Summary:
Are you passionate about helping animals in need and eager to advance the field of animal
welfare? Do you thrive in a dynamic, complex, highly collaborative environment? If so, the role of Manager,Behavior, at the ASPCA's AnimalRecoveryCenter in NYC might be right for you!
WhatYoullDo
Manager, Behaviorreports directly to theSenior Manager of Behaviorand has5direct reports.
The Manager, Behavior (the Manager)is responsible foroverseeing the behavior program within ARC along with the Senior Manager, Behavior. The Managerensuresthe behavior and direct care teams are using behavior best practices and aligned org-wide protocols to support dogsand catspsychological wellbeing.
The Manager leads the behavior team in providing safe,high-qualitybehavioral care for animals from intake through discharge.
The Manager provides leadership for the behavior team, of five Behavior Specialists and two Behavior Associates. The Managerparticipatesin direct, on-site work with animals in the ARC, and remotely in in foster homes to provide a coordinated, integrated approach to animal wellbeing across medical, behavior and sheltering. The Manager ensures routine, frequent assessment of each animals behavioral medical and legal status, and data management for efficient, effective interventions and timely outcomes. This positionrequires sometimeslengthy work with behaviorally compromised animals; the information gathered during this work is used to make outcome decisions which can include euthanasia whereappropriate.
Where and WhenYoullWork
- This position isfull-time,an on-site role and reports tothe92ndstreetASPCA location; Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-5pm (weekends and some evenings are required).
- Schedules are subject to change as needed by the ASPCA
- Ability and willingness to travel at least once a year as needed (Deployment to support national casework or locally with NYPD/CE)
- Must have flexibility in schedule to accommodate program needs
WhatYoullGet
Compensation
Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and staff compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future.
- The target hiring range for this role is $92,000-97,000 annually
Benefits
At the ASPCA, youdonthave to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Affordable health coverage,including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage.
- Flexible time offthat includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays thatallowsyou even more flexibility toobservethe days that mean the most to you.
- Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings,including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions 6 we match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% and provide anadditional4% contribution toward your future each year.
- Robust professional development opportunities,including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field and so much more.
For more information on our benefits offerings, visitour website.
Responsibilities:
Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance, and include but are not limited to:
Provide Safe Behavior Response, Assessment, and Support
- Participate in team meetings to discuss animalsbehavioral status and progress, assigncaseworkerscontinually assess treatment priorities as the census changes
- Conduct behavior assessments on animals housed at the ASPCA and with placement partners; Ensure andassistwiththe timelyforensic behavior evaluation of animals todeterminesafety for handling, likelihood of successful behavior treatment and suitability for adoption
- Manage and implement environmental enrichment and behavior modification for sheltered animals
- Monitor and manage the behavioral care of animals at boarding partners
- Provide summaries on behavior evaluations and recommendations for disposition and placement
- Oversee and provide behavior consultations and ongoing support to foster parents of animalsrequiringtemporary care
- Document behavior treatments, evaluations, and meeting notes to ensure continuity of care and information
- Work directly with the ARC medical teams to provide psychopharmacological support to animals whenappropriate.
- Oversee consistent use of the behavior databases and ensure the team consistently follows expectations for intake documentation, assessment, treatment sessions, behavioral prognosis, safe handling, and walking guidelines, plans for behavior modification and enrichment, and animalssuitability for treatment, adoption, foster,boardingor placement
- Champion a collaborative relationship with other ASPCA team members on treatment plans,appropriate housingand other forms of environmental and social enrichment and management, and the transfer of animals among departments
- Offer and implement suggestions for improving animalspsychological well-being including housing modifications, handling recommendations, enrichment adjustments, etc.
- Use active listening and respectful dialogue to answer questions and help staff understand behavioral signs thatindicatepotential aggression and/orpoor qualityof life
- Provide a safe and compassionate environment for animals in our care, our staff, and for our clients by using low-stress handling techniques
- Adhere to all behavioral, veterinary, and sheltering protocols set forth by the ASPCA
- Ensure that incident reports are completely and accurately filled out and submitted to the Benefits, Legal and Safetyteams; readily report workerscompensation claims and benefits.
