Behavior Manager

FLSA: Salary (Exempt)            REVISED:  07/18/2025

Reports to: Director of Animal Welfare REVIEWED:  Jul 30, 2023

Supervises: Enrichment Specialists and Evaluation Specialists

Position Summary:

Responsible for planning, organizing, and managing all animal assessment and enrichment support programs while focusing on the overall behavioral health and well-being of shelter animals with a focus on enrichment, length-of-stay, safe and humane placement options, behavioral management and measurement; develops, implements, measures and maintains all facets of the department to ensure humane care is provided at all times. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Directly and indirectly supervises all enrichment and evaluation team members and volunteers. 

  1. Responsible for hiring and training of team members

  2. Regularly reviews and evaluates job performance

  3. Responsible for ensuring that proper policies and procedures are followed

  4. Addresses team member grievances and complaints

  5. Completes and performs annual team member performance reviews

  6. Actively and continuously trains, schedules, engages, supervises and retains volunteers to ensure proper volunteer integration into the behavior team and provides the support/resources volunteers need to feel prepared and empowered in their roles.

• Delegates responsibilities within the departments for the purpose of increasing the overall efficiencies of the behavior department

• Participates in the development of key performance indicators (KPI) and operating goals for the behavior department and overall organization

  1. Provides regular reporting on departmental KPI’s

• Manages policies and procedures for the department and program team members promoting best practices for humane treatment and safety of animals and people

  1. Develop behavior modification and support protocols for a wide range of behavioral concerns

  2. Conduct behavior rounds to prioritize monitoring animal well-being, appropriate disposition pathway determinations, medical and behavioral interventions when needed. 

  3. Provides guidance on the proper care, housing, handling, and enrichment of shelter animals to internal departments; and supports the development and continuous improvement of safe animal handling training for Team Members across the organization, as needed. 

• Assures the compassionate, responsible care of animals to include proper enrichment and monitoring for signs of stress, disease or injury. 

• Develops, coordinates, and implements innovative training and enrichment plans and programs for shelter animals and continually evaluates/implements improvements to become more efficient, provide more services/resources to guests, and increase the positive placement of animals.

• Plans, prepares for, and supervises daily training and enrichment activities for all animals in our care and maintains an appropriately high volume of animals participating in training and enrichment activities every day.

• Maintains a positive shelter culture through training, communication, and accountability of the behavior team members. 

• Develop and direct behavior seminars, training, and workshops for staff, volunteers and the public to enhance animal behavior understanding

• Responsible for development and management of the department’s budgets

• Maintains program inventory and animal equipment.

• Contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization’s service to its guests by offering suggestions and directing or participating as an active member of a work team. 

• Provides responsive, meaningful and compassionate service to all guests

• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a closely related field 

• Three (3) years of experience in an animal welfare setting

• One (1) year of management experience

• Education may be substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis

• CPDT-KA required