Now Hiring: Program Director

Gem City Kitties (“Gem City Kitties” or “GCK”) is seeking a staff member to coordinate operations for adoptions, intake, and foster care. We are looking for those interested in animal welfare, the Dayton community, and making a difference. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Program Director will be the main staff member coordinating and executing operations for Gem City Kitties, which will channel approximately 300 cats annually through our facility and adoption program. The Program Director will report to the Gem City Kitties Executive Director and will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop strategic plans. On a daily basis, this position will work closely with the Gem City Catfé management and staff to ensure day to day operations are running smoothly and efficiently, with premium care and consideration given to the cats in the foster and adoption programs. The Program Director will oversee the intake of cats, coordinating placement with fosters until space is ready at the Catfé, implementing behavioral best practices for communal cat rooms, counseling adopters, and finalizing adoptions. Initially, this role will perform the operational  duties for the intake, foster, and adoption programs, with the goal of expanding programs and hiring additional staff as needed. The Program Director will also be responsible for the management of staff on the the adoptions team and the Clinic Manager of Gem City Vet.

SCHEDULE & COMPENSATION: This position will be part-time starting at $18/hour with potential for growth or raise opportunities. Hours will range from 15 - 25 weekly, depending on intake and foster workload. Ability to set preferred days of work for intake and foster work. Adoption duties will require 3 days minimum on site within Gem City Kitties and Gem City Catfe operating hours and coordination with the other adoption team members’ schedules. Other tasks, such as data entry, are able to be accomplished remotely. 

INTAKE:

• Communicate with Animal Control and ensure that all policies and procedures are adhered to including city ordinances, state laws, and Gem City Kitties regulations. 
• Work with transfer partners to locate adoptable cats that can be transferred to the Catfé to maintain 18 cats in the cat lounge  at all times. 
• Be present (or coordinate responsible party) for actual transfer to assist with troubleshooting, establish and maintain relationships with transfer partners or coordinate with trusted volunteers to transfer when appropriate.
• Examine cats upon intake and follow disease prevention protocols.
• Enter all medical records upon intake and ensure all software programs are updated accordingly. 
• Perform outreach with the community, local rescues, and county shelters to ensure cat transfer sources are maintained.

FOSTER + VOLUNTEER COORDINATION:

• Maintain foster care program plans, goals, and objectives with no more than 20 cats in foster at a time.
• Provide ongoing assistance, coaching and moral support to foster families, including responding to emails and phone calls from foster parents within 24 hours. 
• Carry the emergency foster cell phone during assigned times and handle foster/shelter emergencies in a timely manner.
• Maintain foster medical database on a daily basis and schedule veterinary appointments for foster animals.
• Maintain and track supplies for the foster program.
• Oversee pick up and return of foster animals or necessary supplies; assuring foster families have all the necessary supplies, paperwork, and information regarding the foster animal.  
• Develop, coordinate, schedule and lead foster care training sessions; develop training manuals and related training materials. 
• Recruit, interview and screen volunteers and match applicants with program needs. Supervise volunteers, assign, train and evaluate work of volunteers. Evaluates volunteer programs and conducts needs assessment. 
• Perform outreach with the community, local rescues, and professional businesses to increase support for foster care program; including promoting community events, fundraising and coordinating with Donor Relations Manager to receive grant funding.

SHELTER OPERATIONS:

• Work collaboratively with the animal care team to achieve animal care goals.
• Participate in stress reduction through compassionate/humane care for the animals. 
• Participate in disease management through proper sanitary procedures. 
• Work directly with Catfé staff, veterinarians, trainers and behaviorists to determine appropriate behavior or medical treatment for GCK cats.
• Handle animals, perform assessments and report findings regarding health and temperament.
• File required incident reports when necessary.

