Assistant Manager of Canine Care

The Assistant Manager of Canine Care manages a team of supervisors and volunteers and oversees daily operations including sanitization processes, health, behavioral and dietary needs, enrichment, handling, and ensures optimal care for dogs and puppies in the Canine Development Center.

• Recruit, mentor, develop and successfully manage a team of supervisors to achieve the strategic objectives and present and future needs of the canine care department.
• Lead supervisors in managing team performance through coaching, individual meetings, and performance reviews.
• Assist manager and work alongside supervisors in overseeing day‑to‑day operations. Assist with filling in for dog care supervisors, working with team members as needed for canine care duties.
• Partner with Manager of Canine Care & Welfare and other cross‑functional groups to oversee and implement enrichment protocols for incoming dogs, career change dogs, medical restrictions, and dogs assigned to fosters.
• Assist with management duties such as facility inspections, departmental goal setting, managing escalated situations and difficult conversations.
• Develop content for SOPs for operational processes; manage updates, editing, archives, distribution and training for dog and puppy care teams.
• Assist in tracking departmental metrics of success and supervise use of the CRM software system to ensure dog records are updated accurately and timely.
• Serve as an active monthly participant of the Enrichment Committee and Safety Committee.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education in animal science, animal behavior or a related field preferred. Minimum of 2 years’ experience and demonstrated success in people management in animal facility operations required. Understanding of canine health or behavioral abnormalities that require follow‑up is preferred.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and collaborative style; ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with team members and volunteers.
• Strong leadership and planning skills, ability to create and execute strategic goals and objectives, and support projects and departments.
• Sound knowledge of facility sanitization processes and kennel operations, animal enrichment and welfare standards.
• May require on‑campus presence when deemed necessary at the direction of management.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, strong organizational skills, and acute attention to detail.
• Extremely well organized and self‑directed; ability to work under pressure, handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to use current version of Microsoft Office software and interpret reports and data as needed.
• Ability to evaluate data, define problems, analyze business issues and develop workable solutions.
• Possess sound business judgment, professional conduct, business ethics and confidentiality.
• Willing to perform general public relations duties on behalf of Leader Dogs.
• Ability to maintain professional, courteous interactions with employees, volunteers, donors, clients and all constituents.

Must be willing and able to work with and around large dogs or puppies on a daily basis.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, bend, crouch, kneel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, communicate via in‑person, telephone and email, lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and have vision skills including close, distance, peripheral and depth perception.

Leader Dogs for the Blind reserves the right to change, amend, add, delete and otherwise assign any and all duties, responsibilities and position title as it deems necessary.

Leader Dogs for the Blind is an at‑will employer.

Apply on Leader Dogs for the Blind career site at