Description
Animal Care Director
Reno Campus - Reno, NV 89502; Carson Campus - Carson City, NV 89701
Overview
Salary Range
$90,000.00 - $110,000.00 Salary/year
Position Type
Full Time
Education Level
High School
Travel Percentage
Travel varies based on position
Category
Animal Care
Care for pets. Find them homes. Save lives. That’s the mission at Nevada Humane Society.
We’re a high-save organization helping nearly 34,000 animals in our community each year and caring for approximately 10,000 across both of our campuses. Through sheltering, adoptions, community-centered programs and services we help find pets loving homes and keep them there. We are seeking an experienced Animal Care Director to join our team at our Reno Campus. In this role, you’ll provide daily care, support positive outcomes, and help match pets with the families who will love them for life.
At NHS, lifesaving work is powered by dedicated professionals. We support our team with competitive pay, meaningful benefits, and a workplace rooted in compassion, teamwork, and purpose.
If you have these qualifications, we encourage you to apply:
This leadership role requires a minimum of five years of experience in animal sheltering or animal welfare, including at least three years in a supervisory or management capacity within an animal shelter. Candidates must demonstrate proven success leading teams and multiple departments in a high-volume, open-admission or similarly complex environment, with strong experience in staff development, employee relations, operational oversight, and ethical, humane decision-making. A strong working knowledge of animal welfare standards, shelter operations, canine behavior and training principles, along with excellent organizational and communication skills, physical ability to perform shelter duties, and flexibility to work weekends, holidays, and emergencies, is required.
BENEFITS & PERKS
In Nevada
Nevada employers often provide competitive benefits, but NHS stands out with:
100% Employer-paid medical & vision premium option (Full-Time Employees)
Pet-centric benefits not typical in most benefit packages
Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual starting on day one rather than waiting periods.
This puts NHS at or above local and national trends for comprehensive total compensation and unique personal perks
Full-Time Employees Are Eligible For:
Nine paid holidays
90% employer-paid buy-up options and low-cost dental plans
Eligibility for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
All Employees are eligible for:
Low-cost supplemental plans including Life Insurance, Accident, and Short-Term Disability
Pet-focused perks such as free vaccines, spay/neuter, and end-of-life services for employee-owned pets
Free and reduced-cost pet adoptions
Up to 50% off major brand and prescription pet food delivered directly to the shelter
POSITION OVERVIEW
Animal Care Director
Department: Operations
Supervises: Animal Care Managers and Behavior & Transfer Manager
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
FLSA/Work Hours Status: Full-Time 40+ hours per week
DOL Status: Exempt Base Pay Range:
Base pay range: 90K to 110K
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Our Animal Care Director plays an important role in advancing Nevada Humane Society’s mission
Primary Purpose:
The Animal Care Director provides strategic leadership for the humane care and effective management of all animals across both Nevada Humane Society campuses. This role oversees the Dog Care, Cat Care, and Behavior & Transfer teams, ensuring operations, animal population flow, and care standards align with ASV guidelines and organizational policies. The position supports data-informed decision-making, cross-departmental coordination, and emergency preparedness to safeguard animal welfare.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and oversee Dog Care, Cat Care, and Behavior & Transfer teams across both campuses, ensuring humane, consistent, and high-quality care for all animals.
Set and continuously improve animal care standards, protocols, and operations in alignment with Association of Shelter Veterinarians guidelines and organizational policy.
Coach and manage Animal Care leadership staff, driving accountability, professional growth, and strong team performance.
Oversee daily animal care operations and shelter population management to optimize animal wellbeing, live outcomes, and length of stay.
Partner closely with Medical, Clinic, and Behavior teams to ensure coordinated, timely, and humane decision-making.
Lead enrichment and behavior programs that reduce stress and increase adoptability.
Ensure compliance with disease control, sanitation, safety, and animal welfare standards.
Serve as a certified euthanasia decision-maker, ensuring compassionate, consistent, and well-documented outcomes.
Oversee staffing, scheduling, hiring, training, and performance management for animal care leadership.
Manage budgets, data, and resources while analyzing key metrics to guide operational and strategic decisions.
Build and maintain strong relationships with community transfer partners.
Support organizational planning, emergency preparedness, and continuous improvement initiatives
WHY NORTHERN NEVADA?
Northern Nevada offers an exceptional blend of career opportunity, quality of life, and outdoor adventure, making it an ideal place for professionals who value meaningful work and true work–life balance. Anchored by Reno and Carson City, the region continues to attract people who want to make an impact while enjoying everything life outside of work has to offer.
A Community That Works — and Plays
Northern Nevada is home to:
Approximately 300 days of sunshine each year
Easy access to Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and the Sierra Nevada mountains
World-class skiing, hiking, biking, paddling, and year-round recreation just minutes away
Here, it’s possible to start your morning on a trail, spend your day doing meaningful work, and unwind by the river or in the mountains after hours.
With no state income tax, abundant sunshine, a diverse economy, and unmatched access to outdoor recreation, Northern Nevada is an ideal home for animal welfare professionals seeking both purpose and balance.
This leadership role offers a rare opportunity to influence animal welfare at scale. As a key member of the organization’s leadership team, you will shape strategy, set standards, and guide complex animal care operations that directly impact thousands of animals and the people who care for them. If you are a proven leader who brings both operational rigor and deep compassion to your work—and who is motivated by building strong teams, ethical decision-making, and measurable outcomes, we invite you to apply and help lead the future of humane sheltering at Nevada Humane Society.
Requirements
Qualifications
1. Minimum 5 years of experience in animal sheltering, or animal welfare.
2. At least 3 years of supervisory or management experience in an animal shelter.
3. Demonstrated leadership effectiveness resulting in sustained employee retention, high performance and team stability.
4. Demonstrated experience leading multiple departments in a high-volume, open-admission animal shelter or similarly complex environment, with the ability to remain effective, adaptable, and solution-focused under sustained operational pressure, frequent change, and competing priorities.
5. Demonstrated and documented experience managing employee onboarding, training, performance management, and retention in accordance with organizational standards and best practices.
6. Demonstrated and documented experience managing employee relations matters, with a strong working knowledge of employment law, Human Resources best practices, and organizational policy compliance.
7. Bachelor’s degree in animal science, Veterinary Technology, non-profit management, or a related field or equivalent professional experience.
8. Demonstrated knowledge of canine behavior, learning theory, and humane training principles and ASV guidelines.
9. Demonstrated ability to supervise, evaluate, and support CPDT-KA–certified staff.
10. Demonstrated knowledge of animal welfare standards, shelter medicine, disease control, and humane handling practices.
11. Experience overseeing daily animal care operations, including population management and enrichment.
12. Ability to lead, train, and support staff, volunteers, and foster caregivers.
13. Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
14. Experience working within budget constraints and stewarding limited resources responsibly.
15. Ability to make ethical, humane decisions in alignment with organizational policies.
16. Physical ability to perform shelter-related duties, including lifting 50+ lbs.
17. Availability to work flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, and emergency situations.
18. Demonstrated experience with shelter software.
