Intake Program Manager

• Manage the day-to-day operations of animal intake providing oversight of staff and volunteers to ensure smooth timely and effective processes.
• Supervise train and support Intake Coordinators and key volunteers fostering a collaborative compassionate and high-performing team culture.
• Build and maintain a robust volunteer program to support intake operations ensuring volunteers are effectively recruited trained and integrated into daily workflows.
• Foster a culture of urgency problem-solving and excellent customer service within the team to maximize lifesaving impact.
• Identify inefficiencies or gaps within intake workflows and implement solutions to increase effectiveness and reduce barriers to lifesaving.
• Lead the development and refinement of SOPs training materials and protocols to ensure consistency quality and operational clarity.
• Serve as the strategic lead and primary liaison with municipal and rescue partners including Austin Animal Center building and maintaining high-impact relationships to support at-risk animals and ensure responsive proactive coordination.
• Visit partner shelters to understand their challenges and identify ways APA! can better support their lifesaving efforts.
• Support animals from a variety of sources- including adoption and foster returns community programs like PASS and rescue partners- by identifying when shelter intake is needed and seeking alternative solutions when feasible.
• Coordinate animal transport logistics including scheduling volunteer drivers or completing transports when necessary.
• Triages and problem-solves when kennel space is limited prioritizing a variety of needs and organizing space through cross-departmental coordination.
• Facilitate data analysis and regular reporting to leadership identifying key trends and using insights to shape goals systems and policies.
• Ensure accurate and timely data entry in shelter software including intake records medical/behavioral notes and animal profiles.
• Ensures a smooth and efficient process for physically intaking and unloading animals into APA! while building and supporting a strong volunteer team to carry out daily intake operations with training guidance and hands-on support.
• Ensure all transfer partner goals and metrics are understood tracked and met.
• Support organizational goals by identifying and addressing systemic barriers to lifesaving across the intake process.
• Act as a flexible and responsive leader during emergencies or crisis intake situations ensuring effective response and coordination under pressure.
• 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 the manager.

• Lead with inclusive practices that prioritize empathy equity and accessibility in all aspects of the role.
• Maintain a solutions-focused and proactive mindset identifying opportunities breaking down barriers and creatively addressing challenges to support lifesaving efforts.
• Build and sustain a strong volunteer team through thoughtful recruitment training and engagement to support intake operations and program goals.
• Foster open timely communication with supervisors colleagues and partners across departments.
• Collaborate with partners and meet them where they are helping identify obstacles and working toward shared mission-aligned solutions.
• Stay current on industry trends and best practices applying relevant knowledge to strengthen program effectiveness.
• Demonstrate adaptability and strong judgment in a fast-paced high-volume environment including evenings weekends and holidays as needed.
• Actively participate in required meetings and trainings and support a culture of teamwork learning and continuous improvement.
• Must demonstrate dependability accountability time management use of reasoning and good judgment skills
• 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

• Minimum of two (2) years of team management experience in a customer-facing or people-centered environment.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in animal welfare strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to identify operational gaps implement effective solutions and follow through to completion.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize coordinate multiple moving parts and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Experience collecting and analyzing data to inform decision-making and improve outcomes.
• Proficient in Google Workspace and other digital tools; experience with ShelterLuv or shelter management systems is a plus
• Background in high-volume environmentspreferably in animal sheltering veterinary care logistics or fast-paced customer service.
• Skilled in working with diverse groups of people including volunteers staff and external stakeholders.
• Ability to quickly learn and clearly communicate APA! policies and procedures related to intake care and placement.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with frequent change tight timelines and occasional urgent situations.
• Willingness to learn and apply intermediate-to-advanced animal-handling skills.
• Knowledge of sheltering best practices and care standards is a plus.
• Committed to delivering excellent service and building positive working relationships with staff and volunteers at all levels.
• Committed to embodying APA!s Core Values: Innovation Respect Drive Resourcefulness and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble Hungry Smart
• Commitment to APA!s customer experience expectations
• Passion for working well with staff volunteers and customershelping 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
• Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience

• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased injured and/or potentially aggressive animals) loud noises chlorine or other chemicals and in inclement weather
• Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels including those who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm scabies intestinal parasites etc.
• Must be able to walk big dogs that pull and jump and complete all required dog and cat handling training
• 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 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 40 pounds and push and pull up to 50 pounds for situations of moving supplies or animals; 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.

• Standard shared office environment with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
• Work is often performed inside but some outside work is required
• Weekend and occasional after-hours work may be required to support program needs
• Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises
• Potential exposure to bites scratches and contagious or zoonotic diseases
• Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste disinfectants and high levels of noise
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs

• APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin TX 78703
• May travel to offsite APA! locations or partner locations as needed

• 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

Required Experience:

Manager