Dog Care Manager at CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region

Austin, Texas, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

25 Sep, 26

Salary

47000.0

Posted On

27 Jun, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Personnel Management, Animal Care, Volunteer Coordination, Case Management, Strategic Planning, Conflict Resolution, Dog Handling, Operational Oversight, Training and Development, Data-Driven Decision Making, Interpersonal Communication, Time Management, Problem Solving, Customer Service, Scheduling, Quality Improvement

Industry

Hospitals and Health Care

Description

Dog Care Manager Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work. At APA!, care professionals are valued as animal champions, advocates, and guardians. Their passion and strong bonds glue the mission itself together. We believe quality care is dependent on quality relationships, because those relationships teach us about the individual animal and inform us of what we can share about them with others, in hopes of them finding a home. APA! encourages strong connections not just for the welfare of pets, but for purpose-driven people too. BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Dog Care Manager oversees operations for the standard dog population at APA!, focusing primarily on the TLAC campus. This includes daily outings, kennel cleaning, feeding, and other animal case management activities. They also serve as a Manager on Duty (MOD) figure who is the primary point of contact when various needs and questions arise. In collaboration with other staff and volunteer teammates, this position ensures animal care at APA! is equitable, timely, and integrated for dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. The Dog Care Manager leads and oversees the strategic direction, growth, and daily operations of APA!’s care program. This role ensures alignment with APA!’s broader mission to increase the live release rate across Texas, while building a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for shelter operations. The Dog Care Manager is responsible for managing daily workflows, supervising staff, and setting clear, mission-aligned goals. This includes creating structured plans, tracking progress toward outcomes, and ensuring accountability and follow-through on team priorities. The role uses data to guide decisions and helps keep the team focused on consistent, measurable impact. This is a leadership role rooted in empowerment, facilitation, and values-driven oversight. Rather than working independently, the Dog Care Manager sets the tone that APA! is a volunteer-powered organization—every staff member is expected to work collaboratively with volunteers and to help create meaningful opportunities for them to lead and contribute. This includes pairing with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, modeling strong partnership, and developing a culture of shared effort and team accountability. This position requires a high level of responsiveness and Manager on Duty (MOD) availability. The work is often fast-paced and dynamic, with weekend or shift flexibility expected. While APA! strongly encourages work-life balance, during on-duty shifts, the Dog Care Manager is expected to be highly present, solutions-oriented, and ready to support the team with real-time problem-solving. Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: * In partnership with the other Dog Care Manager (AM Shift), oversees the management, organization, decision-making, problem-solving, implementation, and communication associated with Dog Care at APA! * Manages personnel and administrative tasks including recruiting and onboarding new staff and volunteers, creating staff schedules, resolving interpersonal disputes, and other activities as needed * Develops and strengthens relationships with other APA! Managers, leaders, and volunteers to help build a “one team” ethos around the mission * Works in collaboration with staff and volunteers to assure that all dogs and puppies attain and maintain the highest practical level of physical and mental well-being and quality of life * Evaluates the performance and documentation of care staff and volunteers to ensure they are following a “case management” framework and addressing individualized needs of animals within reason in the shelter environment * Builds care team training and leadership development initiatives * Owns quality improvement activities including rounds, problem identification, and resolution * Facilitates efficient operations, including staff and volunteer assignments * Responds in a leadership capacity to TLAC emergency situations and notifications * Performs MOD tasks when on-site, including management of the MOD inbox (customer feedback, rescue requests, record entry, and reporting), hands-on assistance of on-site teams whenever necessary, customer assistance, and inter-team liaisons * Acts as a hands-on helper with all tasks and duties when team capacity is limited, or when it acts as a strategic use of time and skills * Works and covers all care time shifts as needed or requested * Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests, and by exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments * Communicates the goals, policies, and procedures of APA!, and develops plans to implement those needs * Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift, with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program. * Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers, ensuring the work is shared, not siloed, and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks. * Ensure active recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources * Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks, offering guidance, and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship. * Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer to volunteer conversion opportunities. * Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts. * Provide clear expectations, hands-on training, and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success. * Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager OTHER FUNCTIONS: * Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills * Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings * Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues * Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis * Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned * Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed * Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS: * 1 year+ experience in management role * Commitment to the wellbeing of every animal in the organization’s care * Excellent communication skills and ability to work with passionate people * Knowledge of and passion for the No Kill movement and its aims in Austin and throughout the region * Strong work ethic with a proven track record of accomplishment * Must be able to pass dog walking training and follow the dog handling procedures and safety protocols * Continue to review and revise all practices to achieve a shorter service time without sacrificing quality or oversight * Maintain a positive and enthusiastic attitude * Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart * Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations * Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission * Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles * Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members * Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials * Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively * Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations * Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality * Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed * Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS: * Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds * Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather * Be able to bend and use your arms in a repetitive manner * Can be on one’s feet for an entire 8-hour shift * Must be able to handle and walk large dogs that pull and jump * If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization. WORK ENVIRONMENT: * Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, fluids, debris, and chemicals * High levels of noise, such as dogs barking * Potential for animal bites, scratches, and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people * Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs TIME COMMITMENT: * This is a full-time, exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week. * Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change * Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed * This is primarily a PM shift position, meaning working hours will be 2:00 PM-10:00 PM. PAY: This position starts at $47,000 / Year. Eligible employees will be able to receive up to $8,320 in annual stipends within approximately 1-2 years through successful completion of internal APATec certifications (applicable to shelter operations, customer service, and medical roles). *Certifications and stipends are discretionary and subject to change based on business need. LOCATION(S): * Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703 * APA! May travel to offsite locations as needed WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position reports directly to the Quality of Care Director, currently Mara Hartsell. BENEFITS: Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT: Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply. Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation. APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org at least one week in advance of your interview.

Responsibilities

Oversees daily dog care operations, including feeding, cleaning, and case management, while serving as the primary Manager on Duty. Leads the strategic direction of the care program and manages the recruitment, training, and empowerment of staff and volunteers.