KENNEL OPERATIONS MANAGER – FULL-TIME

San Saba County Friends of Animals is seeking a dependable, organized, compassionate, and hardworking Kennel Operations Manager to oversee the daily operations of our animal shelter.

This is a hands-on position. The Kennel Operations Manager will be responsible for helping ensure that animals receive proper daily care, the shelter remains clean and sanitary, volunteers are properly trained and supervised, and daily shelter operations run safely and efficiently.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable working directly with dogs and cats, interacting with the public, supervising volunteers, maintaining records, assisting with adoptions, and completing administrative duties. This position also includes assisting with fundraising, grant writing, community outreach, and other activities necessary to support the mission of San Saba County Friends of Animals.

The Kennel Operations Manager should be willing to step in wherever needed. This is not a desk-only. Daily responsibilities include hands-on animal care and cleaning in addition to supervisory and administrative duties.

Schedule

• Full-time position – approximately 40 hours per week
• Regular weekday schedule with occasional weekends as needed
• Must be available to work some holidays as needed
• Schedule may occasionally change depending on animal-care needs, emergencies, staffing, events, or shelter operations
• Reliable and punctual attendance is essential

Animal Care & Shelter Responsibilities

The Kennel Operations Manager will:

• Oversee daily shelter and kennel operations
• Feed dogs and cats and provide fresh water
• Clean and sanitize dog kennels, cat enclosures, animal-care areas, food and water bowls, and equipment
• Remove animal waste and maintain clean, comfortable living areas
• Scoop, clean, and change litter boxes
• Walk dogs and provide appropriate exercise and enrichment
• Socialize dogs and cats and help evaluate their individual needs
• Bathe animals as needed
• Perform basic grooming, including nail trims
• Assist with vaccinations and routine preventative care according to shelter protocols
• Administer medications as directed
• Accurately document vaccinations, medications, treatments, and other animal-care information
• Monitor animals for signs of illness, injury, stress, pain, or behavioral changes
• Immediately report and appropriately respond to animal health or safety concerns
• Safely handle healthy, sick, injured, frightened, energetic, or behaviorally challenging animals
• Assist with animal intake, transfers, transportation, and adoptions
• Maintain appropriate sanitation, disease-prevention, quarantine, and isolation procedures
• Help maintain adequate levels of food, cleaning products, medications, and other shelter supplies
• Wash, dry, organize, and maintain animal bedding and laundry
• Maintain a clean, safe, organized, and professional shelter environment

Volunteer Management

Because volunteers are an important part of our organization, the Kennel Operations Manager will play a key role in developing and supporting our volunteer team.

Responsibilities include:

• Recruit new volunteers
• Assist with volunteer onboarding and orientation
• Train volunteers on proper animal care, cleaning, safety, sanitation, and shelter procedures
• Supervise volunteers while they are working at the shelter
• Help volunteers understand their assigned duties and responsibilities
• Ensure volunteers follow shelter policies and animal-handling procedures
• Assist with scheduling and coordinating volunteer coverage
• Communicate volunteer needs and available opportunities
• Provide guidance and support to volunteers
• Help create a positive, respectful, team-oriented environment
• Address problems or concerns involving volunteer duties and report significant issues to organizational leadership

Customer Service & Adoptions

The Kennel Operations Manager will also work directly with adopters, visitors, and members of the public.

Responsibilities include:

• Greet and assist visitors professionally and courteously
• Answer questions about available animals
• Assist potential adopters in meeting dogs and cats
• Help match adopters with appropriate animals
• Assist with adoption applications, paperwork, contracts, and records
• Explain basic adoption requirements and shelter policies
• Answer and return telephone calls
• Respond to emails and other inquiries
• Assist individuals seeking information about lost, found, surrendered, or stray animals
• Provide information about SSCFOA programs and community resources
• Represent San Saba County Friends of Animals professionally when interacting with the public

Administrative & Office Duties

This position will assist with the administrative work necessary to keep the shelter operating efficiently, including:

• Data entry and animal recordkeeping
• Maintaining accurate shelter records
• Filing and organizing paperwork
• Answering phones and emails
• Maintaining adoption and animal-care documentation
• Assisting with scheduling
• Tracking supplies and identifying items that need to be ordered
• Assisting with reports and organizational records
• Helping prepare correspondence and other documents
• Performing other general office duties as needed

Fundraising, Grants & Community Outreach

As a nonprofit animal welfare organization, fundraising and community support are essential to our work. The Kennel Operations Manager will assist with:

• Researching potential grant opportunities
• Helping prepare and write grant applications
• Gathering information needed for grant reports and applications
• Maintaining records related to grants when assigned
• Assisting with fundraising activities
• Helping plan and coordinate fundraising events
• Participating in adoption events and community outreach
• Assisting with donation and supply drives
• Helping promote shelter programs, animals, volunteer opportunities, and community needs
• Representing SSCFOA at community events when needed

Previous grant-writing or nonprofit experience is helpful but is not required. The successful candidate should, however, be comfortable writing professionally and learning new administrative responsibilities.

Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Genuinely enjoy working with both dogs and cats
• Be compassionate while also being able to follow established policies and procedures
• Be comfortable working with sick, injured, frightened, energetic, or behaviorally challenging animals
• Be comfortable working around potentially contagious animals
• Be able to safely lift and carry at least 50 pounds
• Be able to stand and walk for extended periods
• Be able to bend, kneel, squat, reach, lift, carry, and perform repetitive physical tasks
• Be able to work indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions
• Be comfortable with animal waste, strong odors, loud barking, animal hair, cleaning chemicals, and routine shelter messes
• Have strong organizational and time-management skills
• Be able to prioritize multiple responsibilities
• Be able to work independently without constant supervision
• Be able to supervise and work effectively with volunteers
• Have strong communication and customer-service skills
• Be comfortable communicating with adopters, volunteers, donors, visitors, and members of the public
• Have basic computer skills and be willing to learn shelter software and other programs
• Be able to maintain accurate records
• Follow medication, vaccination, cleaning, sanitation, and animal-handling instructions carefully
• Have reliable transportation
• Be dependable and punctual
• Be available to work occasional weekends and holidays as needed
• Complete all required SSCFOA training
• Successfully pass a background check

Previous experience in an animal shelter, rescue, veterinary clinic, boarding facility, kennel, nonprofit organization, supervisory position, or similar environment is preferred but may not be required for an otherwise qualified applicant.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who understands that animal shelter work can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding.

The right person will be someone who can move from cleaning a kennel to helping an adopter, administering a vaccination, answering a phone call, training a volunteer, entering records, helping with a grant application, and then taking a dog outside for exercise—all in the same day.

We need someone who sees what needs to be done and is willing to help get it done.

This position requires compassion for animals, professionalism with people, attention to detail, good judgment, dependability, flexibility, and a willingness to be an active part of the day-to-day work of the shelter.

Please Note

Animal shelter work involves frequent exposure to animal waste, urine, feces, vomit, blood, strong odors, animal hair and dander, cleaning and disinfecting chemicals, loud barking, scratching, biting risks, sick or injured animals, contagious diseases, and animals experiencing fear or behavioral challenges.

Applicants should understand the physical and emotional demands of animal welfare work before applying.