Manager, Animal Centre

If you are up for the challenge and would like to be considered for this position, we would like to hear from you. The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) is looking to fill the following career opportunity:

POSITION:                 Manager, Animal Centre

STATUS:                    Permanent; Full-Time

SHIFT:                        35 hours per week

LOCATION:                Richmond Community Animal Centre in Richmond, BC

CLASSIFICATION:    Exempt           

WAGE:                        Salaried                                                          

CLOSING DATE:       Open Until Filled

We welcome diversity, value differences, and foster inclusion in our employment practices.  Find out more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion by reading our Foundational Principles on our website.  We invite applications from all qualified individuals who are philosophically aligned with our mission and principles. 

The BC SPCA is a dynamic organization with facilities and services across the province of BC. Join an expanding people-focused team in an exciting time of change in an organization that makes a difference! Please read below for additional details and let us know if you have the skills and experience we are looking for by submitting your application.

About the Position:

This position is accountable for effective management, oversight and optimum care of people and animals in the assigned Animal Centre. The position has oversight of accurate administrative and financial responsibilities at the assigned Animal Centre. Develops and maintains relationships with internal and external stakeholders and promotes/implements the BC SPCA’s strategic directions at a local level.  Ensures all BC SPCA policies are adhered to in delivery of services.

Some specific duties:

Leadership & Supervision:

Duties Related to Animal Care/Management:

• Responsible for attaining and maintaining optimum animal welfare standards at all times as defined by the ShelterSense programs and implementation of all related BC SPCA policies.
  • Ensures full compliance with BC SPCA admission and adoptability guidelines.
  • Ensures health and welfare needs of all animals are being actively managed, including timely decision-making regarding their physical, mental and behavioural health & welfare.
  • Ensures that the carrying capacity for animals in the shelter is not exceeded as determined by physical space, rate of adoption, and available human resources.
  • Ensures all animal management information is accurately recorded in a timely fashion.
• Tracks and reports on the successful implementation and maintenance of standard operating policies/procedures and related programs in the Animal Centre and takes immediate steps to address any challenges to implementation or maintenance of these policies, procedures and programs.
• Ensures the prompt and proper approval and transfer of animals to veterinary facilities, other locations and/or fosters in coordination with designated animal transfer staff and volunteers.
• Where required, acts as the local point person for receiving animals related to cruelty investigations, including Large Scale Animal Intake (LSAI) cases.
  • Liaises with other stakeholders involved in animal cruelty files to ensure effective communication, coordination, and care of animals in need.
• Makes decisions regarding euthanasia in accordance with BC SPCA policy, ensuring input from team members and where necessary from senior staff in the Operations department.
• Liaises with local veterinary facilities to ensure proper care of animals and build effective relationships.
• Assigns a local staff lead to the animal foster program and ensures the program runs successfully.

Duties Related to People Care:

• Responsible for the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, annual goal setting, regular performance management, and termination of Animal Centre employees; provides coaching and mentorship and ensure objectives and goals are met.
  • Ensures compliance with BC SPCA policies and procedures related to animal health, welfare and behaviour, administration, human resources, health/safety/wellness safety communications, etc.
• Responsible for ensuring that a staff member is assigned as the local Volunteer Lead for the Animal Centre.
  • Works with the Volunteer Resources team to ensure volunteer opportunities are identified and actioned.
  • Receives screened volunteers, ensures they are trained on local policies/procedures, and are deployed into roles in a timely way.
  • Ensures performance of volunteers is managed in an effective way, following BC SPCA policies and protocols.
• Schedules staff and volunteers in keeping with BC SPCA requirements and budgeted staffing levels in a way that supports animal care and ensures operational requirements can be effectively met.
• Acts as a champion for health, safety and wellness in the Animal Centre; ensures that all legal and BC SPCA requirements in health & safety are met and appropriate records are maintained.
• Celebrates individual and team successes for both staff and volunteers.
• Leads regular meetings with staff and volunteers to share local/regional/provincial information and provide opportunities for discussion and input.
• Acts as an ambassador of new programs, policies and procedures and uses effective change management techniques to ensure high rates of success in implementation at a local level.
• Builds relationships with other key stakeholders in the organization and facilitates interactions that enhance trust.
• In unionized shelters as identified in the Manager, Animal Centre Responsibility Matrix, ensures proper administration of the applicable collective agreement and participates in the resolution of grievances and preparation for collective bargaining as required.
• Submits all payroll information to the Human Resources department by established deadlines.
• Manages and leads Animal Control Officers and other similar field staff assigned to fulfilling the provisions of the contract.  This includes but is not limited to: recruitment/selection, onboarding/training, performance management, and discipline/discharge.
• Ensures all aspects of municipal contract requirements are being met on time, on budget and with best practice standards as defined by the BC SPCA and endorsed by the relevant municipality.
• Receives and resolves any public complaints and concerns related to the BC SPCA enforcement of the animal control and other related bylaws for the local municipality.

