Senior Manager, Animal Behavior

Senior Manager, Animal Behavior

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Are you dedicated to companion animal behavior and passionate about delivering high-quality care and optimizing welfare for animals in need? Are you committed to bringing multiple areas of animal sheltering expertise together and working with a team to ensure the overall well‑being of animals? Are you a dynamic leader and mentor dedicated to developing teams for the benefit of shelter animals?

If so, the role of Senior Manager, Animal Behavior at the ASPCA’s Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) might be right for you!

At the CRC, a dedicated team of professionals serves animals rescued in ASPCA national cruelty cases and disaster responses. Experts in shelter medicine, operations, and shelter animal behavior continuously collaborate to provide high-quality integrative care, prioritizing both physical and psychological well‑being. We engage in hands‑on care, continual learning, research, developing effective interventions, establishing best practices, and sharing innovations nationwide.

The Senior Manager, Animal Behavior is based at the CRC but travels regularly to provide behavior leadership and services at emergency shelters and to assist the Behavioral Sciences Team during animal removals on‑scene. Led by the Senior Director, this role works alongside two other Senior Managers. Together, the CRC behavior branch supervises 3–4 Behavior Specialists (a total team of 11), providing mentorship, coaching, and development support, and continually assessing and optimizing the behavioral health of the animals.

• This is an in‑person position located at the Cruelty Recovery Center in Columbus, OH.
• Available to regularly work 4 days per week, 7:30 am–5:30 pm, including one weekend day, and flexible schedule when needed (days, evenings, weekends, holidays).
• Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% of the time, often on short notice and for 7‑ to 10‑day periods.

Schedules are subject to change at the sole discretion of the ASPCA.

The target hiring range for this role is $88,500 – $92,500 annually. Salary may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time.

• Affordable health coverage, including medical and employer‑paid dental, with optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off: vacation, sick and bereavement, paid parental leave, 10 company holidays, and paid personal time.
• 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions—match up to 4% and an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.
• Professional development opportunities: classes, on‑the‑job training, coaching, and mentorship with industry‑leading peers, internal mobility, and field support.

• Monitor the behavioral health of all animals in our care.
• Conduct daily behavior rounds and regularly participate in shelter daily rounds to ensure timely delivery of care and open communication.
• Create daily treatment plans and coordinate with the other Senior Managers to align staff activities.
• Participate in Medical, Sheltering, and Behavior meetings for collaborative, holistic care.
• Assign dogs to playgroup participation, monitor, and track behavior.
• Conduct behavior evaluations for various populations (hoarding case and puppy mill dogs, fighting dogs, shelter dogs and cats, animals rescued during disaster relief).
• Serve as an expert handler for fearful or aggressive dogs (e.g., during medical exams, intake procedures, humane euthanasia).
• Monitor intervention effectiveness through behavior database to track shelter animal progress.
• Lead weekly treatment meetings with CRC behavior staff to troubleshoot techniques and inform outcome decisions.
• Provide behavior support to Response Partners, foster parents, or delegate to Behavior Specialists when appropriate.
• Ensure all team members are trained in low‑stress handling and consistently apply techniques.
• Provide a safe and compassionate environment for animals, staff, and clients using low‑stress handling techniques.
• Instill the guiding principle that everyone actively supports…