Summary:
Overview
The Vice President, Shelter Partnerships plays a critical role leading the ASPCA’s work to strengthen and expand relationships with shelter and rescue partners, driving collaboration, innovation, and impact across the animal welfare field.
Application Deadline: Applications are due by 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday, November 12.
Who We Are
The ASPCA is committed to partnering with shelters and rescues to support good welfare for the animals in their communities. We have multiple and varied programs that work with shelters and rescues via training, mentorship, transport, granting, disaster response, cruelty case management and other programming. The Shelter Partnerships Department includes the Northern Tier Shelter Initiative, the LA Initiative, and Shelter Learning teams.
What You’ll Do
In this role, the Vice President will serve as a key connector across departments and stakeholders, fostering deeper engagement with partners and ensuring their needs and perspectives are reflected in ASPCA initiatives. They will lead our work to improve coordination, efficiency, and cohesion in shelter-related programming, while also ensuring that innovations and practices from the animal welfare field are informing the work of the ASPCA. Additionally, they will lead the development and execution of strategies to enhance partner recruitment, onboarding, and long-term retention.
The Vice President will also oversee the creation and dissemination of tools and resources that support shelter and rescue organizations nationwide, acting as a liaison between internal teams, external consultants, and field partners. By identifying emerging needs and opportunities, they will ensure the ASPCA remains responsive, informed, and impactful in its shelter partnership work.
The Vice President, Shelter Partnerships reports directly to the SVP, Shelter Services and has 3 direct reports.
Where and When You’ll Work
What You’ll Get
The target hiring range is based on where the employee works, which for remote roles is the employee’s primary location of residence, and its respective cost of labor. You can view which zone applies to you based on your location (aspca.app.box.com/v/aspcazonetable). For questions regarding locations not on the list, please send an email to Careers@aspca.org for more information.
Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary ranges for this role are set forth below and may be modified in the future.
For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.
Benefits
At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Strategic and Operational Leadership
Champion the identification and integration of learning from shelter partners into ASPCA operations; establish systems and processes that promote internal knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
Define and drive short- and long-term action plans that position the ASPCA as a catalyst for innovation, and outline measurable impact across the animal welfare field
Oversee the collection, analysis, and dissemination of quantitative and qualitative data from the Organization-Wide Shelter Management Contact System (OSMCS) and other internal systems and shelter partners, to surface emerging trends, inform program design, and guide strategic decision-making
Provide leadership in leveraging data from Shelter Partnerships (SP) departments, Strategy & Research, and the OSMCS to develop a deep understanding of partner demographics, engagement patterns, and field dynamics. Use these insights to strengthen collaboration, inform strategic priorities, and guide organizational decision-making
Represent Shelter Partnerships in organizational strategy discussions, ensuring shelter-related initiatives are clearly communicated, integrated, and aligned with ASPCA’s broader goals
Develop Shelter Partnerships plans, within the ASPCA strategic framework, in partnership with the SVP, Shelter Services and other ASPCA leadership to ensure alignment with the ASPCA’s goals and priorities
Serve as a core member of the Shelter Services leadership team, contributing to strategy, sharing insights, and driving continuous improvement across shelter-related operations
Create and foster a strong collaborative relationship across the Shelter Partnerships team and with other departments with shelter-facing programs
Maintain visibility into organization-wide initiatives, including pilots such as Program Learning & Impact Measurement (PLIM), to ensure Shelter Partnerships efforts are integrated and strategically positioned
In partnership with ASPCApro, Learning & Development, and external experts, create shelter training resources on ASPCA Learn, ensuring consistency with ASPCA standards and responsiveness to field needs
Represent the ASPCA at national and regional conferences, leveraging these platforms to gather insights, elevate ASPCA thought leadership, and inform stakeholders of key developments
Spearhead initiatives to recruit new partners and deepen engagement with existing ones; develop programming that fosters peer-to-peer connection, collaboration, and shared learning across the shelter network
Oversee the strategic management of OSMCS, including governance, functionality development, and system support. Ensure the delivery of regular, actionable reporting that provides visibility into shelter partner data and insights, using this intelligence to inform program design, learning initiatives, and organizational strategy
Serve as a key liaison to the Moonshot team, ensuring Shelter Partnerships efforts are aligned with launch objectives and contribute meaningfully to the initiative’s success.