Other Financial/Administrative Duties:

• Administers assigned annual budget.
  • Reviews expenses and revenues regularly and ensures compliance with the approved budget on a monthly basis.
  • Ensures invoices are processed in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensures effective customer/stakeholder relations.
  • Creates a welcoming environment for the public at the Animal Centre.
  • Implements ways to measure and monitor customer satisfaction levels and works with Senior Manager to address any issues.
  • Promotes the BC SPCA’s mission and services in the community; attends events as required and serves as a professional and knowledgeable representative of the BC SPCA.
• Identifies community needs to Senior Manager and provides input into ways to address any gaps.
• Engages in the following required fundraising activities:
  • Ensuring all staff and volunteers deliver excellent customer service to donors, community stakeholders, and the public;
  • Ensuring all donations are processed in an accurate timely manner, following BC SPCA policies and procedures; and
  • Completing regular thank you calls to donors assigned by the Revenue Development Department/Senior Manager.
• May conduct additional fundraising and/or community engagement activities as noted in the Manager, Animal Centre Responsibility Matrix.
• Provides required statistical reports on Animal Centre performance on a regular basis.
• Ensures physical facility, equipment and supplies are maintained in a condition acceptable to the BC SPCA and provides input into requests for capital improvements as needed.
• Where applicable, ensures delivery of contractual requirements related to municipal animal services as outlined in the Manager, Animal Centre Responsibility Matrix.
  • Provides input into proposals and contract renewals.
  • Maintains productive and effective relationship with local government officials including submission of regular reports as required under the contract.
• Represents the BC SPCA in a professional and knowledgeable manner and may be required to speak to local media.
• Covers for other managers at Animal Centres, during periods of absence, as assigned.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications you need to have:

• Post-secondary education in an applicable field plus related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptable to the employer.  Related experience includes, but is not limited to:
  • Supervision
  • Working in animal welfare
  • Working in the non-profit sector, with familiarity with fundraising and volunteer management/relations
  • Scheduling and financial management
  • Working in a unionized environment (as applicable)
  • Required years of related experience for each level is as follows:
    • A = Minimum 5 years, with at least 3 in a supervisory capacity
    • B = Minimum of 3 years, with at least 1 in a supervisory capacity
    • C = Minimum of 1 year
• Excellent communication skills and genuine desire/ability to work with a diverse range of people in a positive manner
• Genuine compassion for animals and sound knowledge of the Five Freedoms and related animal welfare standards
• Demonstrated ability to organize work, meet priorities and to work within a demanding work schedule with minimal supervision
• Must have a valid BC Class 5 Drivers License
• Computer skills – Windows, MS Office incl. PowerPoint and Excel
• Philosophical harmony with the BC SPCA mission, vision, and strategic directions

How to apply:

If you are interested in joining our team and are legally entitled to work in Canada, we would like to hear from you. Click on apply now or use the link to apply:  https://spca.bc.ca/about-us/careers/

We thank you for your interest in the BC SPCA, however; only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls, please. 

The BC SPCA is a Registered Charity BN 11881 9036 RR0001