Dog Placement Lead: Adoption, Foster & Volunteer Impact
APA, Austin, TX, United States
APA! BACKGROUND:
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.
The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.
BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Dog Placement Assistant Manager leads and oversees the strategic direction, growth, and daily operations of APA!’s Dog Placement team, with a focus on adoption and foster placements for dogs in our care. This role ensures alignment with APA!’s broader mission to increase the live release rate across Texas, while building a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for customer service and dog placements.
The Dog Placement Assistant Manager is responsible for managing daily workflows, supervising staff, and setting clear, mission-aligned goals. This includes creating structured plans, tracking progress toward outcomes, and ensuring accountability and follow-through on team priorities. The role uses data to guide decisions and helps keep the team focused on consistent, measurable impact. This is a leadership role rooted in empowerment, facilitation, and values-driven oversight.
Rather than working independently, the Dog Placement Assistant Manager sets the tone that APA! is a volunteer-powered organization—every staff member is expected to work collaboratively with volunteers and to help create meaningful opportunities for them to lead and contribute. This includes pairing with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, modeling strong partnership, and developing a culture of shared effort and team accountability.
This position requires a high level of responsiveness and availability. The work is often fast-paced and dynamic, with weekend or shift flexibility expected. While APA! strongly encourages work-life balance, during on-duty shifts, the Dog Placement Manager is expected to be highly present, solutions-oriented, and ready to support the team with real-time problem-solving.
Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Volunteer engagement: A critical part of this role is helping people help pets by supporting and guiding volunteers to facilitate adoptions and placement. Rather than taking on all tasks independently, this role works alongside volunteers as a teammate to ensure the work is carried out efficiently and to an excellent standard. Team Leadership & Stewardship: Act as a steward for ongoing projects within the Placement Team, guiding staff through key initiatives that enhance efficiency and foster long-term success. Manager on Duty: Serve alongside the Placement Team during scheduled shifts, acting as a manager on duty and supporting team members and customers in real-time to increase placement opportunities. Scheduling & Staffing: Take responsibility for scheduling Placement Team shifts and ensuring all customer service needs are met. Team Support & Development: Support staff by offering leadership, feedback, and opportunities for professional growth, while also partnering with the Dog Volunteer Administrator to recruit and manage volunteers to support the team’s goals. Sales Training & Goal Clarity: Collaborate with leadership to implement sales training that enhances team performance and ensures alignment with team and organizational goals. Adoption & Foster Success: Work closely with the Dog Placement Senior Program Manager to maintain APA’s open placement policies and innovate programs focused on decreasing dog length of stay, improving placement success, and prioritizing vulnerable populations. Policy & Procedure Development: Develop and update policies, procedures, and resources that ensure optimal dog placement outcomes, aligning with APA!'s goals and mission. Client Support: Ensure successful interactions between dogs and potential adopters or fosters, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to care for their new pets. Administrative Oversight: Manage administrative responsibilities including document management, database updates, and communication within the team. Customer Service Leadership: Handle customer service issues, including addressing serious situations such as lost dogs, dog bites, or dog fights, maintaining a professional and compassionate approach. Continuous Improvement: Identify areas for improvement within the team and explore ways to increase efficiency across the department. Cross-Team Collaboration: Foster strong relationships with other teams to improve communication and client support, ensuring a focus on dog placement operations across all departments. Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift, with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program. Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers, ensuring the work is shared, not siloed, and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks. Ensure active recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks, offering guidance, and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship. Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer to volunteer conversion opportunities. Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts. Provide clear expectations, hands-on training, and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success. Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS:
High level of organizational ability, able to delegate tasks appropriately, able to juggle multiple varied tasks and make decisions under pressure Extensive experience working within the animal welfare industry, including familiarity with common canine behavioral and medical terminology Minimum 1 year of administrative work related to customer service, volunteer management, or animal care. Able to assist with medical care of dogs; experience administering medications including injectables Internet access; familiarity with Google products, spreadsheets, ShelterLuv, computer literacy Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate well with a broad population including fosters, adopters, volunteers, and staff Prior experience managing others or leading a team. Ability to be receptive and open minded to change, progress, and growth of the Dog Placement Programs Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience Ability to diffuse escalated customer service experiences while maintaining the integrity of APA! protocols. Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels, including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm, scabies, intestinal parasites, etc. Must be able to walk big dogs that pull and jump Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away with the ability to hear and discern dog vocalizations both soft and loud Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer Must be able to pass all required dog handling training required for this position Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers Will sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, stoop, bend, stretch, squat, kneel, grasp, grip, put fingers together firmly and reach above and below shoulder level, lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds and push and pull up to 50 pounds for situations of moving supplies and setting up for events; repetitively use hands to operate computers; flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist. If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Standard office environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals Uses own transportation to travel and transport Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises. Exposure to bites, scratches and animal waste Possible exposure to contagious diseases Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS This position reports directly to the Dog Placement Senior Program Manager, but will also work closely with the Director of Strategic Customer Service, the Dog Foster/Adoption Support Manager and the Foster & Community Placement Program Manager.
TIME COMMITMENT:
This is a full-time, exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week. Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
LOCATION(S):
APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center, 1156 West Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78703 May travel to offsite locations as needed
BENEFITS: Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.
Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.
APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org at least one week in advance of your interview.
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Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.
The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.
BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Dog Placement Assistant Manager leads and oversees the strategic direction, growth, and daily operations of APA!’s Dog Placement team, with a focus on adoption and foster placements for dogs in our care. This role ensures alignment with APA!’s broader mission to increase the live release rate across Texas, while building a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for customer service and dog placements.
The Dog Placement Assistant Manager is responsible for managing daily workflows, supervising staff, and setting clear, mission-aligned goals. This includes creating structured plans, tracking progress toward outcomes, and ensuring accountability and follow-through on team priorities. The role uses data to guide decisions and helps keep the team focused on consistent, measurable impact. This is a leadership role rooted in empowerment, facilitation, and values-driven oversight.
Rather than working independently, the Dog Placement Assistant Manager sets the tone that APA! is a volunteer-powered organization—every staff member is expected to work collaboratively with volunteers and to help create meaningful opportunities for them to lead and contribute. This includes pairing with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, modeling strong partnership, and developing a culture of shared effort and team accountability.
This position requires a high level of responsiveness and availability. The work is often fast-paced and dynamic, with weekend or shift flexibility expected. While APA! strongly encourages work-life balance, during on-duty shifts, the Dog Placement Manager is expected to be highly present, solutions-oriented, and ready to support the team with real-time problem-solving.
Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Volunteer engagement: A critical part of this role is helping people help pets by supporting and guiding volunteers to facilitate adoptions and placement. Rather than taking on all tasks independently, this role works alongside volunteers as a teammate to ensure the work is carried out efficiently and to an excellent standard. Team Leadership & Stewardship: Act as a steward for ongoing projects within the Placement Team, guiding staff through key initiatives that enhance efficiency and foster long-term success. Manager on Duty: Serve alongside the Placement Team during scheduled shifts, acting as a manager on duty and supporting team members and customers in real-time to increase placement opportunities. Scheduling & Staffing: Take responsibility for scheduling Placement Team shifts and ensuring all customer service needs are met. Team Support & Development: Support staff by offering leadership, feedback, and opportunities for professional growth, while also partnering with the Dog Volunteer Administrator to recruit and manage volunteers to support the team’s goals. Sales Training & Goal Clarity: Collaborate with leadership to implement sales training that enhances team performance and ensures alignment with team and organizational goals. Adoption & Foster Success: Work closely with the Dog Placement Senior Program Manager to maintain APA’s open placement policies and innovate programs focused on decreasing dog length of stay, improving placement success, and prioritizing vulnerable populations. Policy & Procedure Development: Develop and update policies, procedures, and resources that ensure optimal dog placement outcomes, aligning with APA!'s goals and mission. Client Support: Ensure successful interactions between dogs and potential adopters or fosters, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to care for their new pets. Administrative Oversight: Manage administrative responsibilities including document management, database updates, and communication within the team. Customer Service Leadership: Handle customer service issues, including addressing serious situations such as lost dogs, dog bites, or dog fights, maintaining a professional and compassionate approach. Continuous Improvement: Identify areas for improvement within the team and explore ways to increase efficiency across the department. Cross-Team Collaboration: Foster strong relationships with other teams to improve communication and client support, ensuring a focus on dog placement operations across all departments. Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift, with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program. Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers, ensuring the work is shared, not siloed, and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks. Ensure active recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks, offering guidance, and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship. Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer to volunteer conversion opportunities. Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts. Provide clear expectations, hands-on training, and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success. Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS:
High level of organizational ability, able to delegate tasks appropriately, able to juggle multiple varied tasks and make decisions under pressure Extensive experience working within the animal welfare industry, including familiarity with common canine behavioral and medical terminology Minimum 1 year of administrative work related to customer service, volunteer management, or animal care. Able to assist with medical care of dogs; experience administering medications including injectables Internet access; familiarity with Google products, spreadsheets, ShelterLuv, computer literacy Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate well with a broad population including fosters, adopters, volunteers, and staff Prior experience managing others or leading a team. Ability to be receptive and open minded to change, progress, and growth of the Dog Placement Programs Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience Ability to diffuse escalated customer service experiences while maintaining the integrity of APA! protocols. Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to routinely lift 40-50 pounds Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels, including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm, scabies, intestinal parasites, etc. Must be able to walk big dogs that pull and jump Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away with the ability to hear and discern dog vocalizations both soft and loud Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer Must be able to pass all required dog handling training required for this position Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers Will sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, stoop, bend, stretch, squat, kneel, grasp, grip, put fingers together firmly and reach above and below shoulder level, lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds and push and pull up to 50 pounds for situations of moving supplies and setting up for events; repetitively use hands to operate computers; flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist. If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Standard office environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals Uses own transportation to travel and transport Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises. Exposure to bites, scratches and animal waste Possible exposure to contagious diseases Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS This position reports directly to the Dog Placement Senior Program Manager, but will also work closely with the Director of Strategic Customer Service, the Dog Foster/Adoption Support Manager and the Foster & Community Placement Program Manager.
TIME COMMITMENT:
This is a full-time, exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week. Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
LOCATION(S):
APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center, 1156 West Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78703 May travel to offsite locations as needed
BENEFITS: Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.
Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.
APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org at least one week in advance of your interview.
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