Oversee departmental budgeting and resource allocation, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with strategic priorities
People and Department Leadership
Manage a team of 3 employees to succeed in their role by communicating clear expectations, providing opportunities for learning & development, and building positive and trusting relationships.
Support your direct reports by holding regular effective feedback conversations, career conversations, annual performance evaluations, and ongoing check-in conversations with each team member on a cadence that’s appropriate for their role(s).
Provide strategic leadership, mentorship, and supervision for all team members
Ensure that all team members understand, embody, and advance Shelter Partnerships’ vision through their work, fostering a shared sense of purpose, alignment, and impact across departments and partner networks
Ensure alignment of individual performance with departmental goals and organizational priorities
Cultivate and consistently model a values-driven team culture rooted in the ASPCA’s Core Values and Behavioral Competencies
Lead the development of a balanced and supportive work environment by strategically prioritizing projects to promote both individual and team success
Identify current and future training and development opportunities for direct reports, and engage them in proactive, long-term career pathing conversations
Model and promote the use of constructive feedback as a core coaching and development tool, fostering a culture of continuous improvement
Qualifications
Proven leadership in building and sustaining cross-sector collaborations with diverse internal and external stakeholders, including national coalitions, subject matter experts, and field partners
Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex programmatic outcomes and iterate strategies to drive innovation, efficiency, and measurable impact
Strategic connector of people, ideas, and initiatives across departments, fostering alignment and integration within a large, mission-driven organization
High-level planning, prioritization, and organizational skills, with a track record of managing multifaceted initiatives and competing priorities at scale
High adaptability in navigating evolving organizational structures, emerging partnerships, and shifting sector demands
Skilled facilitator of high-level meetings and strategic convenings, with the ability to guide cross-functional dialogue and decision-making.
Committed to talent development and team growth; proactively mentors others and builds leadership capacity across teams.
Emotionally intelligent leader who values diverse perspectives and cultivates inclusive, collaborative environments to achieve shared goals.
Advanced verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to varied audiences, including executive leadership, field partners, and external stakeholders.
Expertise in analyzing data sets to extract actionable insights, identify fieldwide trends, and inform strategic planning and resource development.
Skilled in translating data and partner feedback into programmatic decisions that align with ASPCA’s mission, values, and strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of shelter operations, challenges, and learning needs, informed by direct experience or sustained engagement with the animal welfare sector.
Demonstrated success in leading the development and implementation of high-impact training resources for shelter professionals, ensuring alignment with policy, best practices, and adult learning principles.
Familiarity with instructional design methodologies and adult learning theory, particularly within nonprofit or animal welfare contexts.
Proven ability to co-create impactful resources and initiatives in partnership with external organizations, consultants, and national networks.
Skilled facilitator of high-level meetings and strategic convenings, with the ability to guide cross-functional dialogue and decision-making.
Education and Work Experience
Skilled facilitator of high-level meetings and strategic convenings, with the ability to guide cross-functional dialogue and decision-making.
At least 6 years of leadership experience within an animal shelter or similar setting required; leadership experience can be managing a program, managing operations, managing the shelter itself, etc.
Experience networking with individuals and organizations to recruit key partners and expand existing relationships required
Skilled facilitator of high-level meetings and strategic convenings, with the ability to guide cross-functional dialogue and decision-making.
Experience designing strategic frameworks that prioritize training needs based on organizational strengths, sector gaps, and long-term impact goals required; experience designing training frameworks specifically for the needs of animal shelters a plus
Qualifications:
See above for qualifications details.
Language:
English (Required)Education and Work Experience:
Bachelors