Puppy Development Manager

Puppy Development Manager

Liberty Dogs™ is a premier Service Dog training program whose goal is to empower Veterans with disabilities to lead more independent and fulfilling lives - enhancing their well-being through the unconditional support that Liberty Service Dogs provide. Located on a 27-acre campus, it includes a training facility, dog housing, an administrative and multipurpose building, and accommodations for Veterans staying on campus to train with their Liberty Service Dogs.

The Puppy Development Manager supports the success of puppies in training from 8 weeks through approximately 18 months of age by providing leadership to the Puppy Development Coordinators, Puppy Outreach Coordinators, and volunteer community puppy raisers. This working manager role is responsible for leading the Puppy Development Team in recruiting, training, supporting, and retaining volunteer puppy raisers, as well as evaluating, matching, and placing puppies with raisers.

Day to day, this position leads weekly dog training classes, provides individual dog training support as needed, and carries significant administrative and reporting responsibility. The Puppy Development Manager collaborates closely with the VP, Canine Development, breeding and veterinary staff, and the broader Canine Operations team to ensure every puppy in the Liberty Dogs pipeline is set up to succeed as a service dog for a Veteran in need.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on, mission-driven leader with deep experience in canine development, human learning, and volunteer management who is equally comfortable in the kennel, at the keyboard, and presenting in public.

• Lead and manage Puppy Development Coordinators and Puppy Development staff in providing one-on-one instruction and small group classes to volunteer puppy raisers, puppy sitters, and fosters.
• Track each puppy's progress against program timeline benchmarks and developmental milestones.
• Evaluate, match, and place puppies with volunteer raisers based on puppy developmental stage, raiser and household profile, and program needs.
• Coordinate transport of puppies as needed between program facilities, onsite veterinary appointments, and raiser homes.
• Coordinate, conduct, and score all structured walk & talk assessments and BCL scoring for puppies across the program.
• Ensure all training hours, public access outings, and evaluations are accurately documented in the organizational database for every dog in the program.
• Supervise the recruitment of volunteer puppy raisers in the Reno/Northern Nevada community and surrounding region, in partnership with Volunteer Services and Outreach staff.
• Coordinate and host orientations, seminars, workshops, and educational events to build raiser skills in puppy training, socialization, health care, and general management of a Liberty Dogs puppy.
• Supervise and support Coordinators in providing resources for puppy raisers throughout their raising commitment, providing responsive guidance on behavior, veterinary concerns, socialization, and public access.
• Implement retention strategies to build a stable, growing volunteer raiser community aligned to each puppy cohort's needs.
• Prepare weekly and monthly reports on puppy development program activities, including data required by grantors, the Duffield Foundation, and organizational leadership.
• Assist with the annual budget process, including coding and identifying budget needs for the Puppy Development department.
• Collaborate with the VP, Canine Development and veterinary or breeding staff to plan, schedule, and coordinate puppy cohort sizes and placement timelines.
• Work with the VP, Canine Development to evaluate program effectiveness and develop solutions to improve efficiency and placement outcomes.
• Collaborate with Volunteer Services and the Puppy Development Team to align raiser capacity with each upcoming puppy cohort.
• Interview, hire, train, and mentor Puppy Development Team staff in accordance with Liberty Dogs policies and applicable Nevada employment law.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide ongoing coaching, and address staff concerns in a timely and constructive manner.
• Build team…