- Provide expert consultation and/or hands-on support for Community Engagement (CE) vaccine events and NYPD/CE animal removal/transport as needed;occasionally deploy to temporary shelters or the Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) to support national animal cruelty casework
Program and People Management
- Provide training, supervision, modeling,coachingand ongoing guidance for the ARC Behavior Team,with 5 direct reports,ensuring that team members fully understand their role and responsibilities
- Be a consistent and visible presence
on the floorto answer questions, maketimelyoperational and staffing adjustments, receive feedback, lend a hand, and ensure deep understanding of and compliance with behavioral operations
- Nurture a culture of learning, ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment, active participation in goal setting and monitoring, clear expectations, and regular practice of feedback and after-actions to direct reports with regular 1:1 meetings, and to indirect reports as necessary
- Champion excellent communication skills and develop those skills in others
- Conducttimelyannual performance reviews for all direct reports
- Delivertimelydisciplinary action whennecessaryin collaboration with our People Team
- Address employee concerns promptly and handle employee relations issues with confidentiality and care.
- Use active listening to understand employee concerns, encouraging and supporting employees; use a solutions-minded approach to guide a team through challenges and build those skills in others
- Maintain adequate staffing levels at all times; assign and/or re-assignappropriate responsibilities, as well as direct workflowtomaximize productivity andmaintaincoveragein the event ofplanned absences, call outs, injuries, increased volume, etc.; ensure continuous coverage for events, team meetings and trainings to ensure staff and animal safety.
- Serve as a champion in times of change and work with the leadership team inidentifyingways to improvechange management policies and practices
- Communicate Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, etc., to Benefits team
- Develop, document, and implement sound, simplepoliciesand practices to improve SOPs; see that staff and volunteers are trained and competent in SOPs and ensure New York State Companion Animal Standards Act (NYS CASA) compliance
- Grow and develop the volunteer program involvement in ARC daily care and, whereappropriate, behavior modification
Train and Coach
- Ensure that all team members have received training and mastered the skills to handle in a low-stress and safe manner and that they implement these handling techniques consistently in all their interactions with animals
- Provide coaching on animal behavior topics and humane handling for other staff members
- Provide trainings onappropriate topicsin a variety of formats, both formal and informal, as needed; coordinate the scheduling of external lecturers when appropriate
- Stay up to date on org-wide behavior protocols and SOPs ; contribute to the development of such protocols as needed; ensure that behavior staff adhere to established protocols and practices
- Supervise and coach qualified volunteers, as needed inassistingwith behavior modification and enrichment
- Instill and model the guiding principle that everyone canand shouldactively support the animalsbehavioral and mental health in everything they do
Stay Connected 6 Join Our Talent Community:
If you are interested in joining our team but do not see a position listed that fits your experience or interests, please join our Talent Community to stay connected to future opportunities with the ASPCA.
Qualifications:
- Companion animal behavior and animal welfare knowledge, both basic and applied (ethology, learning theory and operant learning quadrants, enrichment strategies, behavior modification techniques)
- Comfort and experience contributing behavior observations and consultation to help a panel make, even advocate for humane euthanasia decisions; comfort handling for humane euthanasia
- Skill and experience in teaching/coaching; able to adjust training to match varied learning styles and individuals.
- Proficient in the use of computers and Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook) required
- Experience with Workday, FileMaker,AirTable a plus
- Must have Strong humane animals handling skills with an emphasis on low-stress and defensive handling
- Dependable and able todemonstrateregular and reliable attendance.
- Ability to give and receive direction in a fast paced, dynamic environment
- Demonstrated organizational and time management skills
- Strong communication skills across a variety of formats (in person, email, etc.) with internal and external stakeholders
- Demonstratedability to be a team player
- Mustdemonstratethe ability to interact effectively with ASPCA employees,clientsand the public.
- Ability to exemplify ASPCAs core values and behavioral competencies.
- Ability to walk, bend, stand and reach constantly during a minimum 8-hour day
- Able to lift and carry supplies of up to 40 lbs unassisted, 100lbs assisted
- Able to occasionally work in physically challenging conditions and able to wear appropriate protective gear, including a protective mask; job responsibilities may entail exposure to chemical and biological hazards, such as feces and blood, exposure to sharp objects, working in noisy environments and working in areas with uneven, wet and slippery surfaces
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