Animal Services Operations and Programs Director

Wake County Animal Services is seeking an experienced, people-focused, progressive operations leader to serve as its Animal Services Operations and Programs Director. This is a newly created position born out of a deliberate reorganization of the Animal Center's leadership structure, and it reflects the County's commitment to providing the additional resources needed to take the Animal Center to the next level of excellence. The right candidate brings strong management experience, a genuine commitment to animal welfare outcomes, and the interpersonal skills required to lead a large, mission-driven team.

The Animal Services Operations and Programs Director sits within the Community Services Department, reports to the Deputy Community Services Director, and will serve as a co-director alongside the Medical and Welfare Director, who oversees the shelter's veterinary care, population management, and Animal Control. Candidates who are comfortable with shared leadership arrangements and who build strong alignment with peers will be well-suited for this role.

The Animal Services Operations and Programs Director is primarily responsible for overseeing the external-facing operations of the Animal Center, with primary responsibility for customer service, facility operations, and foster, transfer, and volunteer program management, ensuring these functions operate at a consistently high standard and that program goals are resourced, tracked, and met. A significant portion of the role involves monitoring shelter performance data and operational metrics to drive continuous improvement across intake diversion, placement outcomes, and high-quality customer service. The Director also carries the primary administrative and fiscal responsibility for the Center, including budgeting and records management in compliance with county, state, and federal requirements, as well as hiring, onboarding, and performance management for their team.

The Operations and Programs Director leads a team of 25 FTEs with four direct reports covering Community Outreach (Volunteer, Foster, and Transfer Programs), Customer Experience and Administration, and Animal Welfare Attendants and Adoption Support. The Volunteer Program supports the many volunteers who spend more than 23,000 hours per year providing dog walking, cat cuddling, matchmaking, enrichment, administrative support, and more. The Foster Program provides seven-day-a-week support for fosters who take in kittens too small for the adoption floor, dogs in need of heartworm treatment, post-surgical recovery patients, and animals that are too stressed to thrive in the shelter environment. Last year, we averaged 313 animals in foster every month, and our goal is to grow this program to 400 active foster homes. The Transfer Program coordinates the support of local, state, and national rescue groups that take animals requiring more medical or behavioral support than the Animal Center can provide, as well as freeing up space on our crowded adoption floor. Last year, transfer partners took approximately 1,600 animals from the Animal Center, and we hope to grow this program to return to the prior numbers of 3,000 animals being transferred out each year.

The Operations and Programs Director works alongside the Medical and Welfare Director, jointly developing long and short-term plans, sharing program goals and performance metrics, co-designing standard operating procedures and disaster preparedness plans, and ensuring consistent public communication on animal services matters.

The Operations and Programs Director is responsible for the Animal Center's community relations, representing the Center in meetings with government officials, civic organizations, and partner agencies, and overseeing adoption-focused social media and outreach efforts. Internally, the Director works closely with County leadership on budget development, including presenting and justifying expansion requests, analyzing program costs and revenue streams, and reviewing fee structures. Wake County is currently designing a new Animal Center facility, and the incoming Director will play a role in shaping how that space is activated operationally.

Home to the State Capital, Wake County is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and the most populous county in the state, with more than 1.1 million residents. The County has received national and international rankings and accolades from publications such as Money, Fortune, and Time magazines as being one of the best places to live, work and play. The central location of the County allows for a short drive to the spectacular mountains or coast. Wake County Government is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners, who are elected at-large to serve two-year terms. Wake County Government has a general operating budget of $1.874 billion, employs over 4400 employees, experiences minimal turnover, and is an award-winning leader in wellness and technology initiatives; such as offering employees and covered spouses free access to the Employee Health Center. Wake County Government offers a wide range of training and development opportunities, a stable career in public service with a balance of work and family life, flexible work schedules and a competitive salary and benefits package.

Wake County provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

Position may require a background check that may include: criminal, credit, motor vehicle, education, and sexual offender registry or others based on job requirements. Unless required by state law, a record of conviction will not automatically exclude you from consideration for employment. Wake County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

In the event of an emergency, as determined by the County Manager or designee, participation in preparedness and response operations should be expected. Employee may be required to fill a temporary assignment in a role different from standard duties, work hours and/or work location in preparation for, during and after the emergency. Employee may also be required to participate in relevant exercises and regular preparedness training.