Jobbörse

The Director of Placement Services at DeKalb County Animal Services plays a pivotal role in leading and growing various placement departments within our organization. The position's primary responsibility is to manage program budgets, auditing and creation. This includes conducting routine SOP reviews, recommending SOP changes, ensuring cross departmental coordination, setting program goals, and conducting weekly meetings with managers.

This represents a list of essential job duties. Other duties or special projects may be assigned as needed.

Uphold the standards and values of LifeLine Animal Project:

Save Lives -- Build Community -- Be Exceptional Stewards -- Be Courageous

Be Compassionate -- Take Responsibility -- Respect, Embrace and Celebrate Diversity

Leadership:

• Courageously provide leadership to multiple placement departments, including adoption, foster, pathways, rescue, and volunteer:
  1. Provide department managers with performance feedback on an informal and formal basis.
  2. Conduct employee performance reviews, performance corrective actions, and discipline meetings as needed for non-staff under immediate direction.
  3. Help managers when difficult situations arise and offer guidance.
• Monitor and evaluate placement processes and procedures to maintain high standards of care, compliance with organizational policies, and adherence to animal welfare best practices.

Staff Training and Development:

• Oversee managers in developing and implementing innovative placement strategies to maximize adoption rates, reduce length of stay for animals, and enhance overall placement outcomes in an effort to save lives.
• Provide placement managers with the support and tools they need to set priorities for their teams.
• Provide managers with tools and support needed to develop training materials manuals, videos, etc. to be used in training for all placement staff.

Administrative Management and Reporting:

• Ensure the collection, analysis, and reporting of placement data to track performance metrics, identify trends, and inform decision-making. Work closely with the Administrative Manager to build efficiencies in these tasks.
• Take responsibility to maintain and suggest updates to program policies, procedures, & protocols; job descriptions; manage the program's document inventory.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Collaborate with other departments, such as animal care, field services, veterinary services, and community support, to ensure seamless coordination and integration of services that support successful placements.
• Provide leadership and representation in the weekly Pathways meeting and ensure appropriate oversight and coordination of the euthanasia notification process.
• Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with community members, adopters, rescue groups, and other stakeholders to promote placement needs and responsible pet ownership.
• Speak with compassion when a situation has escalated and needs intervention beyond manager capabilities.
• Respect, embrace, and celebrate diversity by always operating with a judgement-free mindset and welcome visitors with a friendly and professional demeanor.
• Help build a community of animal welfare advocates by supporting and engaging the volunteers who aid LifeLine.

General Responsibilities:

• Continue education by participating in LifeLine's 40-hour annual training requirement.
• Exhibit exceptional stewardship by maintaining a clean and tidy work area.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Compassion for animals and the people who love and care for them.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively.
• Proficiency in basic computer applications (e.g., MS Office, email) and experience with database systems is a plus.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to animal welfare and advocacy.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities and a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to prepare and maintain routine work records and reports.
• Proven ability to effectively supervise the work of assigned subordinates.
• Basic animal medical and behavior knowledge (preferred)
• Comfortable working with dogs and cats of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments.
• Ability to follow safety protocols and handle challenging situations with calmness and professionalism.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and to 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.

Education and/or Experience:

Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor's degree preferred.

Two or more years of leadership experience.

One or more years' experience in animal related field preferred.

Minimum of 2 years of experience in a supervisory or managerial role, preferably in a customer service-oriented environment.

Fear Free Sheltering Preferred.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, employee may be exposed to unpleasant kennel smells. May have to handle dogs and cats that are stray, injured, diseased or vicious.