Operations Manager

About Us

People for Animal Wellbeing (PAW) is one of Atlantic Canada’s largest non-profit animal shelters, taking in over a thousand animals per year and assisting countless others through our community programs. We are committed to providing and promoting high quality animal care through continuously improving our services, resources, education, and community programs. We seek to represent the interests and wellbeing of animals in the community by educating and delivering resources that standardize compassion, animal care, sustainability, leadership and integrity.

Brief

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated and experienced manager who oversees daily operational activities and ensures the efficiency of our processes. The position works closely with other departments and provides assistance to those departments as needed to ensure organizational goals are achieved.

The role is best suited to someone who possesses strong leadership skills, a strategic mindset, able to maintain calm under pressure, excellent time management and communication skills, high level of accountability, able to objectively assess needs and work within a budget. The incumbent will be expected to work as part of a team to foster a positive work environment and ensure the highest standards are maintained at all times.

Upholding PAW’s values, and a keen interest in supporting PAW’s mission and charitable activities is required.

The Operations Manager reports directly to the Executive Director.

Operations Manager responsibilities include:

Animal Care and Services:

• Ensures that the shelter adheres to the highest standards regarding animal welfare in sheltering practices. Assisting with the creation, continuing evaluation and subsequent enforcement of policies and procedures established by the Executive Director.
• Manage PAW’s social enterprises including the animal control department and cremation services.
• Familiarity with municipal by-laws and services.
• Ensures that all programs and services provide the highest level of animal care and welfare as is practical.
• Monitors all factors affecting animal health and welfare within the shelter and minimizes all risks to animal health and welfare within the shelter.
• Maintains medical schedules and records to ensure timely and suitable administration.
• Manages the flow of animals through the shelter.
• Participates in committees related to animal care and participates in medical decisions.
• Keeps informed on a daily basis of all animals within the shelter’s care and ensures that all staff are adequately informed of all animals in the shelter’s care.
• Develops programs and initiatives to ensure euthanasia procedures adhere to the highest standards of shelter care as a member of the euthanasia committee.
• Ensures all animal paperwork is accurate and up-to-date.
• Collects and compiles statistical data on shelter services related to shelter animals.
• Keeps abreast of by-laws, policies and procedures as they pertain to animal care, animal control, cruelty and all other legislation related to animal welfare.

Human Resources Management:

• Lead, mentor and manage a team of employees, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and teamwork.
• Provides direction and supervision to staff in delivering programs and implementing procedures concerned with care and welfare of shelter animals, customer service, emergency service and coordination of volunteers pertaining to animal welfare initiatives.
• Monitors, assists and evaluates team leads/supervisors.
• Ensures that employee evaluations are consistent and balanced.
• Oversees hiring of operational employees and develops a training program for new staff as well as a refresher training program for existing staff.
• Provides direction and support to the operations team in meeting organizational needs.
• Manages employee schedules ensuring operational needs are met.

Operational Management:

• Conducts and supervises daily rounds of the entire shelter to assure and document that procedures are being followed.
• Analyze performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as necessary.
• Works with the Executive Director to ensure ongoing maintenance of all equipment, buildings, crematorium, vehicles and property of PAW-SBA.
• Oversee inventory management, supply chain logistics, and vendor relationships to maintain smooth operations.
• Prepares and submits the med/supply order for processing.
• Prepares and submits invoices for finance in relation to shelter activities.
• Works with the Executive Director to develop and execute the annual, operational and strategic plans of the organization.
• Provide weekly report to the Executive Director on issues, progress, needs.
• Works with the Executive Director to ensure the organization operates within the approved budget and strategic plan.

Internal and External Relations:

• Maintain relationships and communications with the veterinary community and other animal welfare organizations.
• Maintain relationships with municipalities and provide reports to animal control partners.
• Works with the development department to develop and maintain a robust volunteer and foster program.
• Administers and monitors all PAW programs.
• Monitors customer service.
• Ensure the Joint Health and Safety Committee functions in accordance with provincial standards and law. Assist the Development team with events and donor relations.
• Liaison with external committees as required.

Other:

• Assist the management team with other duties as required by staff absences.
• Other such duties as may be determined and assigned by the Executive Director from time to time.

Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years working in a non-profit, unionized and/or animal welfare organization. 10 years preferred.
• Strong understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
• Excellent interpersonal skills – able to communicate with all levels of staff and external agencies.
• A track record of personal development, working to further organizational management skills.
• Strong personal and professional judgement, which are invaluable skills for a role that makes hiring decisions as well as in finding the best solution to organizational dilemmas.
• Adaptability, enabling the Operations Manager to respond quickly to a shifting reality and adjust initiatives and priorities accordingly.
• Organizational skills and flexibility to jump from priority to priority, which are essential to a role that juggles a variety of functions and projects.
• Fluent in French and English.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $45,000.00-$55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company pension
• Dental care
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• Flexible schedule
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Paid time off
• Store discount
• Vision care

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree (preferred)

Work Location: In person