Senior Director of Shelter Medicine

Summary

Launched in 2014, the ASPCA Los Angeles Initiative layers policy work, inter‑agency partnerships, and direct service programs to drive change for animals and the community. The Los Angeles Initiative is comprised of 80 people from more than a dozen departments. In addition to policy work, current direct services include kitten intake diversion, foster and adoption; animal relocation; and veterinary services (spay/neuter and primary pet care).

The ASPCA’s Los Angeles work is crucially dependent on seamless collaboration and alignment both within the team and with our community partners, which include municipal shelters, non‑profits, and policy makers.

The Senior Director, SMLA is part of the Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) team. The SMS team is comprised of ABVP board‑certified shelter medicine specialists and the ASPCA’s NYC‑based Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency. SMS provides leadership, consultation, and support to improve the health and welfare of animals in shelters and communities both internally at the ASPCA and externally across the US.

Members of SMS each have assigned projects and areas of emphasis but collectively subscribe to a workplace culture of life‑long learning, relentless collaboration, and a willingness to dive into work that needs to be done.

The Senior Director, SMLA reports directly to the Vice President, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs and with a dotted line reporting relationship to the Senior Director, Los Angeles Initiative. The Senior Director, SMLA supports the ASPCA’s partnership with LAAS, providing strategic perspective, thought leadership, project planning skills, and tactical guidance relevant to implementation of the 3‑year plan. They work with the ASPCA’s Senior Director of the Los Angeles Initiative;

the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Shelter Operations, Los Angeles; the LAAS General Manager; and cross‑agency leadership to develop and implement shelter medicine protocols and practices for both population level and individual animal care. Scope for the work includes providing subject matter expertise on shelter medical programs as well as shelter programs for admissions, animal pathway planning, and animal placement in service of the aforementioned goals.

The Senior Director, SMLA develops and provides on‑the‑ground coaching, training, and support for LAAS veterinary and animal care personnel. They also provide iterative feedback on the workplan and its implementation and routinely use data and analysis to inform next steps.

As a member of the SMS team, the Senior Director regularly attends SMS department meetings and has access to the SMS team of ABVP board‑certified shelter medicine specialists in developing and implementing protocols and practices aligned with the broader shelter medicine field.

To succeed in this role, the Senior Director, SMLA must have a high level of knowledge and experience in shelter medicine; excellent writing, public speaking, and communication skills; a strong desire to continually improve the health and well‑being of animals, shelters, and the communities; and a collaborative and resilient spirit. Success will hinge on the ability to work with a variety of constituents and stakeholders, facilitate relationship‑building, communicate clearly, and develop practical, effective, and efficient solutions to address critical needs, so that animals’ physical and behavioral needs are met on both individual and population levels.

This position is primarily on‑site with approximately 80% of time spent across the six Los Angeles city shelters in addition to remote work at a home office (up to 10%) and occasional travel (up to 10%). Regular travel between LAAS shelters and remote work locations is required.

Typical hours are aligned with shelter operational and veterinary staffing; this schedule may vary according to LAAS operations. Scheduling will be managed with attention to availability of partners and a balance of on‑site and remote duties.

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including…