Strategist, Central Region (IN, OH, IL, MI, WI, WV)

Location: This position is remote within the Midwest region of the US (IN, WV, OH, IL, MI, and WI) and will require regular travel.

Hiring Range: This position’s hiring range is anticipated to be $60,000 - $70,000 annually, depending on experience, plus great benefits!

Position Summary: Regional Strategists hold the primary relationships with key stakeholders in shelters such as executive leadership and other decision makers.  They are responsible for building a relationship of trust with stakeholders. Strategists are also responsible for developing long-term plans and objectives for operational programming for individual shelters that will result in achieving no kill.  They analyze the internal and external factors influencing shelter death including data, programmatic operations, legislative issues, and community issues to create holistic support that allows for a community to achieve a 90% save rate.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead projects, campaigns, work plans, and initiatives that further state level strategies to increase lifesaving. 

• Empower agencies to achieve a 90% save rate by influencing key stakeholders to implement lifesaving strategies and accept support offers.

• Work in partnership with other members of your team to understand issues leading to shelter death and the necessary solutions to achieve a 90% save rate.

• Participate in working groups as required or requested based on areas of expertise.

• Develop, manage and lead coalitions.

• Participate in data collection and classification as assigned.

• May conduct work specific to relationship development in assigned shelters.

• May conduct work in creation of customized support offers based on data and observation that pair appropriate and available solutions with identified lifesaving gaps to raise save rates in identified shelters.

• May conduct work specific to implementation of solutions to achieve a 90% save rate in assigned shelters.

• May conduct work in strategic planning and implementation around assigned projects within the region.

• Treat people around you as our most valuable resource by leading with compassion and kindness in all your actions, build trust by demonstrating authenticity and following through on your commitments, encourage self-care and work-life balance through your own example, and work to build strong relationships with your team by creating communication loops to share and receive honest feedback. You are responsible and accountable for the culture of your team.

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience: 5+ years of proven successful experience including overseeing strategy, operations, budgeting and staffing in an animal welfare environment, preferably municipal or non-profit shelters.

• Exceptional experience/knowledge in the areas of animal behavior, general animal health care, and modern animal shelter & field services programming with a willingness to maintain knowledge on latest best practices.

• Experience facilitating play groups and monitoring dog to dog interactions is strongly preferred. Dog behavior knowledge and experience with dog training in a shelter environment is a plus.

• Demonstrated ability to creatively problem-solve, and to act decisively and ethically in difficult and fast-paced situations.

• Willingness to embrace and promote positive change.

• Ability to coordinate with multiple parties in resolving issues, creating solutions, providing support, and facilitating collaboration.

• Ability to make sound decisions and work independently in a multi-department environment.

• Demonstrated ability to appropriately prioritize multiple competing tasks and demands.

• Experience with analyzing statistical information to inform program direction and strategy.

• Ability to professionally advocate and present Best Friends’ position on issues through public speaking and other presentation avenues.

• Prior experience, comfortability, and understanding of diplomacy needed when working with internal and external stakeholders, including those in government offices. Able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.   

• Proficiency with basic computer software, including Microsoft Windows and Office applications, and comfortable learning new systems.

• Experience with shelter management platforms such as ShelterLuv, Chameleon, Shelter Buddy etc. or willingness to learn.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to be in a shelter environment and handle dogs of all sizes and cats when necessary.

• Ability to be in a shelter environment and work in the presence of both cats and dogs, including organizations where cats and dogs are currently being killed for space.

• Extended periods of time working on the computer with repetitive typing, arm and hand motion.

• Willing and able to travel by various modes of transportation (plane, car, etc.) approximately up to 15 working days a month.  Out-of-town travel for the job is expected to range up to 50% depending on the location of the jobholder and the specific responsibilities and tasks assigned.

• Must have a valid driver's license for at least 3 years, ability to qualify to be added to Best Friends insurance, ability to travel and/or drive on behalf of Best Friends, including overnight stays, when needed. 

About Best Friends

Best Friends recently received a 2022 Top Workplaces USA award from Energage. Visit the Best Friends Animal Society page on the Energage Top Workplaces award winners’ site here to learn more. Not only do we take pride in cultivating a welcoming and supportive community and culture for our employees, but we also offer competitive benefits that make it easy to see why we were granted such an awesome award! We offer competitive pay including the opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on performance. We offer medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, paid family leave, dependent care reimbursement, pet sitting reimbursement when traveling for work, flexible spending account, and health savings account. We offer generous paid time off up to 9 hours per month for full time employees, nine paid holidays annually, auto insurance discount, and legal and identity theft coverage.  For added well-being support, we offer Pawternity Leave for employees to have time to care for their personal pets, mental health support, and an employee assistance program. We also offer a generous 401k savings plan. Do you want to love where you work and make history and end the killing of shelter pets by 2025? Look no further and apply today! 

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.

Applicants for employment in the US must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the US by Best Friends Animal Society.