Associate Director of Animal and Medical Care

JOB SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Animal & Medical Care plays a vital leadership role in advancing the health, safety, and behavioral well-being of all animals in our shelter. This position provides strategic and operational leadership for Humane Fort Wayne's shelter animal care and medical programs. This position oversees the daily operations and long-term development ofshelter medical care, animal husbandry, behavior, enrichment, population management, and adoption readiness to ensure exceptional welfare outcomes for every animal entrusted to Humane Fort Wayne.

Working in close partnership with the Director of Operations, the Associate Director leads a team of supervisors (Leads) and care staff, cultivating a culture of excellence,accountability, and continuous learning.

• Directs and oversees all aspects of medical care for shelter animals, including intake assessments, triage, treatment protocols, vaccination programs, disease preventionincluding:
  Surgical coordination
  Isolation and quarantine procedures
  Foster medical support
  Neonatal and critical care programs
  End-of-life and humane euthanasia procedures
• Monitor medical outcomes, identify trends, and implement improvements that reducedisease transmission, improve recovery, and enhance animal welfare.
  Develop, implement, and continually refine evidence-based behavioral assessment andenrichment programs for dogs and cats by:
  Developing evidence-based enrichment plans
  Overseeing canine and feline behavior evaluations
  Supporting playgroup programming
  Reviewing behavior modification plans
  Monitoring quality of life
  Establishing humane decision-making criteria
  Reducing shelter stress through enrichment initiatives
• Collaborate with veterinary staff and external partners to ensure all animals receive timely, appropriate, and compassionate care.
  
  Ensure accurate and complete medical and behavioral recordkeeping in compliance with applicable regulations and shelter standards.
• Partner with Humane Fort Wayne veterinarians to ensure medical care is delivered in accordance with veterinary direction, current shelter medicine principles, and ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.
• Directly supervise Animal and Medical Care Leads who manage day-to-day animal care operations across all shelter departments.

• Animal Management Software
• Answer emails, phones, and return voicemails in a timely manner.
• Provide accurate information to adopters and answer their questions appropriately.
• Accurately enter and save data to the appropriate places in a timely fashion.
• Assist with Reporting and Data retention.
• Have a broad understanding of all policies and procedures for general animal care, animalintake, adoption standards, euthanasia as well as the necessary protocols from City of Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control.
• Direct clients to the specific program managers as necessary.
• Approves timecards for payroll purposes.
• Manage bite and injury reports.
• Provide mentorship, professional development, and performance management for supervisory staff; conduct regular check-ins and formal evaluations.
• Foster an emotionally intelligent, inclusive, and supportive team environment, with particular sensitivity to the emotional demands of shelter work and compassion fatigue.
• Lead by example, modeling clear communication, sound judgment, and a commitment to the shelter’s mission and values.
• Coordinate staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure consistent, high-quality care across all shifts.
• Develop, document, and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all animal care functions.
• Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) related to animal health outcomes, length of stay, live release rates, and staff performance.
• Lea…