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 pets, but for purpose‑driven people too.

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.

• In partnership with the other Dog Care Manager (AM Shift), oversee the management, organization, decision‑making, problem‑solving, implementation, and communication associated with Dog Care at APA!
• Manage personnel and administrative tasks including recruiting and onboarding new staff and volunteers, creating staff schedules, resolving interpersonal disputes, and other activities as needed.
• Develop and strengthen relationships with other APA! Managers, leaders, and volunteers to help build a “one team” ethos around the mission.
• Work in collaboration with staff…