ADOPTIONS:

• Interact with/get to know the animals and talking with prospective adopters about them in order to make the best possible match.
• Help people through the adoption process, sharing information about cat care and behavior, reviewing adoption applications, interviewing applicants in a conversational way, making decisions to finalize or deny an adoption, and communicating with the applicant in such a manner that maintains a courteous and friendly attitude even when declining a request.
• Track automated adoption email follow-ups and respond accordingly if adopters need support.
• Finalize adoptions and facilitate meet and greets. Sign adoption contracts, collect the minimum adoption donation, send adoption packets with veterinary records, and update GCK systems accordingly.
• Transport cats, cages and other equipment to and from off-site events or appointments from time to time.

ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH:

• Compile data and prepare reports on Intake, Foster, and Adoption Programs and recommend changes to improve programs.
• Ensure that Gem City Kitties makes consistent and timely progress in achieving its mission and target programmatic impact.
• Provide leadership in developing program, organizational, and financial plans  and execute on the policies authorized by the Board.
• Plan, actively manage, and oversee the organization’s operations, programs, fundraising, and operations while ensuring the organization’s financial sustainability.
• Actively engage in complex fiscal management through hands-on budgetary development and oversight.

MANAGEMENT:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations to ensure overall successful long-term operations and perform general management duties.
• Provide thoughtful executive leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering in a manner that is aligned with the management style and values of Gem City Kitties.
• Foster a collaborative working environment, encourage professional development, and support accountability amongst staff.
• Attend all Board meetings and provide reports and updates on staff as well as all current work, project timelines, and project and organizational progress.
• Effectively represent the organization and promote a positive organizational image to ensure adequate community representation.
• Organize, motivate, and mentor internal team leaders to strategically grow.
• Apply innovative thinking and performance measurements to analyze and support strategic decision-making.
• Continually foster a culture that encourages collaboration between departments and recognizes positive contributions.
• Manage and motivate staff, overseeing processes such as hiring, separation, ongoing staff development, performance management, and compensation and benefits.

REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Must be 21+ and have a valid driver’s license
• Work Experience Requirement: Associate’s Degree and 4 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of relevant experience
• One year animal care experience required, either paid or volunteer
• One year of management experience required
• Must be able to pass a background check
• COVID inoculation required, tetanus and rabies (pre-exposure) inoculations highly encouraged
• Work is performed in a shelter, office and outdoor environment 
• Frequent bending, reaching, squatting and kneeling required while performing job function 
• Typical shift requires long periods of standing and walking 
• Must be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds 
• Exposure to cleaning agents, allergens, and zoonotic disease 
• Subject to work weekends and holidays and outside in a variety of weather
• Subject to exposure of animal bites and scratches
• Minimal local travel to transfer partner locations 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Must have deep concern and empathy for animals
• Must have general understanding of feline body language and behavior
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office – specifically Word and Excel
• Proficiency in G-Suite – specifically Gmail, Google Drive
• Maturity, good judgement, and professional in appearance and behavior
• Ability to take initiative and work with minimal supervision and direction 
• Organized with attention to detail 

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Develops continuously - Continuously seek opportunities to improve self and others. Leads with trust, honesty, and commitment to hire, coach, and develop partners to achieve their potential.
• Acts thoughtfully - Takes personal responsibility to do the right thing and persists in times of challenge or uncertainty. Adapts quickly to change and makes timely, thoughtful decisions.
• Works well with others - Listens and communicates well with others within and outside of both GCK and Gem City Catfe. Creates a team environment that is positive and productive.
• Values our supporters – Appreciates our supporters; seeks to understand what the supporters, donors, and sponsors want and how to best deliver the experience.
• Achieves results - Understands what drives overall organizational success and is accountable to prioritize and deliver quality results. Demonstrates knowledge of core products and processes to get results. Anticipates obstacles and takes action to prevent or minimize their impact.

HOW TO APPLY: Email PDF copy of resume and cover letter to karin@gemcitykitties.org before noon on February 1st.

Volunteer

We are looking for cat cab volunteers, advisors to the board, and board of director members. 

MORE VOLUNTEER INFO