, in-field spending visibility, and timely reporting to support rapid operational decisions.